Finnish Star Pastries

Instructions

1. Prepare the prune filling
   In a small saucepan, combine the pitted prunes, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes until prunes are soft and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and mash with a fork or blend until smooth. Stir in cardamom and salt. Let cool completely.
2. Roll out the pastry
   On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to about 3mm thickness. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into 10cm squares.
3. Form the star shapes
   Make diagonal cuts from each corner of the square toward the center, stopping about 1.5cm from the middle. Place a teaspoon of the prune filling in the center of each square. Take one corner of each cut section and fold it toward the center, pressing gently to secure. This will create the star pattern.
4. Prepare for baking
   Place the formed pastries on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, leaving about 5cm between each pastry. Brush the pastries with beaten egg for a golden finish.
5. Bake to perfection
   Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Bake the pastries for 12-15 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Watch carefully as they can burn quickly.
6. Cool and serve
   Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. These pastries are traditionally served during Christmas in Finland, but can be enjoyed anytime.