Pastelitos De Carne Cuban Beef Pastry Recipes

PASTELITOS DE CARNE (CUBAN PICADILLO FILLED PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Unfold your first sheet of puff pastry, and dust both sides with flour so it's not sticking to the board.
• Using your 2" round cookie cutter, or a narrow glass, cut out as many circles are you can from the first sheet. I got 27 out of this sheet. Place them into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the finely ground meat mixture into the center of the circle.
• Cut out a second set of discs from the 2nd sheet of puff pastry. Brush the edges of each circle with a bit of the beaten egg mixture.
• Place a disc of pastry onto of the meat mixture, pressing the sides with your fingers to fold the dough around the meat mixture.
• Using a fork, press down the edges of the circle to seal the two discs together. Cut a small slit into the top of the assembled pastelito, to allow steam to escape while baking.
• Bake the pastelitos at 400F for 15-20 minutes, on the highest rack in your oven. If the bottoms are getting dark but the tops are still not golden, you can broil them for a minute or two, but watch them! They can burn in an instant.
• Once they're out of the oven, lightly drizzle the pastelitos de carne with the agave nectar, or simple syrup. You don't want to drown them, you just want them to have a kiss of sweetness. Then devour, and repeat!

PASTELITOS DE CARNE (CUBAN BEEF PASTRY)

Steps:

• Allow the puff pastry to thaw according to the package direction (typically 20-30 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a bowl, scramble one egg using a whisk to make the egg wash.
• Once the puff pastry is thawed, carefully unfold it, placing the more floured part down on the counter. Using a cup or a round cookie cutter, cut out 9 circles from each sheet. (You should have 18 circles in total.)
• Place a tablespoon of the picadillo (beef) filling in the center of nine of the puff pastries circles. Brush the outer part of the circle with the egg. Place the remaining puff pastry circles on each circle with filling, aligning the edges. Pinch the edges down to seal them.
• Brush remaining egg wash on the top of each circle and cut a small line through the middle of each circle. Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper and place each puff pastry circle on the sheet leaving about 2 inches of space between them.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• While the pastelitos are in the oven, add half a cup of sugar into a small saucepan and add a quarter cup of water. Heat over medium-high heat until all of the sugar is dissolved.
• Remove the pastelitos from the oven and lightly brush them with the glaze. Enjoy!

PASTELITOS DE CARNE (CUBAN BEEF PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan, stir granulated sugar and water together. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
• Thaw the puff pastry according to package directions, usually about 20-30 minutes. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
• Unfold both pastry sheets and cut each sheet into 9 circles using the rim of a glass cup or a biscuit cutter.
• Place a tablespoon of the picadillo filling in the center of each dough circle. Cover with another dough circle on top.
• Gently seal the edges of the dough circles together using a fork or by pressing down with your fingers. Brush egg wash on each pastry to get that flaky crust.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove the pastries from the oven and lightly brush the pastries with simple syrup. Serve immediately and enjoy!