by: Adrianna Adarme
Cook Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
9 pastelitos
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Yield
9 pastelitos
summary
Inspired by the famous Cuban pastelitos, this recipe is an autumnal take with diced apples and warm spices. They are filled with a sweet and tangy mixture of guava paste and sweet cream cheese. Wrapped in flaky and buttery puff pastry, these guava-apple pastelitos offer the perfect balance of rich, fruity and creamy in each bite.
ingredients
- Guava Apple Filling:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups peeled and finely diced Granny Smith apple, from about 2 apples
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch of kosher salt
- ⅓-pound guava paste, roughly cubed
- 3 tablespoons water
- Cream Cheese Filling:
- 5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For Assembly:
- 1 (1-pound) box of puff pastry, thawed according to the instructions on the box
- 1 large egg
directions
To Make the Guava Apple Filling:
- In a medium-sized skillet, set over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the finely diced apple, sugar, spices and salt. Cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, until the apples have released their liquid and create a thick syrup in the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the cubed guava paste and water, then cover with a lid and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes until the paste has softened and can easily be smashed to create a sort of smooth sauce for the apples.
- Use the back of a silicone spatula or spoon to help gently smash and break down the pieces of guava and mix with the apples until you've got diced apples in a fairly smooth fruity guava sauce. Transfer the apple mixture to a bowl to cool for at least 20 minutes.
To Make the Cream Cheese Filling:
- Once the apple mixture has cooled, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Set aside.
To Assemble the Pastelitos:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat the egg in a small bowl with a splash of water for the egg wash.
- Remove one of the sheets of thawed puff pastry from the package and lightly roll out to make the dough slightly smoother, then cut 3 rows in each direction to make 9 rectangles of dough. Evenly space these on the baking sheet then top each one with a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Smooth out slightly, leaving about ½ border around the dough. Top the cream cheese with a heaping tablespoon of the cooled apple mixture and spread out slightly to match the cream cheese.
- Remove the other sheet of thawed pastry and repeat the rolling and cutting of 9 rectangles. Make 5 diagonal slits in each rectangle, making sure to leave at least ½” of the border untouched so it can properly adhere to the bottom layer.
- Add a thin layer of the egg wash around the filling of each pastry on the baking sheet then top each with a ventilated dough rectangle. Press around the edge of each pastelito to help seal, then transfer to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 400ºF. After the 30 minutes is up, lightly brush each pastelito with the remaining egg wash, then bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up.
- Let the pastelitos sit on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack for another 20 minutes or so. The filling will be very very hot so they need to cool for for a few minutes.
- Serve warm.
notes
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a 325ºF oven for 5–10 minutes to crisp up a little, if desired.
The tartness in Granny Smith apples works well with the sweet guava. Honeycrisps are great too.
