A TASTE OF PARADISE

It's a special day because it's the day a wonderful person was born!  A person I'm pleased to call a friend.  Lisel and I share a special bond because of our children.  We were pregnant with our daughters together.  We celebrate milestones in our and their lives.  She's just a fun and vibrant person to be around. 

So, in honor of her special day, I wanted to make a sweet treat to remind her of her childhood.  At the request of the birthday girl (thanks for the Post Lis) some really awesome Guava Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting were born!

As usual, it started with finding just the right recipe.  The cream cheese frosting from the carrot cake cupcakes is my new favorite, so it was a natural choice for these cupcakes.  As for the cupcake recipe, my search of the web found that there are lots of recipes with guava paste, guava filling, and pretty guava decorations, but I wanted something that had the guava flavor throughout.  So, when I happened upon a recipe that called for guava jam in the batter, I knew it was the one.  To make sure they're extra flavorful, I decided to put a bit of guava paste in the center and on top.  THAT should do it!

I've seen guava in the ethnic foods section of the grocery store, but I've never worked with ANY form: paste, jam, nothing!.  As expected, standing in front of the shelves of foods that I only get in restaurants, there were quite a few options.  I found a funny looking can of paste and, in a method similar to how I select my wines, the packaging was the deciding factor!  Instead of guava jam, there was guava preserves, which looked like it would do the trick. 

After I made it home with everything I needed, I mixed up the batter.  I filled about 1/2 of the cup with batter and placed a slice of the guava paste.

I was anxious to find out how they would turn out.  From the taste of the batter and the aroma during baking, I knew they just HAD to be wonderful.  Just seeing them sitting there cooling on the rack it was hard to resist.  But I did....



They finally cooled and I frosted them and topped them with the extra punch of a piece of the guava paste.  They were done! 

I just had to try one.  So Phil and I shared.  The cake is sweet and moist (similar to the effect of applesauce).  The piece of paste in the center makes it ooey, gooey and sweet!  It's another keeper! 

I was so excited for the morning when I could get the cupcakes to Lisel.  This morning I showed up at 7am at her door.  Ian greeted me, all dressed in his school uniform.  He and Emma were having breakfast.  The Birthday Girl was still getting ready.  I think she was surprised and I know she was thankful.  I'm thankful...for all the great people in my life: friends and family; friends that are like family.

Take a chance and do something unusual during the middle of the week to make the week extra special for someone else.

Angie

Now for the recipe...

 

Guava Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1/3 c. guava preserves
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. Milk
• 5 oz. guava paste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
• In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and preserves until fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
• Add vanilla, and mix well.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and milk in three additions, scraping down the bowl after each. Mix until just combined (be careful not to overmix).
• In a cupcake paper-lined muffin pan, fill each muffin cup 1/2 full with batter.  Place a piece of guava paste in the center.  Add additional batter, covering the piece of guava paste, and fill cup to 3/4 full.
• Cook for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Rotate pan halfway through. 
• Let cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks.
• When the cupcakes are cool, top with Cream Cheese Frosting (see LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN) and serve.

 The recipe says it makes 18 cupcakes.  For me there were 15.