You can take the puff pastry base of this tart and use any sort of filling you wish. Anna Olson suggests it’s a perfect baked treat for Mom for Mother’s Day.

Salted Caramel Pear & Cashew Tart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
1 egg whisked with 2 tbsp water, for brushing
2 ripe Bartlett pears
4 tbsp dark brown sugar
4 tbsp half-and-half cream
1/3 cup salted cashews, roughly chopped

1)    Preheat the oven to 375 °F (190 °C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2)    Cut the thawed puff pastry into 4 squares.  Using a paring knife, cut an “L” mark into 2 opposing corners, following the line of those corners, but a 1/2-inch in.   Brush the surface of the puff pastry with the egg wash. Lift the cut corners of the pastry, cross them over each other (one over, one under) and lay them flat (now on opposite sides).  Brush the tops of the pastry with the eggwash and prick the centre of the tart shell with a fork.  Place the tart shells onto the prepared baking tray.
3)    Peel the pears, slice in half and core.  Slice each pear half into 1/4-inch slices and arrange them in the centre of each tart shell.  Sprinkle the pears with brown sugar, then drizzle a tablespoon of cream over each pear.  Sprinkle the tarts with the chopped cashews and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pears are tender and the pastry is a rich golden brown.  The tarts can be served warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 individual tarts.

Recipe courtesy Anna Olson