Recipe: Low Fat Guava and Cheese Empanadas (Empanadas de Guayaba y Queso)

LOW FAT GUAVA AND CHEESE EMPANADAS
(Empanadas de Guayaba y Queso)

"Fruit and cheese filling makes these empanadas a popular breakfast item and snack in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Light cream cheese keeps the fat content very low. Guava paste is a thick, ruby-colored, marmalade-like jelly used in many Latino desserts. The best brands are sold in flat cans in the canned fruit section of the supermarket. Or check the international section."

36 (3-inch) wonton wrappers or round Chinese ravioli wrappers
1 egg white, lightly beaten
4 ounces guava paste, cut into 36 small pieces
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, cut into 36 small pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Arrange a few wonton wrappers on a work surface. Lightly brush the edge of each wrapper with egg white. (The egg white helps make a tight seal.)

Place 1 piece of guava paste and 1 piece of cream cheese in the center and fold the wrapper in half to make a triangular pastry, or a half moon-shaped pastry if using round wrappers. Crimp the edges with a fork. Place the finished empanadas on the prepared baking sheet while you make the rest. Coat the tops of the empanadas with nonstick spray.

Bake, turning occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.

Makes 8 servings (36 pieces)
Source: Steven Raichlen's Healthy Latin Cooking by Steven Raichlen