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Pastelitos
Grandma Filomena often treated us to these on our Sunday morning visits.

Filling:
1 lb. pitted prunes, cooked
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves

 Dough:
1 ½ cups unbleached flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ cup shortening
3/8 cup water
½ tsp. ground cinnamon mixed
with 2 Tbsp. sugar
  1. Using food chopper or processor, finely grind cooked prunes.
  2. Transfer to a bowl. Add sugar and spices.
  3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
  4. Cut in shortening. Add water. Knead by hand until dough is smooth.
  5. Preheat oven to 400º.
  6. Roll out half of dough on a lightly floured surface 1/16 to ⅛ inch thick. Shape dough to the approximate size of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Place dough in lightly greased 9 x 13 inch Pyrex dish. Trim away extra dough.
  7. Spread filling evenly over dough.
  8. Roll out remaining dough and place over filling. Press edges together with fingertips or fork. Sprinkle top with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Puncture top with tines of fork in several places.
  9. Bake at 400º for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares.


Makes approximately 2 dozen 2 x 2 inch, 2 oz. pastelitos.