Makes 36 stars

FILLING

2 cups (8 oz.) pitted prunes
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup sugar

PASTRY

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 cup softened butter

GLAZE

1 slightly beaten egg
2 Tbsp. milk
Pearl sugar or crushed sugar cubes for garnish

DIRECTIONS
  1. Cover the prunes with water and simmer slowly until very soft. Puree and add the lemon juice and sugar. Cool.

  2. For the pastry, mix the flour and baking powder. Fold into the whipped cream and knead in the softened butter. Shape dough into a ball and chill 1 hour.

  3. On a floured board, roll out pastry to ¼-inch thickness. Fold dough into thirds, folding first one third over the center, then the opposite third over the center. Roll out to seal the layers. Turn dough and fold again into thirds, making the dough into a perfect square. Roll out, retaining the square shape, to make an 18-inch square. Cut into 36 3-inch squares (a 6x6 grid). With a sharp knife, make cuts from the corners toward the centers of each square, each cut about 1 ½ inches long. Place a spoonful of the prune filling onto the center of each square. Shape into pinwheel stars by lifting every other split corner toward the center onto the filling.

  4. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them. Preheat oven to 400°F.

  5. Place filled stars on the prepared baking sheets. Mix the egg and milk and brush stars with the glaze. Sprinkle with pearl sugar or crushed sugar cubes.

  6. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Tip: Feel free to swap out the prune filling for your favorite jam!

Reprinted from Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas. Copyright 1988 by Beatrice Ojakangas. Published by the University of Minnesota Press. Used by permission.

Reprinted from Great Old-Fashioned American Desserts by Beatrice Ojakangas. Copyright 1987 by Beatrice Ojakangas. Published by the University of Minnesota Press. Used by permission.

Recipes include some edits, by permission from publisher.