I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

guava

Guava and Cream Cheese Turnovers (Guava Pastelillos)

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I don’t really know what to write about with today’s recipe. I just can’t form a real thought about what to write about.

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So here is just a random list of things going on…

I put a gold safety pin decal on my car. It make me happy. (reason why, etsy store)

Autumn wanted a swing, so my dad hung up one from his balcony so Autumn can swing from it in the foyer. Grandparents can do crazy crap like that at their houses. ha!

We have purple Christmas lights up. They also make me happy.

I have been making egg sandwiches every day for breakfast. My version of an egg mcmuffin. I have been eating them for dinner too. The toaster and microwave are my friends. I have sorta given up on cooking real food.

But I do want to make a lasagna this weekend. Maybe.

They are going to start the drywall on our house this week. HELL YA!

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These little Guava Pastelillo are addicting.

I wanted to make a fun treat for this week’s latest Taco Tuesday post.

I have a long list of things I want to make before the end of the year wraps things up on this series but I have been scattered. Like a kid in a candy shop. So many options! At the last minute I picked these delicious pillowy puffs.

I’m not sure if I’d call them a breakfast food since I could eat them 24/7.

I just love the combination of guava and cheese. It’s a traditional sweet and salty combo that just works so well together. I featured it last year in my Waffle Wednesday series as well when I made Guava and Chream Cheese Stuffed Puffle Waffles. Both are easy to make and both are so damn delicious.

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Be sure to take a big bite and savor the sweetness of the guava paste and the subtle tartness from the cream cheese. They are fantastic with a cup of coffee. Just be sure to wipe away the crumbs so you are not caught sneaking another one while you are in the kitchen. ha!

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Guava and Cream Cheese Turnovers (Guava Pastelillos)

Makes 16 puffs

Ingredients

  • 1 package Puff Pastry sheets
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 Cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • approx 6 oz.  Guava Paste
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Remove the puff pastry from the freezer to thaw according to package instructions.
  3. Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl. Mix well.
  4. Slice the guava paste into 1/4″ thick slices that are approx 1″ x 1 1/2″ in size. You need 16 slices.
  5. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheets so they are approx 12″ x 12″. Slice them in half in 1 direction and then in 4 in another, creating 8 pieces with each sheet.
  6. Assemble the turn turnovers by placing a piece of guava paste on one half of the rectangle, while leaving a 1/2″ edge around the paste for sealing. Add a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture on top of the guava paste. Fold the other half of the puff pastry dough over and seal the 3 open edges with a fork. Repeat with the remaining turnovers. ( I suggest doing both sheets at the same time so you can evenly portion out the cream cheese mixture among the puffs)
  7. Coat the top of the puffs with the egg wash mixture. Then sprinkle with sugar.
  8. Arrange the puffs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minute or until golden brown and puffy.
  9. Cool the turnovers on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

 

Guava and Cream Cheese Stuffed Puffle Waffles

Guava & Cream Cheese Puffle Waffle

Years ago, while I was staying at a resort in the Caribbean, I grabbed a late night snack at the hotel’s on-site Dunkin’ Donuts. Tired from the glorious day of sun, I stumbled in there for a coolata.

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And then I saw it.

I saw the most amazing thing ever.

A doughnut filled with guava jelly.

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Okay, so it was just a Dunkin’ Donuts’ doughnut, so it wasn’t the best doughnut ever, but I was hooked on this guava filled doughnut. It was fun and tropical. It was the perfect late night snack that night.

The thing is that I haven’t stopped thinking about it. I used to always look for guava filled doughnuts but I never saw them here, so I just figure it was something special for the Caribbean locations. Lucky them!

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Well, I was recently stumbled upon guava paste while I was grocery shopping. It was in a weird shaped can, which is exactly why it caught my eye. I had no idea what to do with it but I impulsively tossed it in the cart.

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I’m glad I did as I quickly discovered that guava paste is really versatile. It can be eaten on just crackers or used as a filling for empanadas or swirled into cheesecake or even used as a glaze on pork tenderloin. Awesome!!

It pairs really well with cheese so I decided to play on the idea of traditional Pastelitos, which are pastries often filled with guava and cream cheese, when I made these puffles.

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Now is the time to find some guava paste so you can make your own Guava and Cream Cheese Stuffed Puffle Waffles. Love!!

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Guava and Cream Cheese Stuffed Puffle Waffles

Makes 8 puffles

Ingredients

  • 1 17.5 ounce box of puff pastry dough
  • 8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 Cup guava paste
  • powdered sugar, for serving

Process

  1. Thaw the puff pastry according to the instructions on the box. (Typically 40 minutes at room temperature prior to use)
  2. While the puff pastry is thawing, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
  3. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface to be 12″ x 12″. Work the dough to eliminate the seams. Cut the dough into 4 equal sized pieces. Score each piece in half.
  4. Leaving 1/2″ boarder, spread a heaping spoonful of the cream cheese mixture on half of each piece. Add 3 small spoonfuls of the guava paste on the cream cheese mixture.
  5. Fold the other half of the puff pastry over the filling, crimp the edges to seal the filling inside the pastry dough.
  6. Repeat with the other sheet of puff pastry dough to make the other 4 puffles.
  7. Preheat your waffle iron at this point. Place the puffle dough on the waffle iron. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. The dough should no longer be expanding and puffing up when you open the waffle iron.
  8. Gently remove, and place on a cooling rack until ready to serve the puffles.
  9. Plate 2 puffles, shake some powdered sugar over the puffles, drizzle some warmed maple syrup on the puffles. Enjoy!!

Inspired by Epicurious

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I hope you are enjoying all my Waffle Wednesday recipes and enjoyed this month of fun puffle recipes. Be sure to give them a try. xoxo

S'mores Puffle Waffle

S’mores Puffle Waffles

Peanut Butter and Jelly Puffle Waffle

Peanut Butter and Jelly Puffle Waffle