Active Time

　　1 hr

　　Total Time

　　2 1/2 hr

　　These pastries are best when freshly baked, so if you plan on giving them to someone who may not be able to serve them within a day or two, you should deliver them frozen, along with the baking instructions.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 5 dozen small pastries

　　

For pastry dough

2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

　　1 (8-oz) package cold cream cheese, quartered

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　2 cups all-purpose flour

　　

For filling

3/4 cup walnuts (3 oz), toasted

　　1 cup pitted prunes (6 oz)

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

　　1 tablespoon cream Sherry or water

　　

For egg wash

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

　　

Special Equipment

a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter

　　

Make pastry dough:

Step 1

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.)

　　

Step 2

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.

　　

Make filling:

Step 3

Pulse walnuts, prunes, sugar, cinnamon, and Sherry in food processor until nuts are finely chopped and filling forms a thick paste.

　　

Form and bake crescents:

Step 4

Preheat oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 5

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.

　　

Step 6

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).

　　

Step 7

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.

　　Cooks' notes:

　　• Dough can be chilled, wrapped well, up to 1 day.

　　• Filling can be made 4 days ahead and chilled, covered.

　　• 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.