HONEYED PEARS IN PUFF PASTRY

Honeyed Pears in Puff Pastry image

A honey of a salute to late-summer pear season, this cozy dessert looks both elegant and decadent. Wrapped in puff pastry, the pears resemble little beehives. -Heather Baird, Knoxville, Tennessee

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Desserts

Time 50m

Yield 4 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

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Ingredients

4 small pears
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup honey
1 small lemon, halved
3 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
6 to 8 whole cloves
1 vanilla bean
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Steps:

Core pears from bottom, leaving stems intact. Peel pears; cut 1/4 in. from the bottom of each to level if necessary., In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, honey, lemon halves, cinnamon and cloves. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds; add bean and seeds to sugar mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; place pears on their sides in saucepan and poach, uncovered, until almost tender, basting occasionally with poaching liquid, 16-20 minutes., Remove pears with a slotted spoon; cool slightly. Strain and reserve 1-1/2 cups poaching liquid; set aside., Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 1/2-in.-wide strips. Brush lightly with beaten egg. Starting at the bottom of a pear, wrap a pastry strip around pear, adding additional strips until pear is completely wrapped in pastry. Repeat with remaining pears and puff pastry., Transfer to a parchment-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake on a lower oven rack at 400° until golden brown, 25-30 minutes., Meanwhile, bring reserved poaching liquid to a boil; cook until liquid is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Place pears on dessert plates and drizzle with syrup. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 518 calories, Fat 17g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 205mg sodium, Carbohydrate 92g carbohydrate (49g sugars, Fiber 9g fiber), Protein 5g protein.