Open-faced Pear Tarts With Red Wine Sauce Recipe

How to make it

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• In saucepan just large enough to hold pears, combine wine, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and water. Bring slowly to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Peel pears, leaving stems on. Add to wine mixture. Add water, if necessary, so pears are covered by liquid. Simmer, covered, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Transfer pears with slotted spoon to shallow bowl. Cool. Discard lemon and cinnamon stick.
• Cook remaining syrup in saucepan over high heat, uncovered until reduced to ¾ to 1 cup. (Note! Here is where I once goofed. Don’t overcook sauce! STOP BEFORE sauce turns brown---should be red. Better to under cook! It will thicken as it cools.)
• Refrigerate pears and syrup separately, covered, until ready to bake.
• Thaw and unfold pastry, following package directions. Roll pastry out to 12-inch square.
• Using pear as a guide, cut out 6 pear shapes, each about ½ to 1-inch larger than pear. Place 2 inches apart on large ungreased cookie sheet. Cut 2x1/4 inch strips from scraps for stems. Attach to tops of pear cutouts with a little water. Cut leaf shapes from remaining scraps, if you wish.
• Trim about one-third along length from one side of each pear. Remove cores. Place pears flat on cutting board. Starting about ¾ inch below stem, make 8 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts through each pear. Fan out slices gently. When ready to bake, place one pear on each pastry cutout.
• Bake in preheated hot oven (425 degrees) along with leaf cutouts, if making, for 10 to 15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Place tarts on dessert plates. Brush pears with some of the reserved wine sauce.
• Serve tarts warm with remaining sauce. Poach the pears and prepare the sauce ahead of time.
• Makes 6 servings.