Miami: Cuban Guava and Cheese Pastries (Pastelitos de Queso y Guayaba)
These are killer. I did not know what they were called or where they hailed from the first time I tried them. A friend of ours brought over a big box of Porto’s pastries and told us we had to try the guava-cheese pastries… though I can’t do the same thing for you, I can share this recipe which is a cinch to make and so flaky, creamy, tart and delicious you will not be able to eat just one.
These Cuban Guava and Cheese pastries are a popular treat and with the preponderance of Cuban cafes in Miami you would be sure to find one nearby if you were to walk around a little, or if you live in Southern California you may also find them at a Porto’s Bakery and Cafe.
In the meantime, if like me, you don’t have access to a Cuban bakery/cafe, homemade it will be! I am also unsure where I might find guava paste in any of my local shops, but luckily it is available on Amazon if you don’t live in a part of the world or country that sells it in the grocery store. I bought the Conchita brand. Additionally, if you don’t have orange-blossom water, they will still taste delicious without it, but you can usually find it in a Middle Eastern market or sometimes in the “international” aisle at a large grocery store.
The most time-consuming aspects are waiting for the guava paste to arrive in the mail and waiting for the cream cheese to come to room temperature, everything else is so easy for the amount of deliciousness you are in store for.
Hope you make them and enjoy them as much as we did!
Cuban Guava and Cheese Pastries (Pastelitos de Queso y Guayaba)
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large whole egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
9 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
¼ teaspoon orange blossom water
9 ounces Guava Preserves (or Guava Paste plus 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange or lime juice blended in a food processor until smooth)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat mat.
To prepare the filling, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and orange blossom water until light and fluffy, this will take a few minutes.
Prepare the guava paste mixture (if necessary).
Roll out the first sheet of pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch square, about ⅛ inch thick. Using a small knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into 9 squares, 4x4 inches each. Add 1 tablespoon guava mixture, topped with 1 tablespoon cream cheese filling, off-center on each square. Brush egg wash around the filling. Fold the pasty square over itself to form a triangle and seal. Lightly brush the top of each with egg wash. Transfer the filled pastries to the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, 20-30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pastry dough.
Place the pastries in the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden, 20-25 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through the baking time to ensure that the pastries bake evenly.
From The Cuban Table: A Celebration of Food, Flavors, and History by Ana Sofía Peláez and Ellen Silverman
