Fresh Plum Napoleon

PreparationFor pastry cream: Whisk sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan to blend. Add 1/4 cup milk; whisk until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in remaining 3/4 cup milk and egg yolks. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Whisk over medium heat until mixture is smooth and thick and comes to boil, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Strain pastry cream into small bowl; discard solids in strainer. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream; chill until cold, about 4 hours. For plum jam: Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and syrup begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add plums and orange peel; reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is very thick and reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Cool. Discard vanilla bean. (Pastry cream and plum jam can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.) For napoleon: Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 1 puff pastry sheet on work surface. Brush 1 edge of sheet with cold water. Place 1 edge of second pastry sheet atop wet edge of first sheet, overlapping by 2 inches, pressing to adhere, and forming 18x10-inch rectangle. Using rolling pin, roll out pastry to 1 large sheet, 19 to 20 inches long and 11 inches wide. Transfer pastry to ungreased 18x12x1-inch baking sheet. Pierce pastry all over with fork. Using sharp knife, trim pastry to fit sheet. Bake until golden, occasionally piercing pastry with fork to deflate slightly, about 25 minutes (pastry will shrink to about 15x10-inch rectangle). Cool completely on sheet. Carefully transfer pastry to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut pastry into three 14x3-inch rectangles. Trim any puffed portions of pastry to flatten and even slightly. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover with foil; let stand at room temperature.) Place 1 pastry rectangle on long serving platter. Stir pastry cream to loosen. Spread 1 cup pastry cream over pastry rectangle, leaving 1/2-inch plain border at all edges (reserve remaining pastry cream for another use). Place second pastry rectangle, flat side up, on cardboard rectangle or 18-inch-long ruler. Spread with half of jam (generous 1/3 cup) to cover. Top with sliced plums in neat lines, skin side facing out. Using cardboard rectangle or ruler as aid, slide pastry with plums atop pastry cream layer, plum side up. Spread remaining plum jam over flat side (underside) of third pastry rectangle. Place jam side down on plums on second pastry layer. Dust top of pastry with powdered sugar. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature; do not refrigerate.) Cut napoleon crosswise and serve.

PreparationFor pastry cream: Whisk sugar and cornstarch in medium saucepan to blend. Add 1/4 cup milk; whisk until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in remaining 3/4 cup milk and egg yolks. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Whisk over medium heat until mixture is smooth and thick and comes to boil, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Strain pastry cream into small bowl; discard solids in strainer. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream; chill until cold, about 4 hours. For plum jam: Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and syrup begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add plums and orange peel; reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is very thick and reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Cool. Discard vanilla bean. (Pastry cream and plum jam can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.) For napoleon: Preheat oven to 375°F. Place 1 puff pastry sheet on work surface. Brush 1 edge of sheet with cold water. Place 1 edge of second pastry sheet atop wet edge of first sheet, overlapping by 2 inches, pressing to adhere, and forming 18x10-inch rectangle. Using rolling pin, roll out pastry to 1 large sheet, 19 to 20 inches long and 11 inches wide. Transfer pastry to ungreased 18x12x1-inch baking sheet. Pierce pastry all over with fork. Using sharp knife, trim pastry to fit sheet. Bake until golden, occasionally piercing pastry with fork to deflate slightly, about 25 minutes (pastry will shrink to about 15x10-inch rectangle). Cool completely on sheet. Carefully transfer pastry to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut pastry into three 14x3-inch rectangles. Trim any puffed portions of pastry to flatten and even slightly. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover with foil; let stand at room temperature.) Place 1 pastry rectangle on long serving platter. Stir pastry cream to loosen. Spread 1 cup pastry cream over pastry rectangle, leaving 1/2-inch plain border at all edges (reserve remaining pastry cream for another use). Place second pastry rectangle, flat side up, on cardboard rectangle or 18-inch-long ruler. Spread with half of jam (generous 1/3 cup) to cover. Top with sliced plums in neat lines, skin side facing out. Using cardboard rectangle or ruler as aid, slide pastry with plums atop pastry cream layer, plum side up. Spread remaining plum jam over flat side (underside) of third pastry rectangle. Place jam side down on plums on second pastry layer. Dust top of pastry with powdered sugar. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature; do not refrigerate.) Cut napoleon crosswise and serve.