I first learned about Cuban food as a young child: My Aunt Mildred and her husband Al, who worked for an American company, lived a golden life on the island until Fidel Castro’s revolution brought them back to the United States in 1959. They returned with exotic dishes like black bean soup, arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), and picadillo, a wonder of lightly spiced ground beef with olives and raisins.
Guava Mandelbrot
March 29, 2021
Ingredients
- 3large eggs
- 1cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
- ¾cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1teaspoon vanilla
- ¼cup orange juice
- 4 ¾to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2teaspoons baking powder
- ½teaspoon salt
- 2cups guava paste
- ½cup almonds, finely chopped in a food processor
- ½cup walnuts, finely chopped in a food processor
- ½teaspoon cinnamon
Yield: about 48 pieces
Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Step 2
Put the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until combined. Add 3/4 cup vegetable oil, the vanilla, and orange juice, beating well after each addition.
- Step 3
Mix 4 3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl, then gradually add to the wet mixture, mixing on medium speed or with a wooden spoon until it forms a soft dough, adding more flour if necessary. Lightly flour your work surface, then divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out each into a circle about 1/8-inch thick and 12 inches in diameter.
- Step 4
Using a spatula, spread about 1/2 cup of the guava paste over the dough, a little thicker than you would spread jam for a sandwich, leaving a 1/2-inch border. If the paste is difficult to spread, soften it in a food processor fitted with the steel blade (you can also soften it in the microwave or a small saucepan, but you don’t want the jam to become liquid).
- Step 5
Stir together the almonds and walnuts, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of the nuts over the circle. Roll the dough up lengthwise into a tight jelly roll, fold the ends under, and put on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with the other 3 portions of dough, leaving about 1 teaspoon of the nuts.
- Step 6
Brush the rolls with oil. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of nuts over the rolls, then mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle over all.
- Step 7
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the mandelbrot from the oven. Using a sharp, heavy knife, slice diagonally three-quarters of the way through into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Don’t worry if the top crumbles slightly. Return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden. Remove again, wait until cool enough to handle, and slice through completely.