Our antepasados (ancestors) were resilient and resourceful in preserving and using vegetables and fruit for winter and spring seasons when they are not available.
One of the processes of preserving the fruit bounty of the fall was to peel apples and pears and slice them across the fruit after removing the cores to form rueditas (small circles), or to slice vertically near the core to form four fruit quarters that were then placed flat and sliced through into semi-C shapes likened to an the shape of an ear.
Some referred to this dried fruit as orejo’n (large ear). Apricots were also pitted, opened into two halves and laid flat to sun dry. Sun drying rendered these fruit slices to a slightly wrinkled form that appeared like the curves of an ear, probably contributing to the orejo’n reference.
These sun-dried fruits were the basis for mothers’ baking a Christmas dessert known as pastelitos that are so delicious, they are eagerly anticipated by families, well wishers and visitors alike.
Let’s start the preparation of these traditional pastelitos.
1. Use a knife to cut 2½ cups of dried apples, apricots, plums, nectarines, peaches or any other dried fruit on hand into one-inch pieces.
2. Add 2½ cups of water to a two-quart sauce pan and bring to a boil.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the dried fruit into the water and steep for 5-10 minutes.
4. Take a potato masher and moderately mash the rehydrated fruit, making sure not to render it into a sauce consistency. Leave small pieces for texture.
5. Place the pot/mashed fruit mixture back on stove over low heat. Add one cup sugar, or 1½ cups to sweeten the fruit to taste.
6. Stir the fruit-sugar mixture and stir in 1½ teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/3 teaspoon of nutmeg and ½ teaspoon of clove.
7. After three minutes of stirring, remove from heat and let the mixture to cool.
8. Prepare and roll out a sheet of homemade pastry or commercial pastry. Use a smaller commercial cutter to cut pastry circles. Fill half a circle with the fruit mixture, then fold in half and crimp to seal the edges. Repeat for other circles.
9. Place the pastelitos on a baking dish, snip three venting slots at the tops of each pastelito and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle sugar atop each pastelito.
10. Place in an oven at 380 degrees until golden brown. Remove from the baking dish and set to cool on a cooling screen or parchment paper.
Carmen, El Vecino’s wife, loves to use dried Damson plums and dried apricots for her family’s pastelitos. But any combination of dried fruits will do. Carmen loves seeing her grandson Lucas and granddaughter Lilly enjoy her pastelitos. It warms her heart.
Nothing says Merry Christmas with a gastronomical delight like traditional pastelitos.