White Wine Poached Pear and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart
There are desserts that look like you spent the entire afternoon baking… and then there are desserts that let puff pastry do most of the work.
This tart falls firmly into the second category.
I’ve always loved the combination of pears and goat cheese. The fruit brings gentle sweetness, the cheese adds that bright tang, and together they strike a really nice balance. After seeing a version over at Sally's Baking Addiction, I started thinking about how to build on the idea.
Instead of layering raw pears over the pastry, I give them a quick poach in white wine with citrus and spice. Just enough to infuse flavor and soften them slightly. They’ll finish cooking in the oven, so keeping them a little firm at this stage is key.
Both sheets of puff pastry get pressed together and rolled into one larger rectangle, giving us plenty of room for a generous layer of honeyed goat cheese, neatly fanned pears, and a sprinkle of sliced almonds for crunch.
The result is flaky, creamy, lightly sweet, and just savory enough to keep you coming back for another slice.
And yes… puff pastry still deserves most of the credit.
White Wine Poached Pear and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart
Flaky puff pastry tart layered with honeyed goat cheese, white wine–poached pears, and sliced almonds for an elegant yet easy sweet-savory dessert.Ingredients
- 3 firm pears (Bosc or Anjou), peeled, cored, halved
- 1½ cups dry white wine
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 strip orange peel
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
- Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk)
- 8 oz goat cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp cream or half-and-half
- 1–2 tbsp honey, plus more for finishing
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- Fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Instructions
1. Lightly poach the pears for the tart.
In a saucepan, combine white wine, water, sugar, orange peel, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a gentle simmer. Add pears and poach for 8–10 minutes, just until slightly tender when pierced with a knife. They should still hold their shape — they’ll finish cooking in the oven.
Remove pears and cool completely. Discard spices.
2. Build the puff pastry base.
Preheat oven to 376°F.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll and place the two sheets of puff pastry on top of one another, roll with rolling pin to combine, then roll into an 10x14-inch rectangle.
Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Fold over the edges and crimp down with a fork, creating a border with a defined edge. Brush the entire pastry, edges included, with egg wash.
3. Prepare the goat cheese layer.
Mix goat cheese, cream, and honey until smooth and spreadable.
Spread evenly inside the border.
4. Assemble.
Thinly slice the cooled pear halves and fan them slightly. Arrange over the goat cheese.
Sprinkle sliced almonds evenly across the top.
5. Bake.
Bake 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden and fully puffed.
6. Finish.
Drizzle lightly with honey and scatter thyme if using.
Allow to cool slightly before slicing for clean cuts.
Chef’s Notes
Keep the pears slightly firm after poaching. They should offer light resistance.
A dry Sauvignon Blanc works beautifully for poaching.
For a more savory profile, omit the honey in the goat cheese and add freshly cracked black pepper instead.
Use hot honey for a sweet and spicy experience.
Toast the almonds slightly before sprinkling if you want deeper flavor and more pronounced crunch.
Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that look impressive but come together without much fuss. This tart is exactly that.
Flaky pastry, creamy goat cheese, tender pears, and a little crunch from the almonds — it’s the kind of thing that disappears quickly once it hits the table.
Give it a try. I have a feeling it’ll become one you come back to again and again.
If you make this White Wine Poached Pear & Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tart, let me know how it turns out. I always enjoy hearing how recipes come together in your kitchen.
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