Mango Pastelitos

This Mango Pastelito Recipe is going to be your next summer staple.

If you visit any ventanita in Miami you will see a box filled with a variety of pastelitos. They have all the favorites. You will see Pastelitos de Carne, Queso, and of course Guayaba. Pastelitos de Guayaba or Guava are far and away the most famous. It just takes trying one to understand.

Growing up we would make the line at El Brazo Fuerte in Miami. They perfected their pastelitos with their golden color, flaky layers and just the right amount of filling to pastry ratio. We were forbidden to eat them in the car because their crunchy layers would make a mess. It was torture holding that white box stacked with pastelitos until we got home. But the wait was always worth it. If you have never been to El Brazo Fuerte- it’s an absolute must.

But when summer starts to ramp up, Miami mango trees start to turn out mangoes by the dozen. What better way to use a mango then to turn it into a delicious traditional pastelito treat.

Mango pastelitos are the perfect vehicle for our Mango Marmalade. However you can use a store bought marmalade or jam if you prefer. If you have a very smooth marmalade feel free to add some chopped mango to it so it has a little more texture.

In this Mango Pastelitos Recipe we are working with store bought puff pastry. Any brand will work just make sure that it says “all butter”. Any time you work with pastry you want to work as quickly as possible. The reason being you don’t want the butter in the puff pastry to come to room temperature. It will soften the dough and it will keep it from puffing properly.

Ideally, once you’ve assembled the pastelitos, you refrigerate them before baking. This will help them puff up and be as flaky as possible. People often make the mistake of underbaking puff pastry. Be patient and let those layers rise.

If you need to store them, place them in an airtight container. You should heat them up in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes or better yet the air fryer at 400 degrees for 3-4 minutes.  

Mango Pastelitos

Recipe by Abuela's Counter Course: DessertCuisine: CubanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pack of puff pastry, thawed in fridge (each package has 2 sheets)

• 8 oz of Abuela’s Mango Marmalade or store bought

• 4 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1 ½ tablespoon of corn starch

• 1/3 cup of brown turbinado sugar

Directions

• Preheat the oven 400 degrees.
• In a bowl, place the marmalade and add the cornstarch. Whisk until it’s completely mixed in. *This is an essential step to make sure the mixture won’t seep out of the sides. 
• Cut each piece of pastry along the crease. You will end up with 6 rectangular pieces. From this point you can cut them however you prefer. If you like big pastelitos you can cut each rectangle in half. If you like making mini pastelitos, cut each rectangle in 3 pieces, ending up with 3 squares per triangle
• Add about ½ teaspoon of cream cheese to the middle of the dough, then add about 1 ½ teaspoons of the marmalade on top of that. Don’t add too much so your pastelito doesn’t explode, and it is ok if it doesn’t stay in the middle. 
• If you are making smaller pastelitos, brush egg wash on two sides and fold them over gently to make a triangle. Press lightly on the dough. 
  If you are making larger ones, brush all the sides of the dough and place another piece of dough on top. Make two small openings at the top of the dough.
  ***This is not an empanada you DO NOT seal it together tightly. Be gentle.
• Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar. Place each one on a lined and greased baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
  
• Bake for 25-35 minutes until they are golden brown and have puffed up completely. Remember don’t underbake them! Once they are out of the oven, cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before enjoying