YIELDS  12   |   PREP TIME   30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup of All-purpose flour

2,  10″ x 10″ Puff Pastry Sheets**

6 Tablespoons Almond Paste

5 California Red Pears*

2 Teaspoons Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Allspice

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and coat a 12-cup muffin tin*** with cooking spray.

   

2. Dust a clean work surface with flour. Place the 2, 10″ x 10″ puff pastry sheets down and evenly cut the sheets into 12 strips. If using frozen pastry sheets, make sure they defrost for the suggested amount of time.

3. Evenly separate almond paste into 12 pieces, 1/2 tablespoon each. One at a time, warm each piece of almond paste in your hands, making it malleable. In your hands roll each piece of almond paste into an 8″ long strip. Place each 8″ strip of almond paste onto the top half of each puff pastry strip. Press each strip of almond paste into the pastry.

4. Thinly slice pears. Click here for a quick demonstration. Make sure to not use pieces with seeds, a core, or a stem, or cut and remove them. Layer pears on the top 3/4 of each strip leaving the bottom quarter of the puff pastry exposed. When layering each pear slice cover 1/3 of the previous slice.

5. In a small bowl combine sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Dust the sugar mixture over the top of each strip.

6. Fold the exposed bottom quarter of the puff pastry strip onto the pears, crimping if necessary to ensure the edges are well sealed.

7. Roll each strip creating a rose shape. Place each rolled strip into your greased muffin tin.

8. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

NOTES

*Other California pear varieties such as Bartlett and Bosc also work well, but Red Pears add a pop of color.

**We used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets.

***Equipment: Muffin tin with 12 (1/2-cup) cups