Americans living in Cuba in the 1900s carried guava paste in wooden boxes, hence the name
Pan con timbal
(bread with wood)
Serves 4-6
an hour to rise and an hour to freeze
Preheat the oven to 425F (220C)
2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. (15 g) organic sugar
1 tsp. (5 g) sea salt
1 cup (200 g) cold unsalted butter
about 3 Tbs. (45 ml) ice-cold water
8 ounces (225 g) each: organic cream cheese (chilled) and guava paste
1 organic egg
1. Whisk together the four, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add the butter and use a pasty blender or your fingers to work it into the flour.
3. Add the water, 1 Tbs. (15 ml) at a time and mix with your hands or a rubber spatula until the dough comes together.
4. Divide the dough into two chunks and flatten each into a disk.
5. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
6. Roll out one disk of dough to abut 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick on a well-floured board. Form into 6 by 12-inch (15 x 29 cm) rectangle.
7. Cut it into eight 3-inch (8 cm) squares.
8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Transfer the squares to the sheet and cover with plastic wrap while you roll out and cut the second disk of dough, giving you 16 squares of dough.
10. Slice the guava paste into 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick pieces roughly 2 x 2 inches (5 x 5 cm).
11. Slice the cream cheese in the same way.
12. Beat the egg with 1 Tbs. (15 ml) of water.
13. Working with 8 squares of pasty dough, place a slice of guava paste and a slice of cream cheer in the center of each square.
14. Using pasty brush, brush the egg wash around the edge of each square, then top with another rusty square and seal each parcel tightly, crimping the edges with a fork.
15. Place the pies on the parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for an hour.
16. Brush the frozen pies all over with egg wash and bake for 10 minutes.
17. Lower the heat to 350F (175C) and bake another 30 minutes, until golden brown.
18. Let cool slightly before serving or serve at room temperature.
-modified ¡cuba!
