pastelitos
Sweet Latin pastries
Pastelitos are small filled pastries common in Latin American and Caribbean cuisines.
The fillings vary by region—meat, cheese, guava, or fruit—wrapped in flaky dough and fried or baked.
In Cuban cooking, pastelitos de guayaba (guava pastries) are especially popular: We picked up pastelitos from the bakery on Calle Ocho.
The diminutive form suggests something small and sweet.
Tropical pink-fleshed fruit
- cream cheeseSoft spreadable dairy product
- dulce de lecheCaramelized condensed milk spread
- coconutHard-shelled tropical drupe
- pineappleSpiny-skinned tropical fruit
sugar glaze · powdered sugar · fruit filling · dessert · confectionery · glazed · syrup · jam
Protein stuffed inside dough
picadillo · Cuban · Dominican · Puerto Rican · empanada · turnover · fried · baked
Flour-liquid mixture for baking
- laminatedBonded between protective layers
- flakyCrumbly or unreliable
- butteryRich like a spread
- layersStacked levels or coatings
crispy · golden · filo · croissant · turnover · danish · empanada · strudel
From a Caribbean nation
- DominicanPreaching order member
- Puerto RicanFrom the smallest Greater Antille
- VenezuelanFrom northern South America
- CaribbeanTropical Atlantic region
Miami · bodega · cafecito · café con leche · abuela · homemade · traditional · recipe
Light dish preceding main
- finger foodUtensil-free small bites
- snackLight between-meal fare
- bitesizeEaten in one gulp
- trayShallow portable platform
party food · catering · celebration · gathering · cafeteria · bakery · portable · handheld
guava
Tropical pink-fleshed fruit
- cream cheeseSoft spreadable dairy product
- dulce de lecheCaramelized condensed milk spread
- coconutHard-shelled tropical drupe
pineapple · sugar glaze · powdered sugar · fruit filling · dessert · confectionery · glazed · syrup · jam · custard
meat filling
Protein stuffed inside dough
cheese · picadillo · Cuban · Dominican · Puerto Rican · empanada · turnover · fried · baked · hand pie
dough
Flour-liquid mixture for baking
layers · crispy · golden · filo · croissant · turnover · danish · empanada · strudel · choux
Cuban
From a Caribbean nation
- DominicanPreaching order member
- Puerto RicanFrom the smallest Greater Antille
- VenezuelanFrom northern South America
Caribbean · Miami · bodega · cafecito · café con leche · abuela · homemade · traditional · recipe · fiesta
appetizer
Light dish preceding main
- finger foodUtensil-free small bites
- snackLight between-meal fare
- bitesizeEaten in one gulp
party food · tray · catering · celebration · gathering · cafeteria · bakery · portable · handheld · individual
pastelitospan
Shallow cooking vessel
bread · baguette · tortilla · arepa · plain bread
pastelitoswedding cake
Tiered matrimonial dessert
sheet cake · layer cake · torta · tiered cake · king cake
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