Guava and Cheese Pastelitos
guava paste and cream cheese turnovers
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry sheets I used Pepperidge Farm
- 1 package guava paste
- 14 oz guava paste
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 Large Egg whisked
- 3 Tablespoons white sugar
- 3 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unfold the puff pastry sheet over the parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, carefully roll out the dough to a 10x10 square.
- Cut the puff pastry sheet in half on both sides, leaving you with 4 5x5 squares.
- Slice ¼ inch thick slices of the guava paste. Trim the slice of guava paste to 3 inches long to make them perfect fit the pastry.
- Place a piece of guava paste diagonally and off center of each sqaure.
- Slice ¼ inch strips of cream cheese and place over the guava
- Brush the edges of the pastry with water.
- Carefully fold the pastry square in order to create the traditional triangle shape.
- Crack an egg into a small bowl and whisk it until well combined and then brush the tops of the puff pastries with the egg.
- Bake at 420F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffed up.
- While the pastries are baking, make your simple syrup by adding 3 tablespoon of water with 3 tablespoons of white sugar to a cup and microwaving for 1 minute or until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Once out of the oven, brush the top with simple syrup and allow to cool.
- Allow the pastries to cool off and then carefully rip them apart, use a knife if needed.
Notes
Top tips to make these pastries
- Cut the guava strips to 3 inch strips that are ¼-1/2 inch thick.
- Place your cream cheese in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice.
- Do not stress if your guava strips slightly peak out of the pastry and youre not able to full seal the pastry, this will give the pastries the authentic cuban bakery look.
- Cuban bakeries do not seal fully seal the edges of their pasties or crimp the edges with a fork, this is done to allow the pastry to rise as much as possible.
Storage instructions for these cheese and guava turnovers
Storage After Baking
- Once your pastelitos have fully cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, keeping them in a single layer to protect that beautiful, flaky pastry from getting crushed.
- If you need to store them longer, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days, keeping in mind that the pastry may soften slightly in the fridge.
- To bring them back to their perfectly flaky, golden glory after storing, simply reheat them in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes and they will taste just as fresh and delicious as the day they were made.
- It is best to avoid storing them in the microwave to reheat, as this will make the puff pastry soft and chewy rather than light and flaky.
Freezing Before Baking
- Pastelitos freeze beautifully before baking, making them a fantastic makeahead treat that you can have ready to go whenever a craving strikes.
- To freeze, assemble your pastelitos completely, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and pop them in the freezer for about 1-2 hours until they are firm and frozen solid.
- Once frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer safe zip lock bag or airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
- When you are ready to bake, there is no need to thaw. Simply place them directly from the freezer onto a parchment lined baking sheet, brush with egg wash, and bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes or until perfectly golden brown and delicious.