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Pears baked in pastry
Douillons aux poires, Normandy's whole pears in a pastry coat
FrenchDouillons are what Normandy cooks do with the small, firm pears from their orchards in autumn: each fruit is peeled, cored from the bottom, filled with butter and sugar and wrapped whole in pastry, then baked until the pastry is golden and the pear is meltingly soft inside. In the Pays de Caux and around Rouen they are served warm on cold days, often with a jug of thick Normandy cream. The same trick with apples is called a bourdelot. Choose pears that are ripe but still firm, about 150 g each. Chef's tip: cut the pastry into squares a little bigger than you think and bring the corners up over the top; tidy pleats matter less than a sealed parcel that keeps the juice inside.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line a baking tray. Peel 4 firm ripe pears, leaving the stalks on. With a small knife or melon baller, scoop the core out from the base, then brush them with 1 tbsp lemon juice.
Step 2: Mash 1 oz unsalted butter with 1 oz light brown sugar and ½ tsp ground cinnamon and push a little into each hollow pear. Cut a thin slice off the base of each so it stands up.
Step 3: Roll 1 ⅛ lb ready-rolled shortcrust or puff pastry to 3 mm if needed and cut four squares of about 18 cm. Stand a pear in the centre of each, bring the corners up and pinch the seams together around the pear, leaving the stalk poking out. Brush with water where the pastry overlaps so it seals.
Step 4: Cut leaves from the scraps and stick them on near the stalk. Chill the parcels for 15 minutes so the pastry firms up.
15 minStep 5: Brush with 1 egg and bake for 35–40 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and a skewer slides easily through the pastry into the pear. Common mistake: using hard, underripe pears; the pastry is done long before they soften.
40 minStep 6: Rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm with ¾ cup crème fraîche or thick cream.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pears baked in pastry take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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