It was my father-in-law’s birthday this weekend, so I jumped at the opportunity to create something delectable. My in-laws hail from tropical countries and have spent most of their lives here in Miami. So tropical fruit is the go-to treat in their household. So when I sent my birthday wishes I also asked if there was anything in particular he’d like on his special day. The request?
“Anything with guava in it.”
I have to admit I wasn’t exactly excited about this challenge, but I accepted it nonetheless. The “guava” that is so popular here is actually hardly guava at all. It’s actually more like a gelatinized guava-ish block of sugar that is usually served with a slice of cheese. It’s a real treat here that many people enjoy, and for good reason. The pair together is a unique and oddly delicious dessert that somehow just works. This block of sugar-guava, though, is the only guava experience I have had thus far. So I wasn’t quite sure how to even work with guava, what flavors it paired with, or (admittedly) what it even looked like in the whole fruit form.
So I went to the one place I knew (okay, assumed) had guava, Palacios de los Jugos, because, well, it’s about as tropical a place you can get without actually leaving the U.S. I filled a bag with the fragrant fruit and hoped that I had grabbed the right one (I Google-checked the fruit once I got home).
Luckily, I had grabbed the right fruit. From there, the rest was history. I wanted to mimic the traditional guava and cheese combo with a guava cheesecake, but raw-ified. It worked easily and made for a beautiful dessert. This was a lightly flavored cheesecake with a strong guava layer that tied everything together.
And if you live in any other part of the country (or non-tropical climate) and do not have access to guava, swap it out for raspberries or strawberries! Just as delicious and pretty.
Basic Crust:
a recipe
3 cups almonds, soaked
1 cup dates, soaked
2 T coconut oil
1 T vanilla
1 t sea salt
Pit and peel the dates. Put everything in a food processor and pulse until crumbly and sticky. Press into the bottom of an 8″ springform pan and set aside.
Basic Cheesecake Filling:
a recipe
3 cups cashews, soaked
1 lemon, juice and zest
3/4 cup maple syrup (non raw)
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
Up to a 1/4 cup of water, if necessary to facilitate blending
Place everything in a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Use the tamper to facilitate blending, as needed. Pour over the crust, smooth out with a spatula, and set in the freezer for an hour or so to set. It needs to be set enough to withstand the final guava layer.
Guava Filling:
a recipe
1 cup cashews
3 ripe guavas, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup maple syrup (non raw)
1/4 cup coconut oil
Blend everything in a high speed blender until smooth. Use a tamper as needed to help facilitate blending. Pour over the cheesecake layer and set in the freezer to set for a few hours.
I topped it with some coconut cream and shaved guava. It was creamy and the overall flavor was such a delicate balance between the cheesecake and the guava.
YUM! It is an incredibly dense dessert so share with (many) others. Or, cut the recipe in a half or by a third to make a smaller version.
have you been down to ROBERT IS HERE in homestead??? well…it puts palacio de los jugos to shame =) AMAZING fruit variety!! seriously, take a little "road trip" out there…and visit coral castle and some of the organic farms and vineyards while you're there too….and buy one of every fruit item that you're not familiar with. =D can get expensive if you do it but it's well worth the splurge! I would love to see what you could do with SAPODILLA (OMG)…and canestel, jackfruit, anon, etc. and their milkshakes rock too…my mom got a mango key lime milk shake that was to DIE for…and i got a smoothie with jackfruit and coconut and it was absolutely fabulous. and the line for smoothies/milkshakes = totally worth it.
….and if you're ever looking for a friend to share your amazing food with….let me know! I'll help buy and prepare if you want! lololol =D
I have been there!! And I definitely need to head back down there now that it is UNLIMITED FRUIT SEASON!!! I have been dying to stock up on jackfruit, as well, since it grows so abundantly here. And YES, if you're in the Miami area I'd love to have another fruity friend 🙂
This looks so delicious and satisfying! I'm also in Miami and hail from Cuba (guava loving folks)but was raised here. I can't wait to make and try this. Thank you!
is looking amazingly good cant wait to make and devour my birthday is coming good excuse to indulge