Jenny’s Guava And Cheese Empanadas

When I was in high school, I was frequently invited to my Colombian friend’s house after soccer practice. After a few visits, I began to discover some interesting culinary treats her family would make. One day she pulled a few slices of white cheese and a brick of rust colored fruit paste out of her fridge. Having never seen anything of the sort, I exclaimed, “What is that?!”

“Guyaba,” she said.

“Y-what-A?” I asked.

I had never seen a guayaba anything before and that was the first time I enjoyed that delicious snack. A few years ago, I was in a restaurant in San Antonio that specialized in empanadas and to my pleasant surprise there was a guayaba and cream cheese empanada on the menu! The empanadas were delicious and brought back many fond memories. I couldn’t get enough of them! Obviously, it wouldn’t be fiscally responsible to spend all of my disposable income on empanadas from this restaurant, so I decided to improvise. I found a recipe online and made my own.

Ingredientes for Pasteles de Guayaba:

• 1 pound cream cheese
• 1 pound butter
• 1 pound flour
• 1½ pounds guava paste
• Sugar, for sprinkling

Directions:

• Blend together the cheese, butter and flour until well mixed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Roll the dough out into a ¼-inch thick square. Cut the rolled dough into 16-20 squares.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the guava mix in the center of each square.
• Fold the dough over the guava paste to form a triangle. Press the edges shut.
• Place the pasteles on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with a thin layer of sugar.
• Bake until the pasteles are evenly brown, about 25 minutes.

Source: Adapted from a recipe from food.com