Spiced Pear & Brie Pastry Pumpkin

Spiced Pear & Brie Pastry Pumpkin

This festive baked brie is a showstopper – whether served as a cozy appetizer with Skål Sparkling Rosé or a decadent dessert alongside a glass of Ice Wine. Wrapped in golden puff pastry and shaped like a pumpkin, it’s filled with warm spiced pears, and melted brie, then topped with fresh pears and sweet and spicy pecans. A perfect appetizer for Thanksgiving gatherings! 

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Spiced Pear & Brie Pastry Pumpkin

Recipe by Tanya Miller
Serves: 6-8
Wine Pairings: 2022 Skål Sparkling Rosé, 2022 īS Riesling Ice Wine

INGREDIENTS:

  • Puff pastry, thawed but refrigerated (we recommend Pepperidge Farm)
  • 8 oz pkg brie (your favorite kind)
  • Crackers (we love Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps)
  • 1–2 Bosc or Anjou pears, diced
  • 1–2 Tbsp honey (adjust to taste)
  • Trader Joe’s sweet & spicy pecans, chopped (or make your own)
  • Juice of ~½ lemon
  • ¼-½  tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ -½ tsp salt
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)
  • Butcher’s twine (6–8 pieces, ~20″ each)
  • Flour (for dusting)

PROP NEEDED:

A stem for the pumpkin, such as:

  • A real stem from a tiny pumpkin (which we used)
  • Cinnamon stick
  • Stem of a bell pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. To prep the puff pastry, follow directions on packaging. On a floured surface, roll out as needed to fully wrap the brie. Set brie on the pastry to check the size, if there’s extra dough, trim it so it just overlaps to seal in the brie. Set aside. 
  2. In a small bowl, mix diced pears with lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, and honey. Taste and adjust for balance. Reserve ½ cup for topping.
  3. Preheat oven to puff pastry package directions. Chop pecans and set aside in a small bowl. Trim the rind of the brie off one end. Carefully slice off a thin round from the top rind of the brie.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, lay twine pieces in a crisscross pattern like a pie. Put pastry on top of the twine. Spoon a layer of pear mixture onto the center of the pastry, then place the brie, trimmed side down, on top. Spoon a generous layer of the pears on top. Wrap the brie with the pastry and seal the slight overlap (where all the dough edges come together) with a touch of egg wash. Tie each opposite piece of twine together around the pastry fairly taught to help make the “lobes” of the pumpkin. Trim off any excess twine. 
  5. Brush with egg wash and bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden brown. If any brie escapes, trim and enjoy as a pre-snack! Push stem into the center of the top.
  6. Slice a small wedge to get it started and serve warm with crackers. Encourage guests to dig in and top with fresh pears and chopped pecans. Pair with a glass of festive vino. Cheers to the holiday season!

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