Pastes Dulces de Hidalgo (Arroz con Leche y Pina)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy saucepan for arroz con leche
• •Wide skillet for pineapple filling
• •Rolling pin
• •Two rimmed baking sheets
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in the cold manteca de cerdo and butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand with some pea-size pieces left. Add the ice water little by little, mixing only until the dough holds together when pressed. Do not knead it like bread. A paste needs a sturdy short crust, not a tough one.

2. 2

   Rest the dough

   Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, flatten each into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. Cold fat is what gives the crust its bite. If the dough warms up, the lard smears into the flour and the paste bakes heavy.

3. 3

   Cook the rice filling

   Combine the rinsed rice, whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, canela stick, lime peel, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is tender and the mixture is thick enough to mound on a spoon. Remove the canela and lime peel, then stir in the vanilla. Taste it. Add the extra sugar only if the milk needs it. Cool completely.

4. 4

   Cook the pineapple filling

   Put the diced pineapple, piloncillo, canela stick, and lime juice in a wide skillet. Cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often, until the pineapple turns glossy and the syrup thickens. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2 minutes more, until the filling looks jammy, not loose. Remove the canela and cool completely. Watery pina breaks the paste. No me vengas con atajos.

5. 5

   Roll the rounds

   Heat the oven to 375F. Roll each chilled dough disk on a lightly floured table into a 6-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Keep the other disks cold while you work. If the edges crack, let the dough sit for two minutes and roll again. If it gets sticky, it is too warm.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Place 2 heaping tablespoons of arroz con leche on half of 6 rounds and 2 heaping tablespoons of pina on half of the other 6 rounds, leaving a clean border. Fold the dough over into a half-moon. Press the edges firmly, then braid the edge by folding small sections over themselves from one end to the other. That repulgue is Hidalgo's signature on the table. It seals the filling and gives the paste its shape.

7. 7

   Brush and vent

   Set the pastes on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush lightly with the beaten egg and milk. Cut one tiny slit near the top of each paste so pressure can escape. Do not slash them wide open. You are making pastes, not showing off the filling.

8. 8

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the crust is firm, golden at the edges, and lightly browned over the braid. A little filling may bubble at the vent. That is fine. Filling leaking from the seam means it was too wet or the braid was careless. Now you know.

9. 9

   Cool before eating

   Let the pastes cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move them to a rack. The fillings are hotter than they look and need time to settle. Serve warm or at room temperature with cafe de olla. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Use Mexican canela, the soft, flaky cinnamon sold in mercados, not hard cassia sticks if you can avoid it. Canela perfumes the milk without bullying it.
• •Fresh pineapple matters. Canned pineapple is already soft and wet, and it makes a flat filling. If the fresh pineapple at the market smells like nothing, buy another fruit or make only arroz con leche that day.
• •The filling must be cold before it touches the dough. Warm filling melts the lard in the crust and gives you a greasy paste.
• •These are not empanadas in Hidalgo. They are pastes. The difference is history, shape, dough, and the braided edge. Preguntale a las senoras del mercado.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated, tightly wrapped.
• •Both fillings can be made 2 days ahead. Keep them cold and covered until assembly.
• •Baked pastes keep 2 days at room temperature in a covered container. Rewarm in a 325F oven for 8 to 10 minutes so the crust firms again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 190g)