Okay, so I’ve been wanting to try making some Caribbean pastries for a while now. I finally decided to just go for it! I’m no expert, but I figured, how hard could it be? Turns out, it’s a bit of a process, but totally worth it.
Getting Started
First, I looked up a few recipes online. I wanted something that seemed authentic, but also doable for a regular person like me. I finally settled on a recipe for something called “pastelitos,” which are these little flaky pastries filled with guava and cheese. Yum!
Then, I went to the grocery store. I needed a bunch of stuff I didn’t have, like puff pastry (I cheated and bought it pre-made, don’t judge!), guava paste, and cream cheese. The guava paste was a little tricky to find, but I eventually found it in the international aisle.
Making the Pastries
Back home, I got everything laid out. I followed the recipe, which was surprisingly simple. First, I rolled out the puff pastry, and cut it into squares. It stuck the sheet, So I added some flour.
- Rolled out the puff pastry (it was a bit sticky, so I used some extra flour).
- Cut the pastry into squares. I think I made them a little too big, but oh well.
- Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on each square.
- Added a small piece of guava paste on top of the cream cheese.
- Folded the pastry over to make little triangles, and crimped the edges with a fork to seal them.
Baking and (Finally!) Eating
Next, I brushed the tops of the pastries with a little egg wash (just a beaten egg) to make them golden brown and shiny. Then, into the oven they went! I baked them until they were puffed up and golden, probably around 20 minutes, but I just kept an eye on them.
The smell while they were baking was AMAZING. Seriously, my whole kitchen smelled like a tropical bakery. When they were done, I let them cool for a few minutes (the hardest part!), and then I finally took a bite. Oh. My. Goodness. They were so good! Flaky, sweet, and tangy all at the same time.
Even though they weren’t perfect (some of them leaked a bit, and they weren’t exactly uniform in size), I was pretty proud of myself. It was a fun little cooking adventure, and I definitely plan on making them again!
