After all the politic angst (perfectly reasonable and deserved angst IMO) and deep and meaningful ponderings I was advised to post something lighter and more delicious…so here it is.

I subscribe to a weekly email newsletter from Laura Olin. I am rarely interested in everything I receive via email newsletters, but they are worth it to me for the occasional gem and delight.

In last weeks newsletter she included a recipe for Joulutorttu, which is NOT a made up word, but is actually a very simple recipe for Finnish pastries. I suspect you could find intriguing new fillings if you are not a fan of prunes, but I love them and this recipe has the potential for becoming one of my very favourites.

• Buy puff pastry and tinned prunes
• follow Laura’s very easy instructions

(Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the pastry sheets out on a table and cut each into nine squares (I use a pizza cutter). With a sharp knife, slit the corners of each square towards the middle to nearly make a full X through the pastry square but leave about a square inch of the center intact.

For each square, dollop a teaspoon of prune filling in the middle. Then fold every second corner toward the middle and press the corners down firmly in the prune-y center. (You’re making a four-spoked pastry star.) You can use a little water as glue to help the dough stick better. 

Transfer the stars onto baking sheets covered with parchment paper.  Break the egg into an empty jam jar or coffee mug you don’t mind getting scratched up and beat it with a fork for a few seconds with the tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush each of the stars and their spokes with the egg wash (avoid getting your brush in the puddle of prune in the middle) so that they’ll turn a pretty golden color in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for seven to 10 minutes until light golden brown. Makes 18).

• eat