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Doni’s Pear Dumplings

8 small pears or 6 large ones (or apples)
*1 package store-bought puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, beaten and thinned with a few drops of water or cream

Filling

2/3 cup favorite dried fruits, chopped (apricots, raisins, dates, currents, etc.)
1/4 cup favorite nuts, chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup oats
4 T. soft butter
1 T. total of combined favorite ground spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, etc.)
* May also use favorite pie dough, or store-bought, boxed pie dough

Blend the filling mixture. Set aside.

Roll out all the puff pastry into a large, thin sheet. (If it’s too thick, the dumplings will be too doughy. But don’t roll it so thin that holes appear.) Cover with a towel.

Peel the pears. Then core the pears, but leave a large enough opening for the filling, but first consider: If you want to retain the stem (looks pretty) core the pears from the bottom. But, if your pears lack stems, or if you want to core from the top and remove the stem, you can always use a piece of cinnamon stick as a faux stem.

With a tiny spoon, fill the cored pears’ cavities with the fruit filling, packing well.

Set one pear on a section of the rolled puff pastry. Cut a wide circle around it, like a Christmas tree skirt, large enough to come up over the pear’s sides. Firmly press the dough pleats into place with your fingers. Make sure that the dough is well secured, especially at the top, so it doesn’t slide down during baking. (Learn from my mistake in “A Pear Rant” in Food.) Note: The first dumpling will tell you a lot about how big a pastry circle to cut. You’ll see. It’s simple.

Set the pear in a well-greased baking dish (or if you have parchment paper, that’s even better).

Repeat with all the pears and dough. Use dough scraps to cut out leaves. Brush the pastry-covered pears with the beaten egg. Brush the leaves with the egg, then press into place on the pears.

Bake pears on the middle rack of a pre-heated 400-degree oven just long enough to set the pastry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the pears feel soft. (A toothpick will tell the tale.)

Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream. (Or with whipped cream, or caramel, cinnamon or whiskey sauce.)

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