Almond & Pear Rose Tarts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

Combine sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add pears and toss to coat.

Dust a clean work surface with flour. Unfold the thawed, cold puff pastry and roll it out to a 10-inch square. Cut into 1-inch strips. Dust the surface again; roll almond paste into a 5-by-8-inch rectangle. Cut into 10 strips, 1/2 inch by 8 inches.

Top each pastry strip with an almond strip and layer on pears lengthwise, leaving a 1-inch gap at each end. Starting at a short edge, gently tuck the overhanging pastry around the cut side of the pears and tightly roll up the pastry into a coil. Place in the prepared muffin tin. Place the tin in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Bake the tarts until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.