Cuban Torrejas With Guava Maple Syrup And Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Recipes

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.

CUBAN PASTELITO DE GUAYABA

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor, add all guava shells and half the syrup from one can. Process until it reaches a smooth consistency. Put puree in a medium saucepan and cook at low heat until reduced to a very thick consistency. Let guava cool and then fill into pastry bag. In a medium mixing bowl, add 4 ounces of water, 2 ounces of butter, and salt and mix until smooth. Then add flour and work well until all ingredients are incorporated. Continue to add water, a little at a time, working the dough until a medium-hard consistency is reached. Form dough into a ball and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll the dough into a flat square, about 1/2-inch thick.
• Place the remaining butter in the middle of square and pat down by hand to form a square about one-half the size of the dough square. Fold over the 4 corners of the dough, 1 at a time, overlapping each other so that a sealed envelope is formed enclosing the butter. Dust with flour and roll out to form a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Now fold 1/3 of the rectangle dough towards the middle and the remaining 1/3 over those 2. Let dough rest for 15 minutes. Now repeat process above of rolling out and folding in 3, 2 more times, resting 15 minutes between each.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Roll out a final time into a rectangle and fold 1/4of the dough on each side to the middle and then fold 1 more time down the middle to form 4 flaps in the fold. Let rest for 15 minutes. Roll out to a rectangle to about 1/8-inch thick. With a knife, cut the flattened dough into a 4-inch wide strip by length of your baking sheet. Lay strip on sheet pan lined with waxed paper and put filling lengthwise in the middle in continuous stream about 3/4-inch in diameter. Spray edges of strips with water and cover with another 4-inch strip of dough the same size as bottom. Press the edges together by hand very softly all the way around. Brush top with egg wash and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with a simple syrup over the top and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cut crosswise into 16 pieces.

CUBAN BREAD TORREJAS

Steps:

• For the cream cheese sauce:
• Combine the half-and-half, cream cheese, sour cream, condensed milk, vanilla extract and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the guava syrup:
• Combine the guava paste, cream soda and salt in a saucepan and heat gently, until the guava paste has melted into a syrup. (For an extra-smooth consistency, use a hand blender to puree any unmelted guava solids.) You will need 2 ounces of the guava syrup for the torrejas. Leftover syrup will keep in the refrigerator for at least 3 weeks.
• For the cookie sugar:
• Pulse the Maria cookies in a food processor until crumbled. Add the brown sugar and salt and pulse to combine.
• For the torrejas:
• Whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a medium mixing bowl (this can be done the night before), and pour the custard mixture into a pie pan.
• Soak the bread in the egg mixture for 30 seconds on each side, then remove to a rack set over a baking sheet to drain for a minute or two.
• Over medium-low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium nonstick skillet. Fry the torrejas, two slices at a time, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet before starting the second batch of torrejas.
• To serve, place two torrejas on a plate. Drizzle generously with cream cheese sauce, then with guava syrup. Top with a sprinkling of Maria cookie sugar and some powdered sugar.