Directly from tropical Cuba, Guavas & Cream Cheese is a unique dessert. Don’t know about you, but I wasn’t aware of this dessert until I discovered Cuban cuisine.
The fresh guavas are stewed with sugar and topped with cream cheese in individual serving bowls. It’s as easy as that!
Make this unique dessert and it’ll be the hit of your next dinner party – Buen Provecho.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients:
8 to 12 ripe guavas
1 to 1-1/2 cups water
1 cup unbleached, granulated sugar
6 ounces whipped cream cheese
6 to 8 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
1. Wash and dry the guavas.
2. Cut each guava in half; remove and discard inner pulp and seeds.
3. Place the guava halves, hollow or concave sides-up, in an 8-quart sauce pot.
4. Cover the guavas with enough water so that it rises up the fruit halfway.
5. Bring them to a boil and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the guavas.
7. Cook on low heat, uncovered, until sugar has turned into a thick syrup. Cool completely.
To assemble:
1. Place 4 guava halves in each individual glass or porcelain serving bowl.
2. Divide the cooled syrup evenly among each serving.
3. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. At serving time, add 1 teaspoon whipped cream cheese to each guava half. Garnish mint leaves.
Text & Photograph ©2012 Nancy DeLucia Real
Nancy DeLucia Real is an art historian and chef. She has led culinary courses at the Italian Cultural Institute, The Getty Center and The Getty Villa and is a former member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Nancy's gastronomy training took place in the heart of Italy under the tutelage of her grandmother. She has taught international cuisine at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table Stores. Nancy's art history & culinary courses are ongoing at various institutions. She also teaches private cooking classes. 
