Instructions: Place prunes in a small saucepan, with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until very soft, about 10 minutes. Drain prunes, reserving liquid. Transfer prunes to a food processor. Add lemon juice and sugar. Puree until well combined, slowly adding enough of the reserved liquid until the mixture has a jamlike consistency. Transfer mixture to a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Stir in the whipped cream, then knead in the butter. Shape dough into a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats). Set aside. On a lightly floured board, roll out pastry to an 18-inch square. Fold dough into thirds. Roll over dough with a rolling pin to seal layers. Turn dough, and fold again into thirds, making the dough into a perfect square. Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a pastry cutter, cut into 36 three-inch squares. With a sharp knife, cut 1 1/2-inch slits diagonally from each corner toward the center. Place a spoonful of prune filling in center of each square. Fold every other tip over to cover filling, to form a pinwheel star. Press lightly to seal.

With a wide spatula, transfer pinwheels to prepared baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops of stars with mixture. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes.

This recipe yields 36 stars.

Yield: 36 cookies

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