Pear Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Bites ~ 2 bite-size golden, flaky puff pastry topped with maple bacon onion jam, sweet caramelized pears and salty, bold blue cheese. A simple, elegant appetizer as festive as the holidays.
Puff pastry may be the best kitchen hack ever ~ prepared, frozen sheets of dough that bake and puff into beautiful, golden flaky pastry. The dough easily transitions from sweet to savory with the help of a few pantry and refrigerator items.
I never seem to have enough time around the holiday season, despite my best planning and intentions. So it’s all about having quick, easy A-Game recipes in my hip pocket. Or in this case, the refrigerator and freezer.
I could practically create a week’s worth of meals wrapped in this buttery, flaky crust. In fact, I just may. I happen to have a box or three in the freezer right now.
These Pear Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Bites can be prepped and assembled the day before then baked just before gusts arrive. Doing as much as I can before guests arrive takes entertaining from a 3-ring circus to organized and stress-free.
With just 6 ingredients and a few minutes to caramelize the pears (don’t skip this step; it takes them from good to amazing!) this beautifully delicious appetizer has serious wow factor and practically disappears on sight.
PEAR BLUE CHEESE PUFF PASTRY INGREDIENTS:
- frozen puff pastry (thawed)
- pears
- butter
- brown sugar
- Maple bacon onion jam **
- crumbled blue cheese
Optional garnishes:
- fresh thyme leaves
- pomegranate seeds
** Stonewall Kitchen jams are my go-to and are available in many stores (including T.J. Maxx) but feel free to use another brand of onion or bacon-onion jam.
PEAR BLUE CHEESE PUFF PASTRY INSTRUCTIONS:
Thinly slice the pears then melt the butter in a skillet. Add the pears and sauté 2-3 minutes per side (you want them soft but not mushy). Remove them from the heat, sprinkle on the brown sugar and gently combine.
Next unroll one sheet of puff pastry then slice into about 1 1/2″ square pieces. Add the squares to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. You can see mine aren’t perfectly square ~ that’s okay!
Using a paring knife, score the puff pastry along the edge as shown without cutting through them, then gently press in the center with your finger forming an indentation. This helps keep the jam and pear contained in the puff pastry bite.
Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Maple bacon onion jam to the center of each pastry square. Add a slice of pear then gently press the pear into the depression.
Bake at 400° 10-12 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Remove the puff pastry bites from the oven then top with a few blue cheese crumbles. Optional: garnish with fresh thyme leaves and pomegranate arils (seeds). Serve warm.
If you tried this Pear Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Bites recipe or any other on the blog, I’d appreciate a comment or star rating ~ I love hearing from you!
Pear Blue Cheese Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients
- 1 sheet store bought frozen puff pastry thawed
- 2 pears
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup Maple bacon onion jam **
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Optional Garnishes
- fresh thyme leaves
- pomegranate seeds
Instructions
** Stonewall Kitchen jams are available in many stores (including T.J. Maxx) but feel free to swap out another brand of onion or bacon-onion jam.
- Thinly slice the pears then melt the butter in a skillet. Add the pears and sauté 2-3 minutes per side so they soften but don't get mushy. Remove the pears from the heat, sprinkle on the brown sugar and gently combine.
- Unroll one sheet of puff pastry then slice into about 1 1/2″ square pieces. Add the squares to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Score the puff pastry along the edge as shown without cutting through them then gently press in the center with your finger forming an indentation. Scoring and the indentation help keep the jam and pear contained in the puff pastry bite.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of Maple bacon onion jam to the center of each pastry square. Add a slice of pear then gently press the pear into the depression.
- Bake at 400° 10-12 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Remove the puff pastry bites from the oven then top with a few blue cheese crumbles. Optional: garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and pomegranate arils (seeds) then serve warm.
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