Guava and Cream Cheese Turnovers (Pasteles)

Jose Garces

Garces Group, Atlantic City, NJ; Chicago; Palm Springs, CA; Philadelphia; and Scottsdale, AZ

Adapted from The Latin Road Home (Lake Isle Press, 2012)

"Filled with sticky-sweet guava paste, quite a confection on its own (and available in any Latin grocery), these flaky and delicious little pies are pretty easy to make but plenty impressive for company."

Yield: 8 pastries

Method:

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat together the egg and water to make a wash. Unfold the puff pastry on a large cutting board or other work surface. Use a sharp knife or
pizza cutter to cut each sheet into four 6 x 6-inch squares. Brush each square lightly with some of
the egg wash. Spoon about 1 tablespoon each of guava paste and cream cheese onto the pastry squares, just off center. Fold each square over corner to corner, forming a triangle. Seal by pressing the edges together. (If at any point the puff pastry gets too soft, put it back into the freezer for 10 minutes.) Crimp the edges of the pastries with a fork; brush the tops with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar. Arrange the pasteles on the baking sheets and chill them in the freezer for 30 minutes.

While the pasteles are chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F.

Bake the pasteles, rotating the sheets once, until golden and puffed, about 15 minutes. Serve warm
or at room temperature.