Last updated on March 30th, 2025 at 01:06 pm
Hey there, fellow baking enthusiasts! Today, I’m thrilled to share a delightful recipe that’s close to my heart: Guava Cream Cheese Tartlets. These little gems perfectly blend the tropical sweetness of guava with the creamy richness of cream cheese, all nestled in a buttery, flaky crust. Let’s get started with these easy, fruity treats that are sure to delight!
Ingredients for Guava Cream Cheese Tartlets:
For the Tartlet Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced
- Pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoons ice-cold water
For the Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup guava paste (Approximately! It’s hard to measure those bricks of guava paste.)
Instructions
Tartlet Crust:
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- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold diced butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Gradually add the ice-cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough comes together when pinched. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it into a ball. Flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cream Cheese Filling:
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- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and continue to beat until well combined.
- Slightly melt guava paste in the microwave to soften (I did about 30 seconds)
- Quickly beat guava paste in with cream cheese.
Assembly:
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- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- On a heavily floured surface, roll out the chilled tartlet dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use a round cookie cutter (I used the top of a round drinking glass) to cut out circles from the dough.
- Carefully press each circle of dough into the wells of a muffin pan
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- Fill each tartlet with about a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.
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Baking:
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- Bake the tartlets in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the crust has a gold ring around the edges and the cream cheese is set.
- Remove the tartlets from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pro Tips
- Handling Guava Paste: Guava paste can be quite sticky. Lightly oiling your knife can make slicing it easier. Also, try to move quickly when adding your guava paste to your cream cheese. You don’t want to heat it until it’s melted in the microwave, because that will make your tartlets hard. Instead, you just want your guava slightly softened so that it’s easier to beat into the cream cheese.
- Alternative Crusts: If you’re short on time, pre-made pie crusts or puff pastry can be used as a substitute for the homemade tartlet crust!
- Uniform Tartlets: Using a muffin tin ensures consistent sizes, but if you have tartlet pans, feel free to use them for a more traditional shape.
- Getting Circles for Crust: If you don’t have a circular cookie cutter for your crust, you can use a round drinking glass. That’s actually what I used!
FAQs
Q: Can I use fresh guava instead of guava paste?
A: Fresh guava has a different consistency and moisture content compared to guava paste. For this recipe, guava paste is recommended to achieve the desired texture and concentrated flavor.
Q: Where can I find guava paste?
A: Guava paste is often available in the international or Latin section of many grocery stores. It usually comes in blocks wrapped in plastic.
Q: Can these tartlets be made ahead of time?
A: Absolutely! These tartlets can be baked a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Q: How many tartlets does this recipe make?
A: The amount of tartlets you get with this recipe depends on how big your cupcake tins are (if you use those to help you get a nice round shape) and how generously you fill your crusts. Usually, I can get 11 or 12 tartlets out of one batch. If you have a large crowd to feed, you could consider doubling this recipe. Usually, the guava paste comes in blocks big enough for two batches, so really you would just need to double your crust recipe and buy an extra block of cream cheese.
I hope this recipe brings a touch of tropical sunshine to your kitchen. Happy baking!
Guava Cream Cheese Tartlets
Ingredients
For Tartlet Crust
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup buuter cold, cut into small chunks
- 1-2 Tbsp water cold
For Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup guava paste
Instructions
Make Tartlet Crust
- Put flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse until mixed together with no large chunks of butter.
- Add cold water one tablespoon at a time and pulse until the mixture is a doughy consistency.
- Flatten dough into a disk about one inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Make Filling
- Beat softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth.
- Slightly melt guava paste in the microwave and quickly beat into cream cheese mixture.
Assemble tartlets
- Preheat oven to 375°F, grease a muffin pan
- Roll out crust on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thick
- Cut the crust into circles about 3-4 inches in diameter (I used the top of a drinking glass)
- Place a circle of dough in each up cup of the greased muffin pan. Carefully press dough into the bottom of the cups.
- Fill each crust with filling until the filling is level with the top of the crust. Smooth with the back of a spoon.
- Bake tartlets for about 12-15 minutes, or until the top of the crusts are slightly golden. Do not over-bake, as it will dry out your filling.
- Let cool completely. Store chilled in the fridge.
