Guava Cheese Turnovers (Guava Pastelillos)

I love to try new (to me)  ingredients.  I was watching food network the other day and Daisy Martinez made these turnovers using Guava Paste.  I had never heard of this interesting ingredient and immediately sparked my interest so I went to my local grocery store and sure enough they had it.

The flavor of the the guava paste is hard to describe, it’s almost the texture of canned cranberry jelly, but it’s flavor is like a mixture of apricot and citrus, but richer.

In the pastry crust, and with cream cheese it’s absolutely sinfully delicious.  And truly simple to make.

Let me show you how.

Ingredients: 1 (1-pound) package frozen puff pastry, thawed, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 8 equal pieces, 8 (1 by 1-inch) squares guava paste (about 4 ounces), 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water, 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

You will usually find guava paste in a large can like this.  As I was searching for the recipe. I learned that guava paste, cheese and crackers is a simple snack for many cuban families.  Similar to peanut butter and jelly for Americans.

To start sprinkle a little sugar on your surface and unfold your puff pastry.

Roll it out if needed.

Then cut into 4 equal pieces using a pizza cutter or sharp knife.

Then taking one of the pieces with the corner pointed down.

place 1 piece of the cream cheese on the lower half

and one piece of guava paste above it.

Make your egg wash with one egg, and a teaspoon of water, beat well.

Then dip your fingers and coat the edges of the puff pastry well.

Fold down the top of the pastry till it lines up with the bottom.

Using a fork, crimp the edges.

Place on a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the pastelillos.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

While they are baking make the simple glaze.

In a small bowl add the powdered sugar.

milk

and vanilla

stir until smooth, add more milk if needed to make it a little thinner.

Once the pastelillos are baked set them to cool on a wire rack.

Drizzle on a little of the glaze.

Set out on a cute platter, and what them disappear.

*don’t you just love these cute Rooster plates??*

The cheese has melted and the guava has become a thick gooey liquid,

and the crust perfectly flaky.  MMMMMM….

Print This RecipeGuava Cheese Turnovers (Guava Pastelillos)

 

Recipe courtesy Daisy Martinez

Ingredients

1 (1-pound) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into 8 equal pieces

8 (1 by 1-inch) squares guava paste (about 4 ounces)

1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle the sugar on your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Roll out each sheet of puff pastry to an 8 by 8-inch square. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each sheet into 4 squares.

Make the turnovers: Set a pastry square in front of you with 1 of the corners pointing toward you. Place 1 piece of cream cheese diagonally over the center of the bottom of the square. Top with a piece of guava paste. Brush the edges of the square with beaten egg. Fold the upper half of the square over the filling to make a neat triangle. Crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining turnovers, placing them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet as you go.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

While the turnovers are baking, mix the confectioners’ sugar with the milk and vanilla, stirring to dissolve any lumps. Set aside.

Cool the turnovers on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then drizzle the glaze over them. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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