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1
Make the Pastry
10 Mins • Hands On
No heat
Rub the cold butter cubes into the flour and salt with your fingertips until the mix looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg and most of the cold water, and stir until a soft dough forms — add the last of the water only if the dough is dry.
Stop as soon as the dough comes together; overworking makes tough pastry.
Done when: A soft dough that holds together without cracking or sticking.
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2
Rest the Dough
30 Mins • Resting
Fridge, about 4°C (39°F)
Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes. The rest relaxes the gluten so the pastry rolls thin without shrinking back, and keeps the butter cold for a flaky fry.
Do not skip the rest — unrested dough shrinks and the squares turn into rounds.
Done when: The dough is firm, cold and relaxed.
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3
Cut and Fill the Squares
15 Mins • Hands On
No heat
Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 3 mm thick and cut 24 squares of about 8 cm. Put a cube of quince paste in the centre of 12 squares, brush the edges with water, and lay the remaining squares on top. Press the edges firmly, then pinch each corner upward to make the classic points.
Seal the edges well — a gap lets the filling leak into the oil and burn.
Done when: Twelve sealed parcels with four pinched points each.
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4
Fry Until Golden
15 Mins • Hands On
Oil at 180°C (350°F)
Heat the oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry the pastelitos in batches of 4, turning once, for about 2–3 minutes a side until deep golden and puffed. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Do not crowd the pan or the oil cools and the pastry goes greasy.
If the oil is too cool the pastelitos soak up fat; too hot and they brown before the filling melts.
Done when: Deep golden, puffed, crisp — the filling is soft when a corner is pressed.
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5
Make the Syrup
10 Mins • Hands On
Simmer, about 100°C (212°F)
While the pastelitos fry, simmer the sugar, 60 ml of water and the lemon juice for about 5 minutes until slightly syrupy. It should coat the back of a spoon — a thin syrup soaks in, a thick one sits in lumps.
Make the syrup while the first batch fries so it is warm when the pastelitos come out.
Done when: The syrup coats a spoon in a thin, clear layer.
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6
Glaze and Serve
5 Mins • Hands On
Serve warm, about 60°C (140°F)
Brush each hot pastelito generously with the warm syrup and scatter the sprinkles over the top while the syrup is still wet. Serve within the hour, while the pastry is crisp and the quince filling is soft and warm.
Glaze while the pastelitos are hot — cold pastry does not take the syrup.
Done when: Glossy, sticky tops with sprinkles set in the syrup.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Brush the hot pastelitos with warm syrup, scatter the sprinkles over the top, and serve within the hour while the pastry is still crisp and the filling soft.
Argentina
1h 25m
