Pastelillos De Guayaba Guava Cheese Pastries Recipes

Steps:

• Set out puff pastry to thaw for 40 minutes at room temperature.
• Once pastry is thawed, line a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with 2 pieces of parchment paper. (The double layer helps to protect your pan when you're cutting the puff pastry.) Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Prepare your egg wash by whisking egg and milk together. Keep it handy.
• Lay one layer of puff pastry on top of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Make a 4-by-4 grid of guava stacked with cheese, spaced evenly, leaving about 1 inch of space in between. Top with the second puff pastry sheet.
• Using a pizza cutter, slice the puff pastry into 16 equal pieces, touching the top lightly to determine where to slice. It's OK if you don't do a perfect job; these are especially good when the guava spills out and caramelizes along the edges. (And don't worry too much about getting the cut exact, or pieces being odd sizes. It gives them character.)
• Working quickly, use a fork to crimp all four edges twice on each side, then arrange them evenly on the baking sheet, leaving space between each. Brush the tops and edges lightly with the prepared egg wash and place baking sheet in the center of the oven.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until pastelillos are beautifully golden brown, flaky and puffy.
• Out of the oven, let pastelillos rest for at least 10 minutes before eating. (Guava is molten hot and will burn your mouth, badly.)
• Once they've cooled, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar to taste. They can be eaten warm or at room temperature, and will keep for several days in an airtight container. Heat leftovers in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees to bring back their crispness.

Steps:

• Blend the cream cheese, butter and flour until well mixed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll out the dough into a 1/4-inch thick square. Cut the rolled dough into 16 to 20 squares.
• A little off center of each square, place 1 tablespoon guava paste. Fold the dough over the guava paste, forming a triangle. Press the edges shut. Place the pasteles onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle them with a thin layer of sugar.
• Bake until the pasteles are evenly browned, about 25 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 350°F.
• Unfold pastry and cut into 1 1/2 inch squares or any size you like.
• Place the squares on ungreased baking sheet (I use a silicone baking liner over a baking sheet) this goes in the oven for 17 - 20 minutes.
• When the squares are cool, separate into two pieces then spread the filling of your choice and put it together again.
• Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor, add all guava shells and half the syrup from one can. Process until it reaches a smooth consistency. Put puree in a medium saucepan and cook at low heat until reduced to a very thick consistency. Let guava cool and then fill into pastry bag. In a medium mixing bowl, add 4 ounces of water, 2 ounces of butter, and salt and mix until smooth. Then add flour and work well until all ingredients are incorporated. Continue to add water, a little at a time, working the dough until a medium-hard consistency is reached. Form dough into a ball and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll the dough into a flat square, about 1/2-inch thick.
• Place the remaining butter in the middle of square and pat down by hand to form a square about one-half the size of the dough square. Fold over the 4 corners of the dough, 1 at a time, overlapping each other so that a sealed envelope is formed enclosing the butter. Dust with flour and roll out to form a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Now fold 1/3 of the rectangle dough towards the middle and the remaining 1/3 over those 2. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Now repeat process above of rolling out and folding in 3, 2 more times, resting 15 minutes between each.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll out a final time into a rectangle and fold 1/4of the dough on each side to the middle and then fold 1 more time down the middle to form 4 flaps in the fold. Let rest for 15 minutes. Roll out to a rectangle to about 1/8-inch thick. With a knife, cut the flattened dough into a 4-inch wide strip by length of your baking sheet. Lay strip on sheet pan lined with waxed paper and put filling lengthwise in the middle in continuous stream about 3/4-inch in diameter. Spray edges of strips with water and cover with another 4-inch strip of dough the same size as bottom. Press the edges together by hand very softly all the way around. Brush top with egg wash and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with a simple syrup over the top and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cut crosswise into 16 pieces.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Prepare an egg wash: In a small bowl, beat the egg with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry into an 8-by-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 (or dot with dollops of jam or preserves, if using). 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-by-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 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut guava paste into 18 thin slices.
• Unroll puff pastry and cut into 18 squares. Place a thin slice of guava paste onto each square and fold pastry piece over to make a triangle. Using a fork, pinch the edges of the triangle together. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar if you like.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor, add all guava shells and half the syrup from one can; Process until it reaches a smooth consistency; Put puree in a medium saucepan and cook at low heat until reduced to a very thick consistency; Let guava cool and then fill into pastry bag.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add 4 ounces of water, 2 ounces of butter, and salt and mix until smooth; Then add flour and work well until all ingredients are incorporated; Continue to add water, a little at a time, working the dough until a medium-hard consistency is reached; Form dough into a ball and let rest for 15 minutes; Roll the dough into a flat square, about 1/2-inch thick.
• Place the remaining butter in the middle of square and pat down by hand to form a square about one-half the size of the dough square; Fold over the 4 corners of the dough, 1 at a time, overlapping each other so that a sealed envelope is formed enclosing the butter; Dust with flour and roll out to form a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick; Now fold 1/3 of the rectangle dough towards the middle and the remaining 1/3 over those 2; Let dough rest for 15 minutes; Now repeat process above of rolling out and folding in 3, 2 more times, resting 15 minutes between each.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll out a final time into a rectangle and fold ¼ of the dough on each side to the middle and then fold 1 more time down the middle to form 4 flaps in the fold; Let rest for 15 minutes; Roll out to a rectangle to about 1/8-inch thick; With a knife, cut the flattened dough into a 4-inch wide strip by length of your baking sheet; Lay strip on sheet pan lined with waxed paper and put filling lengthwise in the middle in continuous stream about 3/4-inch in diameter; Spray edges of strips with water and cover with another 4-inch strip of dough the same size as bottom; Press the edges together by hand very softly all the way around; Brush top with egg wash and bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven and brush with a simple syrup over the top and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cut crosswise into 16 pieces.