Guava Cream Cheese Filling Food

GUAVA EMPANADAS

Steps:

• Pulse the cream cheese, egg, sugar, lime zest and lime juice in a food processor until smooth.
• Put 1 tablespoon guava paste in the center of each empanada wrapper, then top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Fold the dough over the filling and press the edges with a fork to seal.
• Heat about 11/2 inches vegetable oil in a wide saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the empanadas until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Return the oil to 350 degrees F between batches.) Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE EMPANADAS

Steps:

• For the empanada dough: Mix all empanada ingredients in a mixer. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
• For the filling: Put the guava paste and cream cheese in a bowl and use a potato masher to mash the two ingredients until they are incorporated.
• To form the empanadas, use half of dough (save remaining dough for another use). Knead the dough. Roll the dough out by hand or with a commercial sheeter. Cut out circles of dough 6- to 7-inches in diameter. Place a dough circle in an empanada mold if you have one, but it?s not necessary; fill empanadas with guava mixture. Wet the edges of the dough with your fingers. Close the mold to seal, or fold dough over filling and use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Use a pastry brush to paint empanadas with an even coat of egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar.
• Preheat convection oven to 450 degrees F, or regular oven to 400 degrees F. Place empanadas on greased baking sheets. Bake for 3 minutes in convection oven or 10 to 15 minutes in regular oven.

GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE PASTRY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
• Beat egg with a fork, then put 1 1/2 tablespoons egg in a small bowl with water (1/2 tablespoon) and lightly beat to make egg wash.
• Put remaining beaten egg in a food processor with cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and purée until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Purée guava preserves with lemon juice in cleaned food processor until smooth.
• Put a baking sheet in oven to preheat 5 minutes while you prepare pastry.
• Roll out pastry on a floured work surface with a floured rolling pin into an 11- by 9 1/2-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise.
• Transfer 1 piece of pastry to a sheet of foil. Spread cream cheese mixture in a 3 1/2-inch-wide strip down middle of pastry, leaving 1-inch borders on all sides. Dollop 2 rows of preserves lengthwise on top of cheese mixture, about 1 inch apart.
• Fold remaining piece of pastry in half lengthwise and put folded edge nearest you. Leaving a 1-inch border on sides and top of pastry, cut 1 1/2-inch-long slits every 1/2 inch through folded edge to top border.
• Brush some of egg wash around filling. Unfold cut pastry and lay over filling. Lightly press edges to seal and brush top of dough with some egg wash. Bake on foil on hot baking sheet until puffed and golden-brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pastry to a rack to cool completely.

GUAVA & CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Microwave guava paste in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 20 to 30 sec. or just until warmed. Add cream cheese and egg yolk; mix well.
• Unroll crescent dough on center of baking sheet; press seams and perforations together to seal. Spread cream cheese mixture into 3-inch-wide strip down center of dough to within 1/4 inch of ends.
• Make cuts, 1-1/2 inches apart, down long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Starting at one end, bring opposite strips of dough together over filling; twist gently to secure.
• Whisk egg white until foamy; brush onto dough. Sprinkle with nuts.
• Bake 22 to 25 min. or until lightly browned.

PASTELITOS (GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Prepare an egg wash: In a small bowl, beat the egg with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper. (Keep the other puff pastry sheet in the refrigerator.) Dust off any excess flour and lay the rolled pastry sheet on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip a pastry brush into the egg wash, and paint a line in lengthwise along the center of the pastry sheet, followed by three crosswise lines, evenly spaced, forming a grid of 8 rectangles, each approximately 3 inches wide and 4 inches long. Brush edges with egg wash. Lay a slice of guava paste in the center of each rectangle (or dot with dollops of jam or preserves, if using). Spread some of the cream cheese, if using, on top of the guava paste (about 1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese per pastry).
• Remove the second sheet of puff pastry from the refrigerator, and roll it out into an 8-by-11-inch rectangle, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Lay the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the first. Using the side of your palm, press around and between the mounds of filling, pressing out any excess air, and to glue the top pastry to the bottom, creating 8 even, rectangular pockets. Paint the top sheet of puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle the surface with sugar.
• Using a knife or bench scraper, cut out and separate the 8 pastelitos following the original grid in between the indentations in the dough. Trim the perimeter to neaten the rectangles. The dough should still be cool to the touch; if it is warm, return the pastelitos to the refrigerator on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up before baking.
• Bake pastelitos until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

GUAVA CREAM CHEESE FILLING

Steps:

• Put approximately 1/2 cup or so of guava paste in a mixing bowl, beat until the color lightens and the texture fluffs/creams up a bit (as opposed to the dense jelly-paste it starts as).
• Add in 3-4 ozs. softened cream cheese and a squeeze of lime and beat until smooth.
• Dump this mixture in a separate bowl then whip approx 1.5 cups heavy cream in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• Fold in the guava-cream cheese mixture, fill a pastry bag and use to decorate cupcakes as desired.

GUAVA CHEESE TART

Steps:

• Place the cream cheese and panela or farmer cheese in a bowl and mix well with a spoon.
• Line in a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place 1 of the puff pastry circles on the baking sheet.
• Brush a 1" rim around the outside edge with some of the beaten egg.
• Pat the cheese mixture into an 8" circle in the center and spread the guava paste or jam evenly over the top.
• Fold the remaining piece of puff pastry in half and place over the first piece.
• Unfold the pastry to enclose the filling, being careful not to trap air beneath.
• Gently press the top and bottom edges together and refrigerate about 25 minutes, or until dough is thoroughly chilled.
• Remove from refrigerator.
• Working about 1-1/2" from the outside, firmly press the edges of pastry together with the tines of a fork to seal.
• Then trim the excess dough, leaving an even 1" border of crust surrounding the filling.
• With a sharp pairing knife, cut out and discard a 1/4" circle of dough from the center and press out any trapped air.
• Then, making shallow cuts, trace 6-8 circular lines in a spiral pattern from the center hole to the inside edge of the sealed crust (if the dough gets too warm to work with, just return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to harden).
• Mix the heavy cream, with the remaining beaten egg and brush over the top of the tart: cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
• To bake, preheat the oven to 450ºF.
• Transfer the pan from the refrigerator to the oven and bake 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown on top.
• Reduce the oven temp to 350ºF.
• Bake until the jelly is bubbling and the bottom crust, when lifted with a spatulas, is browned, 30-40 minutes.
• Set aside to cool on a rack up to 15 minutes.
• Serve warm with whipped topping, if you choose.