Nici Wickes: Homemade Danish Pastries for a long weekend

<p>These are wonderfully easy to whip up on a long weekend and you can choose whatever fruit you like – pears, apples, stonefruit, berries – whatever is in season!</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Ingredients: </strong></p> <p>2 firm pears<span> </span></p> <p><span>400g flaky puff pastry (I use Pannetton or a block of puff pastry)</span><span> </span></p> <p><span>Flour for rolling</span><span> </span></p> <p><span>½ cup store-bought custard, cream cheese or sour cream (if using these 2, add 1-2 tbps brown sugar)</span><span> </span></p> <p><span>1 heaped tbsp ground almonds</span><span> </span></p> <p><span>2 tbsps honey, warmed</span><span> </span></p> <p><span>Icing sugar to dust</span><span> </span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><strong>Method:</strong></p> <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 220 C. Lightly flour an oven tray.<span></span></li> <li><span> Peel, halve and neatly core pears. I use a teaspoon to remove core. Use a small knife and slice thinly keeping each slice attached at the stem end. This is so that you can fan them out.</span><span></span></li> <li><span> Dust a bench with flour. Roll pastry to 36x36cm square. Divide into 4 squares. Transfer to prepared tray. Score a 1cm border around each square.</span><span></span></li> <li><span> Mix custard with ground almonds or if using cream cheese / sour cream with sugar and almonds. Dollop a heaped tablespoon onto each pastry. No need to spread. Fan out each sliced pear halve and lay onto custard, keeping within the border. Brush pear with honey.</span><span></span></li> <li><span> Bake until puffed and golden and pastry bottom is cooked – about 15-20 minutes.</span><span></span></li> <li><span> Brush with more honey whilst still warm and allow to cool. Dust with icing sugar to serve.</span><span></span></li> </ol><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>