My family has moved around quite a bit. We have lived in Arkansas, Michigan, Arizona, Virginia….. and if you ask me what I miss the most about not living in Miami anymore I will tell you of course, all the family we left behind. However, what I am really thinking is being far away from a Cuban bakery. Next to Cuban Bread, Cuban Pastries is the one recipe I have been chasing since we left Miami in 1999. I have tried just about every recipe I have come across in a book or online, and I have never been able to get that perfect combination of crispy outside, light and fluffy layers, sweet glaze, and warm sweet filling. There was always something missing. Until now. Something about this brand of puff pastry and the air fryer has created the most authentic tasting pastelitos I have ever had outside of Miami. The only downside is, it is a terrible time to be on Weight Watchers.

**You can use the same dough and method to create turnovers with any kind of filling you want. Just make sure the filling doesn’t have too much liquid or it will seep out or make the puff pastry mushy.**

Here is my how to video that takes you step by step on how to make these Cuban Pastries.

Vortex Plus Cuban Pastries (Pastelitos)

Recipe by Lana Horruitiner-Perez 

• Gefen brand Puff Pastry Squares (you can find this in the Kosher section of the frozen food aisle)
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 tsp Sugar for each pastry

Filling Options:

• Guava Paste
• Cream Cheese (optional 1 Tbl Sugar)

 

---

Make sure the Gefen Puff Pastry is thawed but still cold. You can either take it out of the freezer and leave it on the counter for  a few minutes or place it in the fridge.

Place a piece of parchment on your counter and place one square of dough ont he parchment. (To keep your parchment from rolling up, crinkle it and then lay it flat. This will help keep it flat on the counter.)

Take out the Guava and Cream Cheese and allow them to come to room temperature.

Guava Pastelito

Place a square of Puff Pastry on the parchment so it looks like a diamond when facing you.

Cut 1 1/2 to 2 Tbl piece of Guava and place it in the top of the diamond. Leave about an inch around the sides.

Bring the bottom point of the diamond, up to meet the top and line up the edges. Use your finger and press the edges all around to seal them. Place on the Vortex Plus baking tray.  (while you are assembling the rest of the pastries, make sure to keep the ones you have already assembled in the fridge and cover with a damp paper towel.)

Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelito

Place a square of Puff Pastry on the parchment so it looks like a diamond when facing you.

Cut 1 Tbl piece of Guava and place it in the top of the diamond. Cut 1 Tbl piece of Cream Cheese and place that next to the Guava. Leave about an inch around the sides.

Bring the bottom point of the diamond, up to meet the top and line up the edges. Use your finger and press the edges all around to seal them. Place on the Vortex Plus baking tray.  (while you are assembling the rest of the pastries, make sure to keep the ones you have already assembled in the fridge and cover with a damp paper towel.)

Cream Cheese Pastelito

Place a square of Puff Pastry on the parchment so it looks like a diamond when facing you.

Add 1 1/2 to 2 Tbl of Cream Cheese down the center of the Puff Pastry Dough. Make sure to leave about an inch space from the top and bottom.

Fold the left side over the Cream Cheese and then fold the right side over and tuck the point under. (It should look similar to a Cannoli.) Use your finger to gently press along the top and bottom edges. 

Bakery Style Authentic Cheese Option:

If you want an even more authentic Pastelito de Queso (Cheese Pastry) mix 5 Tbl of room temperature Cream Cheese with 1 Tbl Sugar. You can warm the mixture up for a few seconds in the microwave to make it easier to blend. Place back in the fridge to cool. Use this mixture in place of the plain Cream Cheese.

 

Once all your Pastelitos are assembled and placed on the Vortex Plus slotted baking tray. (You can fit 3 to 4 on one tray. You can bake 2 trays at once, but I find they puff up better when cooked one tray at a time.) 

Preheat the Vortex Plus to 335 degrees for 13 mins.

While the Vortex oven is preheating, beat 1 Egg in a small bowl to create an egg wash, and brush a small layer of Egg over each Pastry. Sprinkle each Pastry with 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of Sugar.

Once the Vortex Plus has preheated and displays “ADD FOOD”, place the tray of Pastelitos in the middle position and close the oven door. The Vortex Plus will start cooking automatically.

At 10 mins, check to see if the Pastries are done. Depending on how cold the dough is, the temperature of the filling, etc., the Pastries can take 10 to 13 minutes.

Once they are done and golden brown, take them out and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Buen Provecho!