Recipe of the Week: Guava and Cream Cheese Pastries

This recipe is for one of my favorite things to eat…ever.

I grew up in South Florida near bakeries filled with Cuban goodies. The pastry—or pastelito—filled with guava and cream cheese always was my favorite. I remember eating them every Sunday after church.

I miss eating my Cuban food here in Pittsburgh, but I got my fill of pastelitos last week when I went to Miami for vacation. This recipe is a simplified version of the real dessert, but it's still quite tasty.

Try them out, and tell me if you like them!

What you need:

2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 tablespoons of milk
1 8-ounce package cream cheese 
4 ounces guava paste cut into 8 equal slices (many grocery stores have this ingredient in their Latin Food aisle. Otherwise, it can be special ordered online. Raspberry preserves is a decent substitute, though not as authentic.)
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon milk

What you need to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a 1-foot-long sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and roll out the pastry sheet to a 9 1/2-inch square; cut into 4 squares.

2. In a bowl, mash together the cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of sugar. Mix very well.

3. Spread some cream cheese mixture and lay one piece guava paste diagonally in the center of each pastry square. Brush the pastry edges with some of the beaten egg; fold to enclose, forming a triangle. Pinch the edges to seal, then crimp with a fork. 

3. Repeat with the remaining pastry, cream cheese mixture and guava paste.

4. Arrange the pastries on the prepared baking sheet; brush with the egg. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (or until they are golden). 

5. In the meantime, mix 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Brush the sugar mixture on the pastries and bake for five more minutes.

7. Remove pastries from the oven and let them cool completely before eating.