Last week I was sent some Josephine pears and even though they were perfectly ripe and juicy, I needed a little inspiration to get into the kitchen.
So what did I do? I quickly took a snap on my iphone and uploaded it to my Facebook page and crowd sourced it! You guys are really great when it comes to responding on Facebook, so I of course got some great feedback (in fact, almost instantly!).
There were minted pears (SJ Smith), duck breast with pears (Celine) and pear ice cream (Nicole) among many others, but what caught my eye was the suggestion of pear tart (The Pickled Cumquat). I have been wanting to make something with puff pastry and a jar of Bonne Maman chestnut puree I received earlier this year and a tart sounded like just the perfect thing.
Even better, a French-style jalousie with two layers of pastry and a sweet fruit filling!
Jalousie gets itand#8217;s name from a type of French window shutter that has horizontal slats and they are usually мейд as long rectangles rather than a square as I have done here, however it was easier not to have to cut and fiddle with the puff pastry sheet. Iand#8217;m lazy like that.
Feel free to substitute the pear for apples and the chestnut puree for your favourite jam, but the pear and chestnut combo is a real winner so I do hope you give it a try.
One last thing, this tastes even better at room temperature, so try your best to let it cool a little before devouring it. Good luck!
Christie x
Pear and chestnut jalousie recipe
makes one tart
200g frozen puff pastry (2 x 100g sheets 25cm x 25cm)
2 ripe pears*, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sweetened chestnut puree**
20g unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon white sugar1. Preheat the oven to 180C/355F. Line a baking tray with non-stick paper. Place one sheet of puff pastry on the baking tray.
2. Spread the chestnut puree evenly over the pastry sheet, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Place the pear slices on top, overlapping slightly, then dot with the butter and sprinkle over the cinnamon and brown sugar.
3. Brush beaten egg along the border and place the other sheet of puff pastry on top. Press down to seal and then fold over the edge and crimp with a fork to make sure it is well sealed. Brush all the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with the white sugar.
4. Using a sharp knife, make long slits in the top layer of pastry about 3cm apart. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry if puffed and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. It tastes great warm or at room temperature.
*I used Josephine pears.
**I used Bonne Maman Chestnut Puree
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