Prune Cream Cheese Pastry Bars Recipes

CREAM CHEESE TART SHELLS

Steps:

• Blend cream cheese and butter or margarine. Stir in flour just until blended. Chill about 1 hour. This can be made ahead and chilled for up to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Shape dough into 24 one-inch balls and press into ungreased 1 1/2 inch muffin cups (mini-muffin size) to make a shallow shell. Fill with your favorite filling and bake for 20 minutes, or until the crust is light brown.

PRUNE CREAM CHEESE PASTRY BARS

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE PASTRY:.
• Place the cream cheese, butter, flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process just until a dough begins to form. Turn out onto a floured surface and gather into a ball. Place on a piece of plastic wrap, flatten slightly, wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.or unti chilled.
• TO MAKE THE FILLING:.
• Combine the prunes and orange juice in a small non aluminum saucepan. Cover and cook over low heat until the prunes absorb all of the moisture, about 15 minutes.
• Cool slightly.
• Place in a food processor and process until the consistency is fairly smooth.
• Transfer to a bowl and stir in orange zest and walnuts.Set aside until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 400*.Cut a piece of foil to fit the bottom of a 9" square pan. Place the foil on a work surface -- Lightly butter the pan.
• Remove the chilled pastry from the refrigerator and divide in half -- Place one half in the center of the foil and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough the fit the foil -- Trim the edges flush with the foil, as needed and use the trimmings to patch the rounded corners and make them square, trimming with a small knife as needed.
• Invert the foil into the prepared pan.carefully peel off the foil.Reserve the foil for the remaining pastry.
• Spread the pastry lined pan with a thin, even layer of prune filling.
• Roll out the remaining half of the pastry as previously described.Invert the pastry over the filling, peel off the foil.
• Lightly brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg.
• Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350*.and bake for 25 minutes or unti the top is golden and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan.
• Cool on a wire rack.Dust the top with powdered sugar sifted through a small strainer.
• Cut into 18 bars.

PRUNE RUGELACH

Steps:

• Mix butter, cream cheese, and salt in a large bowl with hands until crumbly. Add flour, and mix until just combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap each disk in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Stir together breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Stir together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon in another small bowl; set aside.
• To make filling: Put prunes and brandy in a small airtight container. Let soak at room temperature overnight. Drain prunes. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs and sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day ahead.
• Roll 1 disk to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out a 12-inch circle. Brush beaten egg in a 1-inch border around circle. Put half the prune filling in center, and spread out to beaten egg border. Sprinkle 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture over filling. Cut circle into 16 wedges. Starting at outside edge of each wedge, roll up into a crescent shape. Space 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining disk and filling. Refrigerate rugelach until cold, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake rugelach until golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks. Rugelach can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

CZECHOSLOVAKIAN PASTRY BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.
• In a medium bowl mix salt with 3 1/2 cups flour.
• Gradually add to butter mixture to form thick batter.
• Spread 3/4 of the batter evenly over surface of an 11x17 inch jellyroll pan or rimmed cookie sheet.
• Top with an even layer of jam.
• Sprinkle with nuts (if desired).
• Blend remaining flour with the rest of the dough. Crumble on top.
• Bake 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
• Cool completely and cut into bars.

CREAM CHEESE AND JAM TURNOVERS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface roll out each sheet of pastry into a 12-inch square and cut each square into four 6-inch squares. Put 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cream cheese in the center of each square, top it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of jam, and brush the edges of each square with water. Fold the squares in half diagonally to form triangles, pressing the edges together firmly, and press the edges with the tines of a fork to seal them well. Arrange the turnovers on a dampened baking sheet, brush them with the egg wash, and with a sharp knife cut several slits (for steam vents) in the top of each turnover. Sprinkle the turnovers with the sugar, bake them in the upper third of a preheated 425°F. oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden, and serve them warm.

MAKEOVER CREAM CHEESE STREUSEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk together first five ingredients; cut in butter until fine crumbs form (mixture will be powdery). Reserve 1/2 cup mixture for topping. Lightly press remaining mixture into an 8-in. square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake just until set, 8-10 minutes., Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in milk. Add egg and vanilla; beat just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake 15 minutes., Sprinkle reserved topping over filling. Bake until filling is set, 5-10 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

PRUNE AND WALNUT CRECENTS

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Pulse butter, cream cheese, sugar, salt, and flour in a food processor just until a dough forms. (Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.)
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough and form into 2 balls, then flatten each ball into a 6-inch disk. Chill disks, each wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling:
• Pulse walnuts, prunes, sugar, cinnamon, and Sherry in food processor until nuts are finely chopped and filling forms a thick paste.
• Form and bake crescents:
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out 1 disk of dough (keep the other chilled) into a roughly 14-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Cut out rounds with floured cookie cutter. Chill scraps.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon of filling in center of 1 dough round. Brush some of egg wash halfway around pastry, near edge, then fold dough over filling, forming a half-moon shape. Pinch edges to seal. Make more crescents in same manner, rerolling scraps (but only once).
• Arrange crescents 1/2 inch apart on 2 buttered large baking sheets and lightly brush tops with egg wash. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until tops are pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.