Bosc pear + mascarpone puff pastry tart.
I really love pears. Especially Bosc pears -- perfect for baking, insanely floral and off-sweet, lovely to behold in their understated, kraft-like skins.
And this tart couldn't be easier prepare, or more celebratory of the Bosc's simple beauty. It's comprised of five ingredients, it takes like 30 minutes to make, and it's tellement jolie laide — basically, it's the "I woke up like this" of food.
I like to complement the floral quality of the Bosc with equally floral honey; wildflower is my fave, followed by clover. But you could go ba-nay-nay and use orange blossom honey instead.
Or, if you're feeling sassy, use truffle honey, and sub some fresh nutmeg + a little pink salt for the five spice. Kabloom < your mind lol not sorry.
yours,
aa
Bosc Pear + Mascarpone Puff Pastry Tart
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Recommended pairing: Coffee for breakfast; cava or a beautiful, round, rich Sauternes for dessert
What you’ll need
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (I get mine at Trader Joe's!)
1 Bosc pear, nearly ripe
6 oz. mascarpone
1 to 2 tsp wildflower or other floral honey (like clover or orange blossom, or truffle)
A pinch of five spice (sub fresh-ground nutmeg + pink salt if using truffle honey)
How to make it
Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
While your oven is preheating, slice the pear thinly, like 1/4" if you can. Once your oven is heated, roll out your puff pastry onto the parchment. Working quickly, spread the mascarpone over the pastry, leaving ~1" clearance around the edges. Next, line up your lil pear slices, overlapping slightly if you must, but generally giving every slice her own personal space.
Drizzle the entire tart with honey, 1 tsp if you're into less-sweet, 2 tsp if you want the full floral-sweetness. Sprinkle your five spice over the the pears.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pastry around the edge is puffed and golden, the mascarpone is bubbling, and the pears have softened.
Now eat it!
ps. If you don't have Bosc pears, you can use d'Anjou or even Bartlett, so long as they're a few days from ripe — because Bosc are a denser pear, they stand up well to baking; d'Anjou and Bartlett are much juicier, so if they're too ripe, they can wilt your pastry while it's cooking. Fair warning.
