Pastry Baked Pears with Cardamom and Vanilla

This post was sponsored by Hockley Valley Spelt Flour, available in the natural food aisles of Loblaws and Superstores across Canada.

It’s the time of year for Christmas baking! I love festive recipes, like this one. Cardamom is a spicy and refreshing holiday seasoning that’s often combined with cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg. But I like to use it on its own because it has a very complex flavor that’s both delicate and strong, and the taste reminds me of snowfall. My favorite ingredients to pair it with are pears and vanilla.

Puff pastry baked pears are a common holiday dessert, and very much in vogue this year. They’re like individual little pies or galettes, and serve well at a dinner party or gathering. Instead of making my own puff pastry (because really, who has the time during the holidays?) I decided to make a cross between a pie pastry and a short crust. It’s crumbly and creamy and incredibly forgiving. Kneading the pastry dough adds lightness and layers that bake up beautifully and hold in all of the bubbling juices from the cooked ripe pears.

Peanut free, nut free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, fish and shellfish free

Alternatives: Instead of lard, you can substitute in equal amounts your preferred allergy safe butter or butter substitute

Ingredients

Pastry:
3 cups Hockley Valley Light Spelt Flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup lard
up to 1/4 cup cold water

Filling:
3 ripe bosc pears
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp turbinado raw sugar

Peel the pears and cut them in half. Remove the stem and seed pod, leaving the half pear as intact as possible.

Mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Cut the lard into the dry ingredients, then use your hands to break it down into tiny pea-sized lumps throughout. Add up to 1/4 cup of cold water, mixing well after each addition of water, until the dough comes together. Knead it 10 times to create folds and layers in the pastry. Form it into a disc, then cover and refrigerate for a half hour.

Dust your work surface with more spelt flour. I like to work on a sheet of parchment paper but you can work directly on a clean countertop if you prefer. Roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness. Place the pears on the dough, with at least a one inch perimeter around each pear. Use a paring knife to cut the dough, leaving one inch around the pear on all sides. This dough will be folded up around the fruit.

Mix the cardamom, vanilla, powdered sugar, and water in a small bowl. Dunk each pear half into the glaze so that it is coated all over, evenly. Place the pears back in their spots on the dough. Remove the excess dough. Use your fingers to crimp the sides of the dough up around the pear - it doesn’t have to look perfect! You can brush the outsides of the pastry with some of the excess glaze for a nice finish.

Transfer the pastries to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400F for 18 - 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and brush with maple syrup, and sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top. Return to the oven at 425F and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crispy.