Guava-Cheese Hand Pies (Pastelitos de Guayaba y Queso)

We had an absolute lovely weekend here in Martinez. The weather was finally pleasant enough where we could actually walk to the park and enjoy the afternoon without getting overheated. Christopher also spent some time outside working on our vegetable beds, a project which has been on hiatus for a while. In all, we spent a lot of time outdoors this weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed watching my family enjoy themselves as well.

Since I didn’t spend so much time in the kitchen I opted instead to prepare this no-fuss recipe. This recipe is so easy to make that I almost hesitated posting it on the blog, but then Christopher reminded me that even though it was super easy, not everyone knows about it or how it comes together.

I had a piece of puff pastry left over from when I recently made pot pies. Not only that, but I opened up a can of guava paste to make Guava Ginger-Glazed Salmon and I had a good amount of the paste left over. So why not? I made guava and cream cheese pastries.

These are known in the Cuban community as Pastelitos de Guayaba, and there are recipes that melt down the guava and mix the cream cheese with sugar. In my opinion, the guava paste is so sweet that I don’t see the need for additional sugar. The melted cream cheese, pairs incredibly well with the guava to make a savory-sweet treat.

This is a perfect appetizer for large crowds as it’s so easy to make in large quantities, and the guava will make you look like an exotic and adventurous cook. Besides, you don’t need to tell them how easy these were to put together…

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GUAVA-CHEESE HAND PIES

Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 8 oz guava paste
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 egg plus one tablespoon of water beaten
• Powdered sugar for dusting optional

Instructions

NSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Lay out puff pastry sheets on a clean, yet slightly floured surface.
3. Divide cream cheese into 16 separate but equal portions across both pieces of pastry. Repeat with guava paste.
4. Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 8 rectangles large enough to form a hand pie.
5. Brush egg wash around the edges of rectangles, then seal each hand pie using the edge of a fork. Place an “X” on each hand pie using the tip of a paring knife, then brush with the remaining egg wash.
   
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until pastries are golden-brown and flaky. Set aside and allow to cool before serving.

Recipe Notes

For a tasty alternative, use fig jam (or any jam) in place of guava paste.