Plum Pastries

For me, Sunday is reserved for grocery shopping and leisurely fumbling around in the kitchen. I consider it my version of meditation. It conveniently coincides with the marathon of Sports Center that happens to take over my living room every week, so everybody wins. As I was strolling down the produce aisle today, sipping on my Starbuck's and searching for inspiration, something caught my eye. At the end of the case was a basket, humbly displaying a handmade sign that read "Lemon Tree Plums". Instantly, I was intrigued. The shape was reminiscent of a lemon. The color was vibrantly yellow and faded to a subtle pink at the strangely pointed end. As soon as I got home from the store, the apron went on. I started with puff pastry sheets that I cut into rectangles. Using the back of my knife, I scored a line around the pastry which would help the outside edges puff up more than the center. Inside the marks from my knife, I spread a spoonful of fredonia grape jelly and then layered slices of the yellow plums. After brushing the edges with egg wash, I baked the pastries in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. The outcome was absolutely gorgeous! The yellow plums popped against the raspberry hue of the jelly. Served hot with a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of creme fraiche, these flaky delights were just what the doctor ordered to cure my sorrows of the preceding week.

*Many thanks to Katrina for the delicious grape jelly!