Warm, flaky pastry with sweet and sour guava paste: nothing beats this mix to cheer you up once back home after the long Holiday Season.
By Carla Spuri
I remember being in my grandparents’ kitchen at breakfast time perched on a chair and my eyes fixed on the small toaster oven: I knew what was about to come out of it and I knew I was going to love it. Steaming rolls of pastry encased a rich and sweet guava filling that would have been enhanced with a slice of queso fresco – It was the best breakfast I could be served as a child and it still ranks as one of my favourite treats. One that I love making to mark special occasions, this will be making an appearance at my breakfast table throughout January to give our day a touch of home and scare away the feelings of longing for another Holiday season with loved ones. 
Home warming Guava Cannons (Cañones de Guayaba)
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Warm, flaky pastry and sweet and sour guava paste: nothing beats this mix to cheer you up once back home after the long Holiday Season.
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1/3 cup (75gr) vegetable shortening
- ½ cup (100gr) butter
- 2 cups (225gr) all-purpose flour
- Pinch salt
- ½ – 1 cup cold water
For the filling
- 300gr good guava paste
Instructions
- Place the butter and the lard in the freezer as they need to be rock hard before they’re mixed with the other ingredients.
- Meanwhile sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Take the butter and lard out of the freezer, open it up and use some of the foil to hold the end with, dip in the flour and grate it on a coarse grater placed in the bowl over the flour.
- Use a palette knife or wooden spoon to mix the grated butter and lard with the flour (don’t use your hands) until the mixture is crumbly.
- Add enough cold water to form a dough that leaves the bowl clean, using your hands to bring it all gently together.
- Wrap the dough in cling film or put it in a plastic bag and chill it for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to form an oblong (as thin as you can), cut it into three strips and divide the sausage mix into three parts too, making three long rolls the same length as the strips of pastry.
- Spread two tbsp of guava paste per strip.
- Brush the egg along one edge, fold the pastry over and seal it as carefully as possible.
- Lift the roll up and turn it so the sealed edge is underneath.
- Press lightly, cut into individual rolls of about 15cm each and brush with beaten egg.
- Repeat until you have ran out of pastry and guava paste.
- Place the rolls in a buttered baking tray and cook at 180C (gas mark 5) for 30 minutes.
- Once ready, cut lengthwise and add a little piece of queso fresco if you want.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
