Phyllo Wrapped Ice Cream Stuffed Pears
After I posted the Individual Peach Pies a few months ago, I received a sweet email from a reader in Georgia who had had a peach baked with ice cream inside at a restaurant. She suggested I try making them and I loved the idea. Since peach season has passed, I decided to take on this culinary challenge using pears. First I tried with puff pastry, but it required too much time in the oven, and I ended up with pear ice cream soup. Phillo worked great as it cooks quickly and has the added benefit of being healthier than puff pastry.
Aren't these bundles fun? I've never seen anything like them - I love getting recipe ideas/challenges from readers. Thank you, my friend in Georgia for the inspiration. This recipe would be a special addition to any dinner for the holidays. Just be sure to stuff your pears with ice cream the night before.
Here's how to do it with a super cute 2 year old eating ice cream!
Phyllo Wrapped Ice Cream Stuffed Pears
Serves 4
4 medium pears
1 pint good quality ice cream, softened (I used vanilla bean, but any flavor will do)
1 box phyllo dough, thawed
cooking spray or 2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
baking twine
caramel sauce (I used Trader Joe's salted caramel sauce - yum!)
fresh mint for garnish (optional)
Cut 1" off the tops of pears. Use a melon baller to scoop out the core and make a hole for the ice cream. Use a small spoon to fill each pear with ice cream. Place the pear top back on and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight or at least 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Lay 5 sheets of phyllo dough on the counter on top of each other. Cover the phyllo you are not working with with a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out. Spray each layer of dough with cooking spray, or brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Trim the dough to an 8 to 10" square for each pear. Unwrap frozen pear and place on the center of the dough square. Wrap dough up and around the frozen pear. Secure with a piece of baking twine. Continue wrapping the pears until all have been used. Immediately bake on a cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, until the dough is golden brown all over. Watch carefully so the dough does not burn. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes so that the pears will defrost a bit more. Serve with caramel sauce. Garnish with fresh mint.
