Sweet guava paste paired with savory corn makes the perfect combo, even if it sounds a little weird, it couldn’t be better.
Guava paste is an ingredient that is used in many Cuban, Caribbean and South American recipes. This specialty ingredient, also known as goiabada or pasta de guayaba, is basically candied guava puree. It is made by cooking together guava fruit and sugar until it is very, very thick and then leaving the mixture to dry to remove excess moisture. This results in a paste that keeps well and is very flavorful. While the exact consistency of guava paste can vary from brand to brand – some are very dry and similar in texture to fruit leather, while others are more moist and slightly more jam-like, they are all thick enough to slice and serve. Guava paste, with its distinct and tropical flavor, is equally good in desserts as well as savory dishes.
If you like corn, chances are you are also a big fan of cornbread in its many interesting forms. I used to think that cornbread was so good it didn’t need anything extra thrown in the ‘mix’.
The beauty of cornbread is that it can take on so many different flavors. It can be sweet, savory or as spicy as you would like. Thanks to its simplicity, there are very few food items it wouldn’t pair with, so its limits of culinary creations are endless.
I can’t remember if there was ever a time I didn’t like corn. I love everything about it … the taste, the smell, how beautiful it looks growing in the garden and of course the memory of my mother’s cornbread straight from the oven. While these cookies aren’t necessarily a classic cornbread, they make a very interesting ‘dessert’.
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- 1/3 cup butter,
- 85 gm cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp orange juice
- 1 tsp orange extract
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 tsp anise seed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup guava paste
Ingredients
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- In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, orange juice & extract with an electric mixer.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, anise seed, baking powder & salt. Using a spatula, add to wet mixture & mix well. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls & arrange on baking sheet, leaving about 2-3-inches between cookies. Flour the end of the handle of a wooden spoon & make a well in the center of each cookie. Cut a few slices from the guava paste, about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into cubes. Place a piece of guava in the center of each cookie.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until very light golden. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.