GUAVA BITE-SIZED TARTS

GUAVA BITES. Cause what do you do with guavas?

First thing first, SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR WHEN YOUR GUAVAS ARE RIPE. Under ripened guavas won’t work as well.

I recently went to the grocery store looking to make some sort of fig bite for cocktails with a girlfriend. Fingers crossed that they would have them right at the beginning of fig season, I was not surprised that they weren’t there. In their place was a box of 12 guava. Challenge accepted! To be transparent, I kind of made up this recipe as I was going (taking notes the whole time) but really liked how they came out so I had to share! I haven’t had many experiences with guava but got a few comments and messages on Instagram with both recipe ideas and what to expect texturally. I was surprised to find that most of the seeds inside the guava will soften so much that I don’t notice them while a sporadic few (like 1-3 in each guava) will be harder. It caught me off guard. That said, my friend and I both loved them. My husband who doesn’t love fruits with seeds because they can stick in your teeth—raspberries, blackberries, you get it—wasn’t a fan. So, if you’re like him, this recipe isn’t for you. If you’re like me, this is different which makes it exciting and fun—ENJOY!

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GUAVA BITE-SIZED TARTS

Yield: 12 Bites

Author: Michelle Williams

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

• Guava (12 ripe guavas)
• Unsalted Butter (1 tablespoons, melted)
• White Sugar (2 tablespoons plus roughly 1 additional tablespoon to brulee)
• All-Purpose Flour (roughly 1 tablespoon for lightly dusting your work surface)
• Puff Pastry Dough (1 Sheet. I used Pepperidge Farm's puff pastry dough)
• Egg (1)
• Water (1 tablespoon)
• Wildflower Honey (enough for a drizzle to your liking)
• Walnuts (1 teaspoon finely chopped)
• Fresh Mint Leaves (5, chiffonade—aka sliced into ribbon-like strips)
• Coarse Salt

KITCHEN ITEMS

• Cutting Board
• Chefs Knife
• Pinch Bowls (2)
• Mini Muffin Pan
• Rolling Pin
• Round 2 Inch Cookie Cutter (you're looking for rounds that are a little bigger than your mini muffin tin holes)
• Small Mixing Bowl
• Pastry Brush
• Butter Knife
• Baking Sheet
• Kitchen Torch

Instructions

TO PREP YOUR GUAVAS

1. Preheat your oven to 400º.
2. On your cutting board, cut the top off of your guava to its seeds. Then slice a smaller piece off of the bottom of your guava to keep it from rocking when sitting on your cutting board.
3. Pour your melted butter in one pinch bowl and 2 tablespoons of sugar in your other pinch bowl. Place them, your mini muffin pan, and guavas in front of you.
4. Dip the seed revealed side of your guava into your melted butter. Then dip that buttered section into your sugar (using the butter as a glue). Place your guava sugar-side-down into a hole in your mini muffin pan.
5. Repeat this process to all 12 of your guavas. Then set your muffin pan aside.

TO PREP YOUR DOUGH

1. Dust your work area and rolling pin with flour.
2. Lay your puff pastry sheet on your floured surface.
3. Roll it out until it’s 1/4 inch thick.
4. Use your cookie cutter to cut out 12 circles (one for each guava in case you’re making a different sized batch). Discard any excess dough.
5. One-by-one, lay a dough circle over each guava in your mini muffin pan and tuck its edges around each guava inside of the mini muffin pan’s hole. No dough should be touching the outside flat area of your mini muffin pan.
6. In your small mixing bowl, mix together your egg and tablespoon of water (room temperature water is best) to make your egg wash.
7. Use your pastry brush to brush your egg wash lightly over any visible part of your puff pastry dough.

TO BAKE YOUR BITES

1. Bake for 15 minutes.
2. Take your bites out of the oven and let them sit untouched for 5 minutes. During this time, lower your oven’s temperature to 350º.
3. Use your butter knife to go around the edges of your pastries to dislodge them from the pan. You will see or feel some jelly. This is normal, it’s coming from the inside of the guava melting and becoming juicy and sticky.
4. Transfer your bites to your baking sheet, pastry side down.
5. Bake until there is no rawness in your dough—about 15 minutes. The juices from the guava will add moisture to your dough causing it to need more time to bake.

TO FINISH YOUR BITES

1. Still on your baking sheet (out of the oven), sprinkle a visible thin flat coating of sugar over the top visibly cut part of each of your guavas.
2. Holding your torch about 6 inches away from your guavas, burn the sugar until you get a bit of browning and bubbling—it is about 1-2 SECONDS over each.
3. Transfer your guava bites to a serving plate.
4. Drizzle honey to your liking over your bites.
5. Sprinkle your walnuts, mint, and coarse salt over them.
6. Serve warm!

Did you make this recipe?

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