Gingered Pear, Brie and Candied Pecan Tartlets

By courtneyepowell

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Brie
• 30 pecan halves (a generous Vi cup)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 red-skinned pear
• cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 2 packages frozen phyllo cups, defrosted

Preparation

Step 1

Place Brie in the freezer 45 mins to 1 hr until very firm. Preheat oven to 375. Put pecans on a baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally for 5-8 mins or until just toasted. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine lemon juice, 2 T sugar, 1/4 c water and ginger. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer 5 mins. Remove from heat. Cut pear into 1/4 in cubes, removing core and stem. Stir pear cubes into hot lemon mixture. Cool to room temp, transfer to a bowl, and refrigerate.

Remove Brie from freezer, cut off rind and cut cheese into 1/4 in cubes. Drain liquid from pear mixture and stir in Brie cubes. Reserve, refrigerated, until ready to assemble tartlets.

Cool a piece of foil with cooking spray and set aside. In a small saute pan, combine the remaining 2 T sugar, 1 T water, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over med heat, stirring occasionally with a silicon spatula, until mixture clarifies and large bubbles form on surface, for 5-8 mins. Stir in toasted pecans, tossing to coat. Transfer pecans to prepared foil and use spatula to separate them. Cool.

To assemble tartlets: preheat broiler to low. Cover baking sheet with foil. Place phyllo cups on baking sheet and put a rounded teaspoonful of pear and Brie mixture in each tart sheet. Broil tarts for 2-3 mins or until cheese is lightly browned on top. Top each with a pecan half. Allow tartlets to cool 4-5 mins before serving.