Ginger Brown Sugar Pear Puff Pastry Squares
These Ginger Brown Sugar Pear Puff Pastry Squares are an easy, elegant dessert made with flaky puff pastry, tender Bartlett pears, brown sugar, fresh ginger, and a glossy apple cider glaze. Thinly sliced pears are arranged over a layer of ginger brown sugar butter and baked until the pastry is golden and flaky. A light apple cider glaze gives the pears a beautiful shine and adds a subtle finishing touch. It's the kind of dessert that looks impressive but is genuinely simple to make. These are dairy-free and egg-free.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet dairy-free, egg-free puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
- 2 medium Bartlett pears, slightly underripe
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1-2 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dairy-free butter
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
- 1Prepare the apple cider glaze.
Add the apple cider and brown sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the dairy-free butter, vanilla, and salt. Set aside.
- 2Prepare the pastry.
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the thawed puff pastry and cut it into 6 equal rectangles. Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- 3Make the ginger brown sugar butter.
In a small bowl, mix the softened dairy-free butter, brown sugar, fresh ginger, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Spread a thin layer over the center of each pastry rectangle, leaving about a ½-inch border around the edges.
- 4Prepare and arrange the pears.
Peel and core the pears, then slice them thinly, about ⅛-inch thick. Working one pastry at a time, arrange the pear slices in a slightly overlapping line down the center of the pastry. Place the pears on the pastry as soon as they are sliced so they don't have time to brown. There is no need to toss them with lemon juice unless you are not baking the pears immediately.
- 5Bake.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the puff pastry is deeply golden, crisp, and well puffed around the edges and the pears are tender.
- 6Glaze.
Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. If the cider glaze has thickened, stir in a few drops of water until it is thin enough to brush. Lightly brush the glaze over the warm pear slices.
- 7Serve.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
