Sweet pears, creamy & tangy goat cheese topped with salty prosciutto and sweet honey – these Pear, Prosciutto, Goat cheese & Honey tarts are a wonderfully quick and easy appetizer idea using puff pastry that’s perfect for parties, gatherings and holiday entertaining!
Updated: December 2016
A great appetizer is the foreplay of a great meal. It sets the tone for what’s to come and what can be expected. And this is that time of the year when you will appreciate a quick and easy appetizer that is also impressive and delicious. This is why the home made rough puff pastry is an amazing recipe to keep in your arsenal because puff pastry is quite versatile and can be used as the base for any number of delectable appetizers! With the puff pastry in hand, you can get these Pear, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese and Honey Tarts out on the table in 30 minutes with only 15 minutes of prep work. Plus these tarts can be made as big or as small as you like.
I love pears! I always make it a point to stock up on them during the season, because they are so versatile with plenty of different ways to use ’em. Check out these beautiful pear and chocolate tarts, pear and apple braised pork, and even this pear stuffing.
You can make this kick ass pear, prosciutto, goat cheese, honey tart appetizer using this easy homemade rough puff pastry recipe or store-bought puff pastry. They are fuss-free, look quite elegant and perfect for a crowd! And a veritable party in your mouth.
It looks simple but boy, there is a lot going on here! The puff pastry is incredibly light, buttery and flaky. The honey that’s drizzled on top and the pear slices add a touch of sweetness that is enhanced by the slight heat coming from the chili flakes (crushed red pepper). And then you have the saltiness of the prosciutto and goat cheese which perfectly complements the sweetness. On top of that you have the crunchy texture of puff pastry and then the beautiful rich creaminess of goat cheese. If that doesn’t put your guests in the mood, then they are a hard bunch to please.
This flavor combo is absolute perfection. You can substitute for pears with figs or apples too. You can use maple syrup instead of honey. A touch of gorgonzola, feta or cheddar cheese can be used instead of goat cheese. It really is a very versatile appetizer dish.
You can even make these into a larger full-sized tart. Especially if you’d like to slice the tart into portions and serve these as a starter at a dinner party with a small salad on the side. These would be perfect as party food and as a starter.
Ingredients
- 1 - 2 Bartlett pears or Bosc pears
- 4 oz / 120g goat cheese
- 4 - 5 prosciutto slices
- Honey
- Thyme leaves
- Chilli flakes/crushed red pepper optional
- 1 sheet of square puff pastry 1/2 lb or 1/2 quantity of rough puff pastry, rolled out to a square
Egg Wash
- 1 egg whisked with 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into 9 squares. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the puff pastry squares with an egg wash.
- Remove the stems from the pears and slice them length-wise.
- Remove the core and trim off the edges so you end up with a pear that's about 2 - 2.5 inches in diameter (slightly shorter than the length of the puff pastry square).
- Using a mandolin or knife, thinly slice the pears. Place about 3 - 4 slices of pears on each pastry square (or transfer the slices into a bowl of cold water mixed with lemon juice to prevent them from browning if you're not using them immediately).
- Crumble the goat cheese on top of the pears. Sprinkle a little crushed chili flakes/crushed red pepper on top (optional).
- Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until the puff pastry is puffed up and golden brown.
- Cut each prosciutto slice in two.
- When the tarts come out of the oven place a small pile of prosciutto on top (1/2 - 1 slice of prosciutto). Drizzle some honey and thyme on top before serving.
- Serve while warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
If you think the flavor combos in these pear and honey tarts are going to work for you… I have a feeling this GIF might change your mind! 😉
What’s your favorite appetizer to serve during the holidays?
If you liked these Pear, Prosciutto, Goat Cheese & Honey tarts recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER,INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, YOU TUBE and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
I’ll be sharing my recipe over at –
FoodieFriDIY | Fiesta Fridays | Saucy Saturday
Pear Prosciutto Goat Cheese and Honey Tarts – circa 2014
These look and sound delicious – what a perfect appetizer!
These look delicious! The buttery pastry, salty cheese, and sweet pears… Amazing! Happgy SITS Day!
These look yummy and easy to make! Pinning for later. Stopping by from SITS. Enjoy your day!
This looks so yummy! Doesn’t seem that complicated to make either which is a bonus, I don’t like labor-intensive anything. Definitely bookmarking this recipe 🙂 Have a great one Dini! -Iva
Yum, I love all the ingredients in these, they look and sound amazing! The chili is a nice addition, pinning!
Wow, these look and sound so good! The presentation is just gorgeous too, I would be very impressed if these were served to me at a dinner party even before I tasted them!
Thank you for sharing them with us at Fiesta Friday 🙂
Thank you Michelle! 🙂 Thank you for hosting Fiesta Friday too!! 🙂
Love these! I am really enjoying cooking with puff pastry these days, so I will have to try your recipe for sure!
Me too! Have been going on a Puff pastry phase! I love making my own now too! Let me know if you try these 🙂
What a fantastic flavor combination Dini! They are absolutely gorgeous… thanks so much for sharing them on Fiesta Friday!
Thank you! 🙂 I wouldn’t mind having your Cranberry Mojito with these!
I’ll have two please. Pear and cheese perfection.
😀 Thank you Tracey!
These look lovely! A combination of many things I enjoy, and love that they are super easy as well. Thanks for sharing
Thank you Caroline! I love this combination too! I think Gorgonzola would go great instead of the goat cheese too! 🙂
Absolutely mouth-watering!! 😀
Thank you Angie! 🙂
Yum! This is an awesome appetizer idea!! Love it! Pinning, yumming and sharing on my Facebook page! I want to try this!
Thank you Michelle! 🙂 It definitely is easy to make!
So elegant and yummy!!
Thank you Amanda! 🙂
These tarts look so yummy and elegant, Dini! I am a huge fan of goat cheese and pears and cannot wait to make these.
Thank you Sandhya! Please let me know how it goes! 🙂
Pinkies out, way out!! These are lovely and sound SO good. You kill me with the adorable rolled procuitto…I never knew ham products could be so cute!
Hahaha!! 😀 Thank you Jessie! They can be a pinkies out kind of affair! 🙂
Mmm… yummy. I am a HUGE fan of honey, so this is great for me, too. If you can find Tupelo honey, I highly recommend it for this. It’s like the champagne of honey. Seriously “choirs of angels singing” on your tongue good.
They were Yummy! 🙂 Thank you Katie! I used my New Zealand Honey for this, but I must find Tupelo Honey! The way you describe it I now have to try it!
Your obsession with pears and my obsession with goat cheese, combine into lovely tarts! These would be beautiful on a holiday appetizer platter. I envision them served with champagne! 🙂
Thank you Wendy! Ooooh!! Champagne sounds perfect! 😀 I do love Goat cheese too! We should get together and have a Cheese, Wine and Champagne Party!