Desserts & Baking

Your next dinner party deserves some dessert fanfare. Appearing in the October 1992 issue of BHG with the sweet statement “the dowdy dumpling goes dramatic,” these hollowed-out pears are stuffed with dried apricots and cream cheese then wrapped in pastry strips. They bake up golden in a glossy sauce of reduced pear nectar, corn syrup, and brandy for guaranteed oohs and aahs.

Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl stir together apricots and cream cheese. Leaving pear stems intact, peel pears. Remove cores from the bottoms, using a melon baller to scoop out the seeds. Spoon filling into holes in bottoms.

2. On a lightly floured surface, gently flatten Pastry dough. Roll into a 12-inch square. Using a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife, trim edges to make an even square. Cut square into 3/4-inch-wide strips.

3. Pat pears dry with paper towels. Using a single pastry strip and starting about 1/4 inch above the base of a pear, wind pastry strip around fruit (don’t cover bottom yet). Moisten end of strip with a bit of water; press to the end of a second pastry strip to seal together. Finish wrapping pear, adding strips as needed, until the top is covered; moisten end of last strip with water and press to seal. Use another strip to cover the bottom of pear and enclose filling, sealing ends of pastry with water. Trim any excess pastry as needed. Repeat wrapping with remaining pastry strips and pears.

4. Using a knife, cut leaf shapes from any remaining pastry strips; mark veins on leaves. Attach leaves to tops of pears, using water to moisten pastry and secure. Place pears in a shallow baking dish. In a small bowl whisk together egg white and 1 Tbsp. water; brush over pastry. Sprinkle with sugar.

5. In a glass measuring cup stir together pear nectar, corn syrup, and apricot brandy; pour around wrapped pears in dish. Bake, uncovered, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving. If you like, drizzle dumplings with half-and-half.

6. Pastry

   In a medium mixing bowl stir together all-purpose flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to the side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 Tbsp. water at a time (up to 5 Tbsp. total), until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into a ball.