Sharp Cheddar & Pear Tart

It was a rookie mistake, I know, but I hoped that baking right on the oven racks would work out just fine. All of my baking sheets were in a box among far too many other boxes & I had a friend's birthday to prep for that evening. Why I packed up the kitchen prior to a baking experiment I'll never know. Minutes after popping these spicy, sweet little tarts into the oven.. plop .... thud... sssss... Half a dozen tarts gone, burned up, in a flash! Luckily, my trusty cast iron skillet was still hanging around the kitchen so I threw the survivors in there & finished baking them off. With a smattering of sharp cheddar on top, they turned out beautifully.

Sharp Cheddar & Pear Tart, for 6 to 12
Adapted from Sunny Anderson
1/4 c. raw sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can pear halves, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar

Preheat the oven to 400F, & once thawed, cut the the puff pastry into 12 equal pieces. Combine the cinnamon & sugar in a bowl & set aside. Brush the pastry with a bit of butter & top it with a slice or two of pear fanned out. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar & a bit more butter. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with cheddar & bake 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar & let cool.