Pastelitos
Cuban guava and cream cheese pastries.
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted and refrigerated
- All-purpose flour, for rolling
- 5-½ ounces guava paste, cut into 8 even, rectangular slices
- ¾ cup cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 2 tbsp. granulated or turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Prepare the egg wash in a small bowl, by beating the egg with a pinch of salt; set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle; roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper; keep the other puff pastry sheet in the refrigerator.
- Dust off any excess flour and lay the rolled pastry sheet on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Dip a pastry brush into the egg wash, and paint a line in lengthwise along the center of the pastry sheet, followed by three crosswise lines, evenly spaced, forming a grid of 8 rectangles, each approximately 3-inches wide and-4 inches long.
- Brush edges with egg wash.
- Lay a slice of guava paste in the center of each rectangle.
- Spread some of the cream cheese, if using, on top of the guava paste; about 1-1/2 tablespoons cream cheese per pastry.
- Remove the second sheet of puff pastry from the refrigerator, and roll it out into an 8 x 11-inch rectangle, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Lay the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the first.
- Using the side of your palm, press around and between the mounds of filling, pressing out any excess air, and to glue the top pastry to the bottom, creating 8 even, rectangular pockets.
- Paint the top sheet of puff pastry with egg wash.
- Sprinkle the surface with sugar.
- Using a knife or bench scraper, cut out and separate the 8 pastelitos following the original grid in between the indentations in the dough.
- Trim the perimeter to neaten the rectangles.
- The dough should still be cool to the touch; if it is warm, return the pastelitos to the refrigerator on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up before baking.
- Bake pastelitos until puffed and golden brown; about 20 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.