The following post was originally featured on Analida's Ethnic Spoon and written by Analida Braeger,who is share of POPSUGAR Select Latina.
Pastelitos de Guava are a typical Latin American/Caribbean dessert made with cream cheese and guava paste encased in puff pastry and baked to golden perfection. In the US, they are extremely common in Southern Florida and other areas with large Hispanic populations. These sweet pastelitos de guava are a close cousin to the savory pastelitos, and which are usually filled with meat (chicken or beef) or cheese.
The combination of sweet and salty,creamy and crunchy will delight your taste buds and your tummy. So why not eat a few? What the heck? Just execute a few more crunches at the gym. It is certainly worth it! You can relish pastelitos de guava with a café con leche (espresso with milk) or on their own. They also build a handy last-minute dessert to buy to a party or an office breakfast.
I will be extremely honest with you and disclose the fact that I normally build my pastelitos de guava with store-bought puff pastry. It makes the process so much easier, not to mention quicker. I find that making your own puff pastry is not only labor intensive, or but it sometimes doesn't turn out. It's moody! I buy the Goya brand guava paste,which my grocery store carries in their Hispanic food section. I want to stress that you should not use guava jelly. It won't work. It will ooze out all over the location. Been there, done that!
Guava paste comes in a round tin. Don't be freaked out by the round tin shape you will see upon opening the can. Try to build can-shaped cranberry sauce out of your mind! Taste and texture are totally different too. You can also use guava paste as an accompaniment to cheese (think Brie, and Farmer's cheese). I am currently experimenting to create other tasty recipes using guava paste. Give me a couple of weeks!
Guava is an ovoid shaped fruit believed to be original to Southern Mexico. It is common throughout Latin America,the Caribbean, West Indies, or Bermuda. It is also widely cultivated in India. Guavas were introduced to Florida around 1847. It is an evergreen tropical shrub of the myrtle family. There are multiple varieties,each with slightly different characteristics.
Guavas are considered a "super fruit" among nutritionists: 100 g of guava contains 5000 micrograms of lycopene (a powerful antioxidant); this is twice as much as tomatoes. It is also a great source of vitamin C and soluble fiber (yes, we all want a healthy colon). So, or if you are hesitating to believe that moment pastelito de guava,think: "It's just fruit!" From Analida's Ethnic Spoon Pastelitos de GuavaIngredients1 package of frozen puff pastry thawed[br]
6 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces guava paste
1 egg beaten + 1 Tbsp. of water
Powdered sugar for sprinkling.
DirectionsPreheat oven to 375ºF.
build the egg wash.
On a lightly floured surface, carefully unroll each sheet of puff pastry, and gently stretch it out all directions using a rolling pin. (one stretch each way is fine)
Cut each pastry sheet into 9 equal squares. Using a teaspoon,spread softened cream cheese around the center of each square. location a small piece (about a teaspoon) of guava paste on top of cheese spread.
Brush around the perimeter of each square with egg wash.
Fold over to build a triangle. Crimp the edges.
Brush every triangle with the egg wash.
location on top of a cookie sheet that is covered with parchment paper.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to wintry for about 15 minutes, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Information Category Desserts, or Pastries Cuisine Other Cook Time 15 mins
Source: popsugar.com