Guava Cheese Tart

Submitted by Manami

"This is recipe by M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger which I found on joycesfinecookin.com. We "Latinos" love "guyaba con queso" in all shapes and forms. So here is a different twist to the favorite. I didn't allow for chilling times, as these may vary."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 35mins
• Ingredients: 7
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup grated panela cheese (check your Mexican and Caribbean food stores) or 1 cup dry-curd farmer cheese (check your Mexican and Caribbean food stores)
• 2 (1/2 lb) puff pastry sheet, each cut into a 12-inch circle
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2⁄3 cup guava paste or 2/3 cup other fruit jam, puree mixed with
• 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

directions

1. Place the cream cheese and panela or farmer cheese in a bowl and mix well with a spoon.
2. Line in a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place 1 of the puff pastry circles on the baking sheet.
4. Brush a 1" rim around the outside edge with some of the beaten egg.
5. Pat the cheese mixture into an 8" circle in the center and spread the guava paste or jam evenly over the top.
6. Fold the remaining piece of puff pastry in half and place over the first piece.
7. Unfold the pastry to enclose the filling, being careful not to trap air beneath.
8. Gently press the top and bottom edges together and refrigerate about 25 minutes, or until dough is thoroughly chilled.
9. Remove from refrigerator.
10. Working about 1-1/2" from the outside, firmly press the edges of pastry together with the tines of a fork to seal.
11. Then trim the excess dough, leaving an even 1" border of crust surrounding the filling.
12. With a sharp pairing knife, cut out and discard a 1/4" circle of dough from the center and press out any trapped air.
13. Then, making shallow cuts, trace 6-8 circular lines in a spiral pattern from the center hole to the inside edge of the sealed crust (if the dough gets too warm to work with, just return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to harden).
14. Mix the heavy cream, with the remaining beaten egg and brush over the top of the tart: cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.
15. To bake, preheat the oven to 450ºF.
16. Transfer the pan from the refrigerator to the oven and bake 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown on top.
17. Reduce the oven temp to 350ºF.
18. Bake until the jelly is bubbling and the bottom crust, when lifted with a spatulas, is browned, 30-40 minutes.
19. Set aside to cool on a rack up to 15 minutes.
20. Serve warm with whipped topping, if you choose.

Reviews

[LucyS-D]

Excellent, excellent, excellent. Try to use the guava paste because nothing else tastes like it. I used yogurt cheese for the cheeses since, as we know, the guava is the star. I don't know if I made the cutout right, but it came out so pretty anyway. Thanks for posting.