Pastelillos de Guayaba (Puerto Rican Guava Pastries)

These Pastelillos de Guayaba or Puerto Rican guava pastries are made with fresh guava jam and a creamy blend of cool whip and mascarpone cheese. These fresh components really elevate the guava pastries to a whole other level!

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Guava Jam

10 ripe pink guavas to yield 2 1/2 cups of guava puree
4 cups water
1 cup white granulated sugar

Pastry

1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets 17.3 oz
1 egg for egg wash
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp white granulated sugar
2 tbsp confectioners sugar for dusting

Cheese filling

8 oz mascarpone cheese
8 oz Cool Whip
2 tbsp confectioners sugar

Instructions

Make the guava jam

Rinse the guavas with water. Slice off the top stems. Cut into 4-6 pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster it will cook.
Place cut guavas in a large pot and cover with about 4 cups of water. Boil for 20-30 minutes or until softened.
Place a sieve over a large bowl and pour in the puree mixture. Using a large metal spoon, push the puree through the sieve, retaining all the seeds. Discard the seeds.
Measure the amount of puree you have. For this recipe, I use a 2.5:1 ratio of guava puree to sugar. (2 1/2 cups guava puree, 1 cup sugar).
Add puree to a large pot and place over high heat. Add sugar and mix until well combined.
Continue stirring until puree has thickened. Keep in mind that it will thicken more once cooled.
Remove from heat and place in a glass jar. Cool to room temperature and fill a piping bag with the jam. Place the remaining jam in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350℉.

Make the cheese filling

To a mixing bowl, add mascarpone cheese, Cool Whip, and confectioners sugar. Whisk to combine. Fill a piping bag with the cheese filling and store in the freezer for about 25-30 minutes before using. Store the rest in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Bake the pastries

Make the egg wash by mixing the egg with 1 tbsp of water and 1/2 tsp of white granulated sugar.
Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 3 equal parts. There should be 9 rectangles in total.
Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush with the egg wash and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Assemble the pastries

Allow the pastries to cool to room temperature.
Using a knife, slice the pastries open, like how you would open a sandwich.
Pipe guava jam on the bottom pastry. Pipe some of the cheese filling on top and cover with the top pastry. Dust with confectioners sugar.
Repeat the steps until all of the pastries are filled. Enjoy. ¡Buen provecho!

Video

Notes

Where to find pink guavas?

Pink guavas can be found at Hispanic supermarkets and grocery stores but white guavas are more accessible, for some reason. I order pink guava from Tropical Fruit Box. Use my code madewithsazon to save $10 on your order.

Can I use frozen guava puree instead?

Yes, you can use frozen guava pulp in place of fresh guava. Follow the recipe below:

1 (14 oz) package of frozen guava pulp, thawed

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice (optional)

Add ingredients to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring frequently.

Store jam in a tightly sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Can I use guava paste instead?

Yes, you can use guava paste in place of fresh guava. Follow the recipe below:

8 oz guava paste (half of one 16 oz package)

1/2 cup water, more if needed

Add guava paste to a saucepan with water and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Can I use cream cheese instead?

Yes, you can use cream cheese in place of mascarpone cheese. Just follow the rest of the recipe as is.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, you can make the guava jam, cheese filling, and the pastries ahead of time, up to two days in advance. Keep everything in separate containers. The guava jam and cheese mixture can be stored in the refrigerator and the pastries can be stored at room temperature. I suggest filling the pastries when it's time to serve. Otherwise they will get soggy over time.

Keyword guava jam, guava pastries, guava recipes, guava turnovers, pasta de guayaba, pastelillos de guayaba, pastelitos de guayaba