It’s not an exaggeration to say that Anne of Green Gables saved me. I went through a rather difficult period in my early teenage years when I latched onto the wholesomeness of Anne Shirley and held on for dear life. I tore through evey book LM Montgomery wrote in a matter of a few months and was ravenous for more.

Food features prominently in the series at several junctures, usually because Anne has somehow mannaged to make a mess of things. This recipe is inspired by a cross between the noble mouse who drowned in the plum pudding and Anne’s passion for puffed sleeves.

These pinwheels would feel right at home at an Avonlea church picnic

These started as some plum perserves from my gracious neighbor and with the help of a little cream and flour, became something much more. The dough also sports some ricotta cheese to lend a little extra richness. It comes together in a flash in the food processor and then requires a few hours of chilling.

The best things in life are worth waiting for. I’m sure Anne would agree.

These bake up quickly just like a puff pastry. But be warned that the corners don’t like to stay so try a little water on your fingertips to get the dough to behave and stick together. I also snuck a peak mid-bake and pressed a few rebellious edges back into the middle.

As you can see these come out of the oven just slightly browned and look for all the world like parcels of picnic food. It reminds me a bit of Anne’s excitement over her first church picnic where they were serving… GASP… ice cream.

If you want to sweeten this up a tad, a dusting of powdered sugar does the trick. And they freeze like gangbusters so don’t hesitate to make a big batch.

I hope this fall as you hunker down and prepare to face another hard winter, you’ll take some time to find delight in the little things. We could all use a little of Anne Shirley’s enthusiasm these days. And remember, tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet. Another chance to start again. Cheers!

Plum Puff Pinwheels

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg yolk

8 oz cream cheese

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup plum jam

powdered sugar

Directions:

Place all the ingredients except the jam and powdered sugar in a food processor. Once the dough comes together, remove it and wrap in plastic. Chill for 2–3 hours or overnight if you can.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll the dough out in flour until thin, and cut into 3” squares. Place 1 teaspoon of jam in every square. Cut 1 slit in every corner. Pull down alternate corners of the square. Place on a baking tray covered with parchment paper.

Bake until golden, about 12–13 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.. Dust with powdered sugar.