Puerto Rican Quesitos (Cream Cheese Pastries) The Cookware Geek from thecookwaregeek.com
Description
Quesitos are a popular sweet pastry in Puerto Rico. The name "quesitos" means "little cheese." However, there is no cheese in the recipe. Instead, the pastry is filled with sweetened cream cheese and baked until golden brown. The result is a flaky, buttery pastry with a creamy, sweet center.
Prep Time
The prep time for this recipe is about 20 minutes.
Cook Time
The cook time for this recipe is about 20-25 minutes.
Ingredients
For the pastry dough, you will need: - 2 cups all-purpose flour - 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces - 1/4 cup cold water - 1/4 teaspoon salt For the cream cheese filling, you will need: - 8 oz cream cheese, softened - 1/2 cup sugar - 1 egg yolk - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl - Pastry blender or fork - Rolling pin - Baking sheet - Parchment paper - Small mixing bowl - Electric mixer
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. 3. Add the cold butter to the bowl and use a pastry blender or fork to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 4. Add the cold water to the bowl and mix until the dough comes together. 5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until it becomes smooth. 6. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. 7. Use a rolling pin to flatten each ball into a thin circle. 8. In a small mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth. 9. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling onto the center of each pastry circle. 10. Fold the edges of the pastry over the filling, pinching the dough together to seal. 11. Place the pastries onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 12. Bake the quesitos for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown. 13. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can make the pastry dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. - You can also freeze the quesitos before baking. Just place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until firm. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 2 months. To bake, simply place the frozen quesitos onto a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Make sure the butter is cold when making the pastry dough. This will help the dough become flaky and tender. - Use a light hand when kneading the dough. Overworking the dough can result in tough, chewy pastries. - If you don't have a pastry blender, you can use a fork to cut the butter into the flour. - You can make the cream cheese filling ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Just make sure to bring it to room temperature before spooning it onto the pastry circles. - Don't overfill the pastry circles with the cream cheese filling, or it may leak out during baking.
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