turnovers

we saw this pear at the market and just couldn't resist his perfect shape and adorable dried leaves - isn't he cute? we bought a few extra and headed home with only a pear portrait in mind. so now what? this recipe from molly inspired me to make an incredibly easy & dangerously delicious little pastry. it's amazing what a little puff pastry can do! this is a great recipe to use with any extra fruit you have on hand (like apples & cinnamon), although watch out for very "wet" fruits making a soggy pastry. a pear turnover & a cup of stumptown coffee is a wonderful way to being your day. (we're currently working out way through latin america!)

Pear Turnovers

makes 9

1 1/2 lbs. firm pears, peeled, cored & cut into 1-inch pieces

1/8 cup water

2-3 tbs sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 package frozen puff pastry (this is our favorite), thawed

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

2 tbs demerara or turbinado sugar

place pears, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. cook for about 5 minutes or until pears are very tender but not too mushy. you can add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture is much too dry. remove from heat and stir in cardamom. cool completely.

preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. roll out puff pastry into a 15-inch square. cut pastry into nine 5-inch squares. place a generous tablespoon of filling in center of each square and lightly brush the edges of pastry with beaten egg. fold half of pastry square over the filling to form a triangle and press the edges firmly with fingertips to seal tightly. brush the top of pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. using a sharp knife, make 3 small slits on the top of each triangle to allow steam to escape. place triangles on baking sheets and refrigerate 15 minutes. bake turnovers until beginning to color, 15 minutes. reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until golden brown, 10-15 minutes longer. serve slightly warm or at room temperature. enjoy!