Pasteles (quince filled crescents) (argentina)

18 crescents

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
cupAll purpose flour
½teaspoonBaking powder, double acting
½teaspoonSalt
½cupButter
3tablespoonsCold water
1cupQuince paste, prepared
2tablespoonsQuince paste, prepared
Confectioner's sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and, working quickly, use your fingertips to rub the flour and fat together until they look like flakes of coarse meal. Add the water, a few teaspoonfuls at a time, and press and knead gently with your fingers until the dough can be gathered into a compact ball. If the dough seems crumbly, moisten it with a little more water to make the particles adhere.

On a floured surface roll out the dough into a large circle about ⅛ inch thick. With a 4 inch round cookie cutter (or a pot lid or plate and a pastry wheel), cut the dough into as many rounds as you can. Then gather the scraps into a small ball, reroll, and cut into similar rounds, continuing the process until all the dough has been used.

Place 1 tablespoon of quince paste in the center of each round.

Moisten the edges of the round with a finger dipped in water, fold the dough in half and press the edges firmly shut with your fingers.

Then seal them further by pressing the outside edges with the tines of a table fork. Place the cookies on one or two lightly greased cookie sheets, and bake in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. With a spatula, transfer the cookies to a cake rack to cool. Dust them lightly with confectioners sugar before serving.

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Source: Time Life Series: Latin American Cooking MMed by: earl.cravens@...

Submitted By EARL CRAVENS On 12-24-94