Ingredients
2
sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tbsp pieces
1
(8-oz) package cold cream cheese, quartered
3/4
cup walnuts (3 oz), toasted
1
cup pitted prunes (6 oz)
1
tbsp cream Sherry or water
1
large egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water
Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter
Directions
2.
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.)
3.
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.
5.
Pulse walnuts, prunes, sugar, cinnamon, and Sherry in food processor until nuts are finely chopped and filling forms a thick paste.
6.
Form and bake crescents:
7.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
8.
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.
9.
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).
10.
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.
12.
Dough can be chilled, wrapped well, up to 1 day.
13.
Filling can be made 4 days ahead and chilled, covered.
14.
Unbaked filled crescents (without egg wash brushed on top) can be frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap, 2 weeks. Thaw, then brush with egg wash before baking.
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