Pear and Creme de Marrons Purses

In France, Creme de Marron is very popular. It is even more popular around the holidays. You will find many desserts with creme de marrons as a filling instead of Chocolate or peanut butter. My mom loved Creme de Marrons, and she would eat it by the teaspoon. I found it okay, but really preferred chocolate over Creme de Marrons.

It is so funny how your tastebud evolves as you age. Today i like it better and I have been indulging. I am eating it for breakfast on toasted bread, for snacks by the teaspoon and for desserts. Yeah, I know.. not so good for my waist.. but it is holidays right;-) We can indulge….

This evening I will offer you a recipe that was well appreciated at one of my last cooking class. It is easy to make, very healthy and so so good!

Ingredients for 12 cupcakes size purses:

1 pack of phylll dough thawed out
3 pears peeled, sliced and cubed in very small cubes
12 tbsp of Creme de marron, or chocolate paste such as Nutella if you do not have creme de marron.
2 tbsp of brown sugar
1/4 cup of melted butter, or olive oil.

Roll the pastry out. Cut square of 6 inches wide. Peel off three layers of the phyllo and place those 3 layer square in each opening of the cupcake mold. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the diced pears with 2 tbsp. of brown sugar.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of the diced pear mixture into each phyllo cup. Top the pear with 1 tbsp of creme de marrons, (or nutella if you do not have creme de marrons).
Pinch the four sides together to close up the purse. With a pastry brush, brush the top of each purse with the melted butter, or olive oil.
Cook in a warm oven at 400 for 12 minutes or until the top is a golden brown color.