1. Wash, dry, pit and quarter the damson plums. Add the spices – cinnamon, fennel seeds, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and star anise to a mortar and grate to get a fine powder, then mix with the cane sugar and sprinkle over the plums. Mix well and set aside so the plums can marinate for some time. Move the plums from time to time to mix everything again.

 

2. For the streusel add the flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract to a bowl and rub between your fingers to get different sized streusel. Place in the fridge until needed. 

 

3. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and set aside. 

 

4. Add the curd (Quark), oil, egg, and sugar for the dough to a large bowl and mix to combine. Mix the flour with baking powder, and salt and add to the bowl – knead until you get a nice and smooth dough. Divide into 8 pieces, form each piece into a ball, pull apart to create oval rounds with a length of about 5.9 inches (15cm). The edges should be slightly thicker than the centers of the dough pieces. Place them on the baking sheets with some space in between. Place the marinated plums on top, sprinkle with the streusel – try keeping the edges clear of plums and streusel. Brush the edges with some milk and bake for 18-20 minutes until nicely puffed up and golden brown. Take the pastries out of the oven and place on a wire rack. Brush the edges of the still warm plum pastries with some apricot jam (optional) and let cool down.