Pastelitos Criollos – Fried Pastry with Quince Paste
The pastry that has to be on the table on Argentina's national holidays: homemade rough puff, fried at two temperatures, and brushed with syrup.
The two temperatures are the whole technique and they are not interchangeable. First gentle, around 140 °C, where the pastelitos sink and the layers are teased open with two forks so the pastry puffs. Then hot, around 180 °C, to brown and crisp. Dropped straight into hot fat they seal shut and stay flat.
The layering uses cornstarch (cornflour) between the folds, not flour. It keeps the layers separate without absorbing the butter, which is what lets them lift.
Ingredients
- 500 g all-purpose flour (plain flour), for the dough
- 100 g butter or beef fat, at room temperature
- 250 ml cold water
- 1 pinch of fine salt
- 50 g extra melted butter, to brush the layers
- Cornstarch (cornflour), to dust the layers
- 250 g quince paste or sweet potato paste, cubed
- 1 kg beef fat or sunflower oil, for frying
- 300 g regular sugar, for the syrup
- 150 ml water, for the syrup
- Colored sprinkles, to decorate (optional)
Method
- 1
Base dough: in a bowl, rub the flour with the 100 g of butter and the pinch of salt using your fingertips. Add the cold water a little at a time until you have a smooth ball. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
- 2
Layering: roll the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush the whole surface with the extra melted butter and dust with a thin layer of cornstarch, not flour — it keeps the layers apart without soaking up the butter. Fold the dough in three.
- 3
Second roll: roll the folded dough into a rectangle again, repeat the butter and cornstarch, and fold in three again. Rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- 4
Cutting: roll the final pastry to about 2-3 mm thick. Cut squares of about 8 x 8 cm.
- 5
Assembly: put a cube of paste in the center of one square. Wet the edges lightly with water. Cover with a second square, set crosswise so the corners fall diagonally.
- 6
Sealing: press firmly around the paste to push out the air and seal. Pinch the four corners upward to make the classic pastelito pleats.
- 7
First fry, gentle: heat the fat or oil to about 140 °C. Put the pastelitos in; they will sink at first. With two forks, work the layers of dough apart so the pastry opens and puffs.
- 8
Second fry, hot: once the pastry has opened, raise the heat to about 180 °C — or move them to another pot of very hot oil — so they brown quickly and stay crisp. Lift them out and drain on kitchen paper.
- 9
While they cool, make a syrup by boiling the sugar with the 150 ml of water for 5 minutes, until it thickens slightly. Brush the warm pastelitos with the syrup and decorate the points with colored sprinkles.
Argentine Classics: Tradition with Identity
Nothing beats the taste of home. These are the recipes that belong to Argentina's culinary history: from a properly made locro to the tricks behind empanadas with hand-cut beef that fall apart in your mouth. It is not only about dishes but about techniques, family stories and the legacy of criollo cooking — each recipe close to the tradition, but written with the precision that makes it work every time.
