Plum and Apricot Puff Pastry Tarts

Ingredients

• 1 (1-inch piece) vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Pinch cinnamon
• 1 (1/2-pound) frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
• 2 plums, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 fresh apricots, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam, melted, strained, and kept warm
• Vanilla ice cream, as an accompaniment, if desired

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrape seeds from vanilla bean with a knife into a small bowl, saving pod for another use, and stir in sugar and cinnamon.

On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry 1/8-inch thick and cut out 2 (6 by 5 1/2-inch) rectangles. Arrange pastry on a baking sheet and fold edges in on all sides to form 1/2-inch borders, leaving corners unfolded. Form points at corners by twisting ends and pressing them gently onto baking sheet. On pastry arrange plum and apricot slices, overlapping them slightly, in rows and sprinkle with sugar mixture.

Bake tarts in middle of oven until pastry is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool tarts on a rack and brush with jam. Serve tarts warm with ice cream.