A Pair of Pear Appetizers

I ran across a wonderful canape filling in Southern Living magazine last year. It's sweet with pear and honey, balanced by the creaminess of goat cheese and a fresh blast of thyme. They suggest it in tart shells made from refrigerated pie crusts that you cut into pieces and press into mini muffin tins and then bake filled at 375 degrees for 8- 10 minutes. That works. There's an even easier way...I've discovered the filling is delicious simply at room temperature in those mini phyllo shells you can buy in the frozen food section of your grocery. A couple of weeks ago, we served them at our Oscar party in those phyllo cups and in some really cool prosciutto "cups" I made by pressing thin slices of prosciutto into mini muffin tins and baking at 300 degrees for 8 minutes until just barely browned. They firm up as they cool. A tray of alternating phyllo-pear tarts and prosciutto-pear tarts was eaten clean in no time at all.

Pear-Goat Cheese Canape Filling

8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 to 2 ripe pears, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Stir ingredients together and serve on crackers, bread slices or in tart shells.