Prune Cream Cheese Pastry Bars

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 18
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup butter, cut small pieces, softened
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup prune, snipped with scissors
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten

Recipe

• 1 to make the pastry:.
• 2 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.
• 3 to make the filling:.
• 4 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.
• 5 cool slightly.
• 6 place in a food processor and process until the consistency is fairly smooth.
• 7 transfer to a bowl and stir in orange zest and walnuts.set aside until ready to use.
• 8 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.
• 9 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.
• 10 invert the foil into the prepared pan.carefully peel off the foil.reserve the foil for the remaining pastry.
• 11 spread the pastry lined pan with a thin, even layer of prune filling.
• 12 roll out the remaining half of the pastry as previously described.invert the pastry over the filling, peel off the foil.
• 13 lightly brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg.
• 14 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.
• 15 cool on a wire rack.dust the top with powdered sugar sifted through a small strainer.
• 16 cut into 18 bars.