Stuffed and baked pear dumplings

Stuff pears with your favorite filling and wrap in premade dough for an appetizer or dessert your guests will think you slaved over for hours!

Stuffed and baked pear dumplings

Yields 4 stuffed pears

Ingredients:

• 2 small, ripe Bosc pears
• 2 tablespoons Nutella
• 2 tablespoons blue cheese
• 2 Goya dough discs (you'll find in your grocer's freezer section sold in groups of 10) ; You'll need 3 if making decorative leaves
• 1 egg, plus tablespoon water for egg wash
• 1-2 tablespoons flour, for dusting and to prevent dough from sticking

Directions:

Remove Goya dough discs from the freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature (takes about 30 minutes). (Since you'll only need 1 Goya dough circle per pear, refreeze remaining dough or make a bunch of these little cuties for a group!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel pears and then cut off the very bottom so pears stand up on their own. Next, using an apple corer, core pears from the bottom, leaving about a one-half inch of the pear and stem intact at the top of the pear (make sure to remove all seeds from the inside of the pear; the thin handle of a dinner spoon or a peeler are useful for digging out stubborn seeds that may remain after coring).

Once all seeds are removed, using a small spoon, neatly fill the inside of one pear with 2 tablespoons Nutella and the other with 2 tablespoons of blue cheese. Pack your filling into the entire core of the pears, but not overflowing.

Prepare your egg wash by whisking together one egg and one tablespoon water in a small bowl. Set aside.

Sprinkle about one teaspoon of flour onto a clear, clean surface and lightly roll out your prepared, thawed dough so they're about 10 inches in diameter — or so that the dough will cover your pear when lifted up over it.

Place your stuffed pear upright in the center of the rolled out dough and VERY lightly sprinkle with just a tiny pinch of flour.

Brush the dough's circle edge with egg wash mixture (all around).

Now, lift dough up over the pear, all around the pear, keeping the shape of the pear intact. Where dough overlaps when wrapping, make sure to brush with additional egg wash so it sticks together. Pinch the top of the dough together at the top of the pear to completely enclose the pear in the dough.

Using an extra Goya dough disk, cut out some decorative stems (optional) and stick them on the top of the pears using some egg wash.

Brush pears all over with the egg wash and place them on a lightly greased baking dish and cook them for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve as is or garnish with nuts and berries.

More pear recipes

Pear and Gruyere panini recipe
Gluten-free pear crisp
Grilled pear bruschetta