Pastit (Papaya Turnover)

Description

A candied papaya filling in a crust. This was something my mom made daily when I was growing up. It was the most requested Saipan, MP pastry. Even though she didn’t have the chance to pass it on to us, I used my past experience and made this Chamorro concoction.

Ingredients

  • 2 unripe papayas – peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into cubes
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon
  • 1 (15 ounce) package pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie
  • 1 egg yolk, beaten

Instructions

  1. Place the papaya cubes in a blender
  2. a few at a time; blend until shredded.
  3. Combine 2 cups shredded papaya
  4. white sugar
  5. brown sugar
  6. and salt in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until sugars dissolve
  7. about 5 minutes. Stir cinnamon into papaya mixture and remove saucepan from heat. Drain juice from papaya mixture using a strainer.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
  9. Roll pie crusts on a work surface and cut out twenty-four 4-inch circles using a biscuit cutter or a cup. Spoon a small spoonful of papaya mixture into the center of each circle. Fold each circle in half over the papaya
  10. creating a half-circle. Press the edges together using a fork and poke the top for ventilation. Place turnovers 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  11. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Brush the top of each turnover with egg yolk and continue baking until golden brown
  12. about 15 minutes more.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Servings: 24

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