Pastelitos de Guayaba Con Queso -

Pastelitos de Guayaba Con Queso

Guava and cheese filled pastry in a flaky crust.

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cuban

Keyword: flaky, pastelito, sweet

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 20

Resting Time: 1

Servings: people

Calories: 370kcal

Author: Candace Bourzac

Ingredients

Dough

8 ounces cream cheese, full-fat block style, softened
8 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour

Pastelitos

8 ounces guava pasted
8 ounces cream cheese, full-fat block style, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon raw sugar

Instructions

Dough

Using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the flour half a cup at a time. Once you notice the mixer struggling to mix the ingredients, stop mixing. You will need to use your hands to form the dough ball. Some of the flour will be at the bottom of the bowl. Work as much of that into the dough ball as you can. That's ok if there is a little bit left over.
Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least one hour before making the pastelitos.

Pastelitos

Remove the dough ball from the fridge about 10 minutes before you will need it. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Using a hand mixer, beat together the softened 8 ounces of cream cheese and half cup of powdered sugar. Add this mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a circle tip. Set aside while you cut out the circles. Cut the guava paste into small rectangles, not too thick. They need to fit inside the circles.
After about 10 minutes, roll the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using a cup with a roughly 3-inch diameter opening, cut out the circles. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Lay the dough circles evenly on the baking sheets. Put 1-2 pieces of guava paste on each circle. Add some sweetened cream cheese onto the guava paste. Fold the dough around the guava and cheese mixture, covering all of the filling. Press the edges together. The end result should look like mini empanadas.
Repeat this process until all of the cookies are made. If you want to make the heart-shaped pastelis, you'll need some heart-shaped cookie cutters. Cut out an equal number of larger hearts. Then, using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a small heart from half of the hearts. Place the guava and cheese on the whole hearts and top with the cutout heart.
If desired, top with large crystal turbinado cane sugar. Bake one sheet of pastelitos at a time for 20 minutes at 350 F.
Let the pastelitos sit for 10 minutes before enjoying. They will be hot! They are so delicious, you won't be able to stop at one!

Notes

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
You can freeze them before you bake them or after. If you're freezing before you bake them, lay them flat on a tray to freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. You'll need to add a few extra minutes of baking time when baking from frozen.
You should be able to find guava paste in the International section of most grocery stores. You can also find it at your local Hispanic grocery store.

The nutrition information listed is for comparison purposes only and may vary based on individual cooking styles and measurements. The nutritional information calculated uses a third-party algorithm. Please consult a health professional for any nutrition guidance.

Nutrition