Guava + Cheese Pastelitos
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 9 pastries
Guava and cheese pastelitos (guava pastry) are a staple Cuban breakfast item made with just four simple ingredients. Puff pastry, cream cheese, guava fruit paste, and an egg. These sweet guava turnovers look so fancy but are so easy! You can enjoy these warm flaky bites for breakfast, as a tasty snack, or for dessert.
Ingredients
1 package of puff pasty sheets
4 ounce container of Maui Guava fruit paste
4 ounces of full fat cream cheese
1 egg beaten
Preparation
Thaw the puff pastry according to package directions, usually about 20-30 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Open up the package of puff pastry, there should be two sheets folded into thirds. Unfold one sheet and lay it out on the parchment paper and prick the surface of the dough in an even pattern with a fork to prevent the puff pastry from over rising in the oven.
Using the three fold lines on the puff pastry sheet as a guide, divide the guava paste evenly three across and three down, about 2.5 teaspoons of paste per section (you should have nine even sections total).
Cut the cream cheese block into nine even pieces, and place them on top of the guava paste.
Cut along the fold lines, and then divide into thirds, so you get nine individual squares. Place them about 1 inch apart on the baking tray.
Unfold the second sheet of puff pastry, cut along the fold lines, then evenly again into thirds so you get nine even squares again. Take a sharp knife and score 4 lines on top of each square.
Add about 1/2 tablespoon of water to the beaten egg. Brush the egg mixture around the parameter of each square on the baking tray to enclose the guava and cream cheese mixture.
Take each square of puff pastry from the second sheet with the slash side facing up and lay it on top sandwiching the guava and cream cheese mixture between the two layers of dough. Press the sides down gently, it’s not necessary to seal the sides all the way down. Brush the tops of each one with the egg wash.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and super flaky. The guava filling will be piping hot, so wait a few minutes after the turnovers come out of the oven before biting into them!