Pastelitos

* Exported from MasterCook *

PASTELITOS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Stephen Ceideburg
500 g Plain flour
170 g Butter, chilled and cut into
-small pieces
Tablespoon salt
2 ts Fresh lemon juice
1 Egg
240 ml Iced water
130 g Butter, melted and cooled
60 g Plain flour
360 g Quince paste, mixed with
150 ml Of any sweet wine.
Syrup:
450 g Sugar
200 ml Water
Vanilla essence
Oil or vegetable shortening
-for deep-frying

To make the puff pastry: Cut the butter into the flour
and salt until the consistency of crumbs. Gradually
mix in the lemon juice and add the egg. Then, working
the dough continuously with the fingers, add the water
3 tablespoons at a time. When all the water has been
ab- sorbed and the dough is quite smooth, place it on
a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 10-15
minutes until smooth and elastic. Leave to rest 20-30
minutes, covered with a dry tea towel. Roll out the
dough thinly, to about 80 cm square. Brush the surface
with some of the melted butter, dust it with flour and
smooth the flour evenly into the butter with the hand.
Fold the dough in half and repeat the buttering and
flouring process. Then repeat the process twice more
(4 times in all) until the dough is only 20 cm square.
Roll out to about 40 cm square and trim to a perfect
39 cm square. Cut the dough into 36 x 6.5 cm squares.

To assemble: Place about 1 teaspoon of quince filling
in the centre of half the squares, then top each with
another square at a 45- degree angle so you end up
with an eight-pointed star, and press the dough around
the filling to secure it firmly. Shape the pastelito
into a flower by putting a forefinger in turn on each
point of the star, pointing inwards to the centre,
then use your thumb and middle ringer to pinch the
adjoining points of the bottom square up around the
forefinger. This is less complicated than it sounds.

To make syrup: Heat the sugar and and water into a
small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is thoroughly
dissolved. Boil steadily without stirring for 5-10
minutes until glossy and thickened. Stir in a few
drops of vanilla essence and keep warm.

To deep fry: Put about 7-8 cms of oil or shortening in
two deep pans or saucepans. Heat one pan on medium
heat (to about 75 degrees C) and the other until it is
hot (180 degrees C). Drop 2 or 3 paste- litos into the
warm fat and fry for 3-4 minutes, basting once or
twice, until the layers of puff pastry begin to
separate and open up like a flower. Do not let colour,
but rapidly remove the pastelitos to the pan of hot
oil, and fry on both sides for about 2 minutes until
golden brown. Drain the pastelitos on absorbent paper,
then dip in the warm syrup and place on a serving
plate. Serve at room temperature.

Posted by Stephen Ceideburg

From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney
Morning Herald, 7/13/93. Courtesy Mark Herron.



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