Individual Pear and Ginger Tarts

Remove one sheet of pastry from the package and thaw the pastry at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and set aside. Place the cookies in a heavy lock-top plastic bag and using a rolling pin, crush the cookies to make fine crumbs. Alternatively, crush the cookies in a food processor. Set aside. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Have ready one rimmed baking sheet, preferably nonstick. For pans with a nonstick finsh, line with parchment paper.

Unfold the pastry sheet and arrange it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into quarters, creating four 5-inch squares. Place the squares on a prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Fold the sides of each pastry square about half an inch toward the center, so the edges will be a double thickness. Use your pinky finger to make indentations about half an inch apart around the edges of the pastry, creating a fluted effect. Place the pastry in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the apricot preserves in a small bowl and microwave just until melted, about 10 seconds. Set aside. Prepare the pears.

Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Using a pastry brush or your finger, brush the pastry with the beaten egg mixture. Place a rounded tablespoonful of the cookie crumbs in the center of each pastry and use your finger to spread it around, keeping the crumbs off the edges. Lay slices of pear in a tight overlapping fashion over the cookie crumbs. Sprinkle the pears with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Brush a bit of the melted preserves over the pears. Bake the tarts until the crusts are beautifully browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm dusted with powdered sugar. The tarts can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Set aside at room temperature.

Cook’s Note: “Double the recipe if you making these for a party. Arrange the oven racks in the center and upper third of the oven and bake the pastries on two rimmed baking sheets, switching the position of the baking sheets halfway through the baking time. These tarts can also be made in a convection oven set to 375 degrees. Check the pastries after 25 minutes for doneness.”