Plum Danish pastries for a decadent way to start the weekend

Long lazy mornings drinking coffee, eating delicious pastries whilst pouring through the papers is one of my favourite ways to spend the weekends. During the week I barely have time to munch on some muesli so spending time over breakfast is a real luxury for me.
The great thing about these pastries is that you can make them the day before, and all you need to do is pop them in the oven the next morning. They really are that simple. A gloriously decadent  way to kick start the weekend with the delicious smells of fresh baking wafting from the oven…
To make a good Danish pastry you must use puff pastry, preferably all butter puff pastry which is widely available in supermarkets now. For the filling I usually make a batch of creme patissére which will keep well for 4-5 days in the fridge. Top this with slices of fresh fruit such as peaches or plums and there you have it. Another great filling is apple compote, which also can be made in advance. It’s best if you use cooking apples with a little sugar to taste. Bring the apples and sugar to the boil, then cook over a low heat until they become soft and mushy. Any leftover apple compote is delicious served with yogurt and granola and will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Plum Danish pastries for a decadent way to start the weekend
Difficulty: Easy                                   Serves: 8 pastries
1 packet of all butter puff pastry (use can use ready rolled but they might not make so many pastries)
3-4 plums
8tsp créme patissére
1 egg beaten
a little icing sugar for dusting
Roll the pastry out in a large rectangle 40×20 cm and cut into 8 equal squares (10x10cm).
Cut the plums in half then cut into slices. Place a teaspoonful of creme patissére in the centre of each square then lie 3 plum slices on top.

Fold each corner of the squares into the centre of the pastry so that the tips just meet to form a neat ‘open’ parcel. Place the pastries on a baking sheet and wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Beat the egg and brush each pastry with a little egg wash then place at the top of the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes till the have puffed up and are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before dusting them with a little icing sugar and serve with fresh coffee or tea.

 
Creme Patissére
300ml milk
1 vanilla pod
2 eggs
25g plain flour
Slice the vanilla pod lengthways then scrape out the seeds and place in a pan with the pod and milk. Heat  the milk till it begins to boil, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and discard the vanilla pod. Beat the eggs, sugar and flour in a bowl with a third of the milk. Pour in the remaining milk and return the pan to the heat and cook over a gentle heat until thickened. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover with greaseproof paper and leave to cool till needed.