Pears Stuffed With Roquefort And Walnuts In Pastry Recipes

PEARS STUFFED WITH ROQUEFORT AND WALNUTS IN PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Mash together cheese, bread crumbs, walnuts, and pepper to taste with a fork. Freeze mixture just until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Scoop out center of bottom of each pear with large end of a melon-ball cutter, then continue to remove core to make a 1/4-cup cavity. Fill each cavity evenly with cheese mixture and seal bottom with a small piece of bread.
• Roll out pastry 1/16 inch thick into a 15-inch square on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut dough into quarters to make 4 equal pieces.
• Stand 1 pear in center of a pastry square and brush pear all over with egg. Bring 1 corner of pastry up toward top of pear, pressing it against pear to adhere. Repeat with adjacent corner, then generously brush extending pastry fold with egg before pressing closely against side of pear. Repeat process with remaining 2 corners. Fold top points of pastry 1/4 inch down (see photo) and brush with egg. Transfer wrapped pear to a buttered large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan and chill while wrapping remaining pears (make sure pears are 5 inches apart in baking pan).
• Chill wrapped pears 30 minutes.
• Bake pears in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until fruit is just tender when pierced with a knife and pastry is golden and cooked through (pastry will shrink a bit). Cool pears at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

ROQUEFORT, PEAR AND WALNUT TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Arrange 12 slices of baguette on the broiler pan in a single layer. Toast bread lightly on each side under broiler. Remove broiler pan from broiler. Spread out sliced pears on cutting surface and squeeze the juice of a wedge of lemon over the slices to keep them from browning. Place a slice of pear on each toast and top with Roquefort crumbles and walnut pieces. Return pan to broiler 6 inches from heat source and broil toasts 2 or 3 minutes to melt cheese and toast walnuts. Transfer to a plate and start snacking!

ROASTED STUFFED PEARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Peal the pear and slice it in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, scoop out the core and seeds, leaving an indentation for the stuffing. Place the pears in a baking dish.
• In a small bowl, mix together the dried cranberries, walnuts, and coat cheese. Divide evenly among the pear halves, mounding it on top of the indentation.
• Whisk together the apple cider and maple syrup. Pour over and around the pears.
• Bake for 30 minutes, occasionally basing the pears with the cider mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature on a bed of greens, dressed with the cider mixture.

PEARS BAKED WITH ROQUEFORT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine the walnuts, cheese and lemon juice in a bowl, mashing the ingredients together to make a paste.
• Peel, halve and core the pears. Stuff the cavity of each pear half with a spoonful of the Roquefort mixture, mounding it up slightly. Place the stuffed pears in a shallow baking dish and pour the wine around them.
• Bake about 30 minutes, until the pears are tender. Allow to cool about 20 minutes before serving.

WALNUT, PEAR, AND ROQUEFORT MADELEINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter madeleine molds.
• Mix flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
• Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
• Whisk oil, buttermilk, and cheese and add to medium bowl.
• Sift flour mixture into egg mixture (don't overmix).
• Fold pear and walnuts into mixture.
• Fill molds 2/3rds of the way with mixture.
• Bake until puffy and golden (12 to 16 minutes).
• Cool in rack.
• Serve warm.