Pastelitos de Dulce de Leche

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Gather the ingredients.

2. Step 2

   Add the flour, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly.

3. Step 3

   Add the butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces and the cream cheese (also cut into pieces) to the bowl and pulse several times, just until mixture starts to come together.

4. Step 4

   Add the vanilla and pulse twice more briefly.

5. Step 5

   Turn dough mixture out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Bring dough together into a disc, wrap with plastic, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

6. Step 6

   Roll out dough on a floured surface, to a thickness of about 1/4 to 1/8 inches and cut into 2-inch squares with a sharp knife.

7. Step 7

   Place a small dab of dulce de leche (a little less than a teaspoon) on half of the squares.

8. Step 8

   To cover the squares with the dulce de leche, wet one finger and run it around the edge of the pastry dough with the dulce de leche.

9. Step 9

   Top it with another square of pastry, and pinch edges together, extending them slightly as you do.

10. Step 10

    Repeat until all of the pastries have "tops."

11. Step 11

    Take a sharp knife and trim the edges of the pastries slightly, so that they are perfect squares.

12. Step 12

    Chill pastries well, at least 1 hour.

13. Step 13

    Preheat oven to 350 F.

14. Step 14

    Mix cinnamon with the brown sugar.

15. Step 15

    Whisk the egg yolk with a teaspoon of water.

16. Step 16

    Press the edges of the chilled pastries together with the tines of a fork, being careful not to pierce the filling.

17. Step 17

    Brush the pastries with egg yolk and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.

18. Step 18

    Bake pastries for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.

19. Step 19

    Serve and enjoy!