Spiced Pear and Brie Puff Pastry with Candied Walnuts
This recipe is pretty much everything I love in a single bite. We’ve got the flakey, buttery puff pastry topped with melty brie, finished with candied walnuts. Add a drizzle of honey and this dish hits all the taste buds! It’s the perfect cool weather comfort dish. It’s great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. Seriously, you can have it for every meal if you want. And trust me, you’ll want to.
Entertaining tips:
Make the nuts the day before and store in an airtight container.
Cook the pears the day before and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to build the puff pastry dish.
Use store bought puff pastry and save your energy and time.
Serve with my Squash Stuffed Chicken with Sage Cream Sauce for an elegant, easy, and affordable comfort menu.
Recipe:serves 4
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
2 sheets puff pastry dough
10 oz brie
3 pears, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
Honey for drizzle
Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix the walnuts, maple syrup, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground clove, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl.
Spread nuts on one of the lined baking sheets in an even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
When nuts are done, remove from oven and let cool. Increase oven temp to 425 degrees.
Next, make the pears. Place a large pan over medium heat and add the butter. Let butter melt and slightly brown.
To the butter, add pears 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, vanilla, a pinch of cloves, and a pinch of salt and mix to coat.
Sautee pears until tender and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
Next, roll out the puff pastry dough to form 2 squares.
Cut each large square into 4 smaller squares for a total of 8 small squares.
Next, cut brie into slices and place in the center of each square.
Add the pear mixture on top of the brie.
Fold up the edges of the puff pastry to form edges all the way around. You want to keep all that gooey cheese and pears inside the pastry.
Put puff pastry squares on 2nd baking sheet. Make sure you leave 1-2” around each side for them to puff.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and pastry is golden.
Once the pastry is done, top with candied walnuts and drizzle with honey before serving.
Serve warm and enjoy!
