Sugar Encrusted Pear Dumplings - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 small pears, ripe but firm
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of a 15 ounce package)
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup coarse sugar

Preparation

In a small bowl, stir together pecans, honey and lemon peel. Use a melon baller to remove the cores from the bottom of the pears, then peel the pears. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the pecan mixture into the hollow of each pear.
Lightly roll pie crust into a 12-inch circle; cut into 4 wedges. Place 1 pear on each wedge. Brush edges of pastry with milk. Gently shape dough around pears, trimming away excess dough and pressing to seal.
You can make ahead to this point, then cover and chill up to several hours. When ready to cook, add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
Brush pastry with milk; sprinkle all over with coarse sugar or roll pears in the coarse sugar. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes (30 minutes if completing from chilled).
If desired, drizzle with extra honey just before serving. Serve warm.