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Guava Cream Cheese Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 66 reviews

These Guava Cream Cheese Cookies are soft, buttery delights featuring a creamy tangy cream cheese dough with a sweet, tropical guava center. Perfectly tender with a hint of almond and vanilla, they are dusted with confectioners’ sugar for a lovely finish, ideal for an elegant tea-time treat or festive occasion.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Filling and Garnish

  • 2 oz guava paste, or guava marmalade/jam
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside to ensure even distribution and activation of leavening.
  2. Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the unsalted butter and beat until fully combined. Incorporate the sugar and beat until creamy. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, mixing thoroughly to combine.
  3. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, continuing to beat until a cohesive cookie dough forms. Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours to firm up and develop flavors.
  4. Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
  5. Shape Cookies: Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into balls approximately 1 to 1.5 tablespoons in size. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart. Using the back of a spoon or your thumb, create an indent in the center of each dough ball. Freeze the shaped cookies for 10 minutes to set their shape for baking.
  6. Prepare Guava Filling: Warm the guava paste in a bowl by microwaving at 20-second intervals, stirring in between until it becomes loose and gooey.
  7. Fill and Bake: Remove the cookies from the freezer and spoon approximately ½ teaspoon of the warmed guava paste into the center indent of each cookie. Bake in the preheated oven for 13-16 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned on the sides and the bottoms have a golden hue.
  8. Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving to add a delicate sweetness and elegant appearance.

Notes

  • Chilling the dough not only firms it for easier shaping but enhances flavor and texture.
  • Freezing the shaped dough balls before baking helps maintain their shape and prevents spreading.
  • If guava paste is too firm, warming it gently makes it easier to spoon into the cookies.
  • These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or refrigerated for up to a week.
  • Use full-fat cream cheese for best texture and flavor; reduced-fat versions may alter the cookie consistency.

Keywords: Guava cookies, Cream cheese cookies, Latin American dessert, Guava paste cookies, Soft cookies, Holiday cookies

Find it online: https://islawhite.com/guava-cream-cheese-cookies-recipe/