Pastelitos De Carne (Cuban Picadillo Filled Pastries)

Oh. My. Gosh.  I think I cried a little bit when these came out of the oven.  Throughout my childhood, if there was a party going on, or it was a particularly special Saturday morning, there were pastelitos de carne at home.  My parents would visit the local Cuban bakery and bring home a box of these, at which point, I’d proceed to gorge myself with them until I was unabashedly stuffed.  These are a traditional Cuban pastry filled with a highly seasoned beef mixture, and once they’re crispy and fluffy, they’re brushed with simple syrup made from equal parts of sugar & water.  For ease and simplicity’s sake, I drizzle these with agave nectar, with delish results.  Make these for your next party, and you may have trouble getting your guests to leave!

(Makes approximately 25 2″ wide pastelitos)

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup of my Cuban Picadillo recipe
1 egg, beaten
Light agave nectar or simple syrup (recipe below)

Unfold your first sheet of puff pastry, and dust both sides with flour so it’s not sticking to the board.

Using your 2″ round cookie cutter, or a narrow glass, cut out as many circles are you can from the first sheet.  I got 27 out of this sheet.  Place them into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the finely ground meat mixture into the center of the circle.

Cut out a second set of discs from the 2nd sheet of puff pastry.  Brush the edges of each circle with a bit of the beaten egg mixture.

Place a disc of pastry onto of the meat mixture, pressing the sides with your fingers to fold the dough around the meat mixture.

Using a fork, press down the edges of the circle to seal the two discs together.  Cut a small slit into the top of the assembled pastelito, to allow steam to escape while baking.

Bake them at 400F for 15-20 minutes, on the highest rack in your oven.  If the bottoms are getting dark but the tops are still not golden, you can broil them for a minute or two, but watch them! They can burn in an instant.  Once they’re out of the oven, lightly drizzle them with the agave nectar, or simple syrup (recipe below).  You don’t want to drown them, you just want them to have a kiss of sweetness.  Then devour, and repeat!

Simple Syrup Recipe

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Will keep in the refrigerator for 1 month. 

5 from 2 votes

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Pastelitos De Carne (Cuban Picadillo Filled Pastries)

Servings 25 pastelitos

Ingredients

• 1 package 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of picadillo
• 1 egg beaten
• Light agave nectar or simple syrup

Instructions

1. Unfold your first sheet of puff pastry, and dust both sides with flour so it's not sticking to the board.
2. Using your 2" round cookie cutter, or a narrow glass, cut out as many circles are you can from the first sheet. I got 27 out of this sheet. Place them into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of the finely ground meat mixture into the center of the circle.
4. Cut out a second set of discs from the 2nd sheet of puff pastry. Brush the edges of each circle with a bit of the beaten egg mixture.
5. Place a disc of pastry onto of the meat mixture, pressing the sides with your fingers to fold the dough around the meat mixture.
6. Using a fork, press down the edges of the circle to seal the two discs together. Cut a small slit into the top of the assembled pastelito, to allow steam to escape while baking.

7. Bake the pastelitos at 400F for 15-20 minutes, on the highest rack in your oven. If the bottoms are getting dark but the tops are still not golden, you can broil them for a minute or two, but watch them! They can burn in an instant.

8. Once they're out of the oven, lightly drizzle the pastelitos de carne with the agave nectar, or simple syrup. You don't want to drown them, you just want them to have a kiss of sweetness. Then devour, and repeat!