These pretty little pastries are made throughout South America, traditionally with membrillo (quince cheese). You can make them with any fruit cheese – a thicker, harder set jam – and here I’ve used damson (available from delicatessens).
I have made the pastelitos the traditional way, drenched in syrup after cooking, but I like them also dusted in a mixture of cinnamon and icing sugar, which forms a slight crust if done while still hot.
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Ingredients
- Pre-rolled puff pastry One packet
- Sunflower oil For deep frying
- Icing sugar
- Cinnamon
- Damson cheese
Method
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Step 1
Roll out the pre-rolled pastry a little further so that it is fine but not unworkably delicate.
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Step 2
Cut into 4-5cm squares and put a teaspoon of damson cheese at the centre of half of the squares.
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Step 3
Wet the edges and then place a square of pastry over the top, offset to form an-eight-pointed star shape.
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Step 4
Pinch in around the fruit cheese to make the shapes as defined as possible, otherwise the definition will be lost when the pastry puffs up.
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Step 5
Chill in the fridge for half an hour.
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Step 6
Heat a pan full of oil until a bread crumb dropped in starts bubbling straight away, then carefully lower the pastries in, pretty side down, three at a time.
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Step 7
Fry for a couple of minutes, until golden brown, then flip and fry on the other side.
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Step 8
Remove from the fat, drain on kitchen roll and sieve a mixture of cinnamon and icing sugar over them.
