Quesitos (Puerto Rican Cheese-Filled Pastries)
Servings: 12
Calories: 626kcal
Use homemade or store-bought (thawed) puff pastry sheets to create these popular pastries.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- rolling pin
- pastry brush
- pasta or pizza cutter
- sheet pan
Ingredients
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Quesitos
- 1- 1 1/4 pound puff pastry dough (or 17.3 ounce package of frozen and thawed puff pastry sheets)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2" wide x 5" long batons *see tip in post
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Sugar Glaze
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cold water
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare the Egg Wash: in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and water until no clumps of yolk remain, then set aside.
- Roll and cut your puff pastry dough*.Flour your countertop and use a heavy rolling pin to roll your puff pastry dough into a 24" wide x 15" long rectangle. Use a pastry cutter to cut the dough into 12 equal rectangle- each approximately 4" wide by 7" long.Trim off excess pieces of dough.
- Place a baton of cream cheese on one side of the puff pastry, then spoon a 1/2 teaspoon of the granulated sugar alongside the cream cheese- on the side facing the interior of the puff pastry.
- After adding the sugar, use a pastry brush to brush a thin layer of egg wash onto the short sides (or the "top" and "bottom") of the rectangle.Fold the ends over the cream cheese to encapsulated it in the dough.
- Brush a little more egg wash over the long edge opposite the side where the cream cheese is. Beginning on the side with the cream cheese stick, roll the dough to the egg-washed side to create a cigar-shaped pastry. Rock the quesitos a little once you land on the egg-washed flap to seal it completely.
- Transfer the quesitos to the sheet pan and brush the tops and sides of each quesito with a thin layer of egg wash.Poke vents into the tops of the quesitos with the tines of a fork after brushing.
- Bake the quesitos in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they are a deep golden color and look dry, not glossy.
Prepare the Sugar Glaze
- Stir together the light corn syrup, granulated sugar, and water- in a small saucepan- until the sugar is dissolved.Bring this mixture up to a boil and allow it to cook for 1 minute before removing it from the stove** The syrup should be the consistency of thin maple syrup. Let it cool.
- Once the pastries have finished baking, allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan before transferring them to a cooling rack and allowing them cool until warm.Brush 1 or 2 layers of the sugar glaze onto each quesito.
- Serve and enjoy with a tall glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee.
Notes
*If you're using the store-bought puff pastry sheets: you'll need to roll each of the sheets out into a 14" wide by 12" long rectangle and cut out six smaller rectangle which measure 4" wide by 7" long.
**The sugar glaze may be made a couple of days in advance. Keep it stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent mold from growing in it.
If it grows too thick as it sits, simply reconstitute it with a little hot water, a tablespoon at a time. Enjoy your quesitos within 2 days of baking. Keep them wrapped or packaged in an air-tight container at room temperature.
If it grows too thick as it sits, simply reconstitute it with a little hot water, a tablespoon at a time. Enjoy your quesitos within 2 days of baking. Keep them wrapped or packaged in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Nutrition
Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 274IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg