The joy of pastry is something to be cherished; in all it’s forms. From my savory, signature Tomato Tartlet to these super easy Pear Pastry Roses, pastry is one of the most versatile things you can use.
Cheryl Love wrote: ‘Bakers bake this dish from the heart; Adding pastry bits on top for art…’, and what an art it is indeed. The possibilities are endless.
Pastry dates back to the Egyptian era, but it’s the Greeks and Romans that took this ancient art form to a whole other level.
These days there are companies that produce sublime pastry. It takes the pressure off us cooks and we can focus on the recipe, instead of the often labor intensive process of making it from scratch.
I use puff pastry from Aussie Bakery. It’s light and rich without any of the bad preservatives you often find in bought pastry.
The flavors in this recipe are really subtle in order to enhance and celebrate the two main stars; the pear and the pastry.
I use Bosc pears. They are not too sweet and cook really well.
Ingredients:
1 x Bosc pear
Aussie Baker Puff Pastry
2 x tbs Earth Balance Vegan Butter
1/5 tsp saffron flowers
1/5 vanilla pod
1/5 tsp chopped, fresh ginger
1 x tbs white balsam in and ginger reduction
Method:
Thinly slice the pear (3mm) with a sharp knife or mandolin.
Melt the butter and add the balsamic reduction, saffron flowers, ginger and vanilla.
Gently fry the pears in the flavored butter over a low heat for 3 mins.
Let the pears cool completely.
Thaw the pastry and slice it about an 1” x 7”, then roll length wise until it’s about 3mm thick.
Grease the inside of each cupcake mold or small muffin pan.
Arrange the pear slices as seen in the image, and fold the bottom half of the pastry over.
Gently roll the the pastry and place into your cupcake mold.
Bake at 475ºF (230℃) for 30 mins.
Tips:
– This recipe is for 2 roses.
– Do not over cook the pears or they will disintegrate.
– This recipe is not 100% vegan. I am still to find a good vegan pastry company.
– For a slightly sweeter pastry, add a bit of brown sugar to the butter.
– If you don’t let the cooked pears cool completely the pastry gets really soggy.
– The pastries stay fresh for up to 2 days if covered with foil or in plastic wrap. It’s better to pop it in the oven for a few minutes for an even fresher, crisp, texture.
Enjoy!!!