So, these here tarts were definitely an oops. Here’s how it happened:

AJ’s mom recently made these delicious plum tarts that were super simple and required just 4 ingredients: puff pastry, plums, honey, and sugar. First she sent me a picture of one, and then served them again when we saw them in Tahoe earlier this summer. I was in love and decided I needed to share them with you guys! So a few weeks weeks went by before I remembered to by the puff pastry at the store, then another couple weeks went by as it sat in the freezer and then the fridge for a while.

Then finally, when AJ’s parents came into town last weekend, we were flipping through a Bon Appetit magazine and we saw the recipe! The puff pastry had been in the fridge for a while and I figured I could whip something up with what we had on hand. But as I pulled the puff pastry out of the fridge, Kathy noticed that it was, in fact, not puff pastry, but was phyllo dough. Cue sound of deflating balloon.

For those of you who don’t know, puff pastry is kind of like pie dough and gets, well, puffy when you bake it. Phyllo is generally sold in the same freezer case as puff pastry, but is entirely different. Phyllo is a bunch of super thin sheets of dough and is generally used to make baklava.

So anyway, the oven was already on and I was on a mission, so we forged ahead in our little baking adventure with some pears, butter, and phyllo dough. And my oh my did they turn out well! Just 15 minutes in the oven turns these mini pastries into crispy crackly bites of yum. The pears are just cooked enough to soften&sweeten them, but not too much to turn them into mush. And just a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg and a tad of honey rounds the whole thing out.

If you really want to make these over the top, serve them with ice cream. Holy shmoly. Best dessert I’ve had in a long time. And all in about 25 minutes. These are definitely the best day-of, but you can get away with microwaving them for about 15-20 seconds a couple days later. They aren’t quite the same, but they’re tasty nonetheless.

Oh yeah, and did I mention these are vegan? Win! Most puff pastry and phyllo dough use canola oil instead of butter (more cheaper, yo) and so just happen to be vegan. So when you combine them with simple ingredients like fruit and honey, and brush them with Earth Balance butter, you’ve got a delicious vegan dessert on your hands. Ta-da!

Also, I may or may not have eaten these for breakfast, too. Don’t judge.

If you make these and love it, share it with your friends! Tag it #rootsfood on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. I love to see what you make!

Ingredients

• 1/2 package (8 oz) phyllo dough, thawed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted, vegan or otherwise (I used Earth Balance)
• 4 large ripe pears
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Core and slice the pears. They don’t need to be tiny, but you don’t want them huge, either. Place slices in a large bowl and gently toss with the honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. Lay the stack of phyllo sheets out on a large cutting board. Cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife.
4. Lay 6 squares on a baking sheet. Split the sheets of one square approximately in half and set the top half aside. Generously brush butter over the bottom stack of sheets with a pastry brush (just the top sheet, not each individual sheet). Place the other half of the sheets back on top and brush with butter. Repeat for all 6 squares.
5. When the squares have been buttered, lay 4-5 slices of pear on top of the phyllo squares. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and crispy and the pears are soft.
6. Prepare the second batch of 6 while the first batch cooks – or do them all at the same time if your oven is accommodating like that!
7. Eat while warm, preferably on the day that they are made. Re-warm in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to eat left over.