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 1/8 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.