I’m not sure what it is with winter months but I cannot stop eating cream cheese! I’ve been using it for enchiladas, tea sandwiches, pumpkin butter cream cheese toasts… and now these Guava Cream Cheese Cookies! I love that these cookies are as my best friend said, “surprisingly very soft, I was not expecting that.” Flavor wise, they aren’t too sweet and the hints of cream cheese really come through. The guava paste adds that bit of sweetness and texture to otherwise pillow-soft cookies which makes these ridiculously addicting. The cookie is absolutely scrumptious, you won’t be able to stop reaching for the next one. They’re great for Christmas, cookie boxes, or taking to potlucks since this recipe makes 30-35 cookies. It’s perfect for sharing! If you don’t want a massive batch of guava cookies, readers have also commented that they filled half the batch of cream cheese cookies with lemon curd or other jams.
What is the Guava Cheese Combo?
My intense love for guava stems from Maaza Guava Juice my parents always picked up at the Indian store. That stuff was gone within a few hours to be quite frank. Close to half of the world’s guava is grown in India. Whenever we visit India, I make sure to pick a few fresh guavas straight off the tree for a snack with fruit masala. And then I discovered the guava and cheese combo while in Miami a few years ago. It’s usually guava paste combined with a white cheese, like mozzarella or cream cheese in baked goods. Funnily enough, if you say “guava cheese” in India, you’re most likely referring to Goan guava paste or fudge made from fresh guavas which is enjoyed as a candy. It’s very common to find guava and white cheese products in Caribbean and Latin American countries. Check out my Guava Cheese Pop Tarts for more on the iconic guayaba y queso duo! You can also pair these cookies with a tropical Guava Sangria!
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
Flour - Use sifted all-purpose flour. Cream cheese - High quality full fat cream cheese is a must here! Don’t use low fat or whipped cream cheese. Be sure to let it come to room temperature. Guava Paste - The guava paste can admittedly be difficult to work with. It’s easier to manipulate when it’s warm, but it can still be sticky. You can also use guava jam! Baking Powder - This is our leavening agent for these cookies so they’re nice and fluffy. Extracts - We’re using both almond extract and vanilla extract. I use more almond extract, because I think it’s delicious with cream cheese and guava. But you can choose to use more vanilla extract. Butter - If you use salted butter, be sure to leave out the extra added salt.
How to make Guava Thumbprint Cookies
To make this recipe, start with room temperature ingredients. This recipe has a chill time of 2 hours minimum, so plan accordingly. Combine the dry ingredients. Sift the all-purpose flour into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Beat together the wet ingredients. Use room temperature ingredients. Beat together the cream cheese with the butter until it’s smooth. Then add in the sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Chill the dough. The cookie dough needs to chill for a minimum of two hours. This makes the dough easier to work with and prevents spreading. Roll and indent the cookies. Roll about one tablespoon of dough into a ball. If the dough is too soft, lightly coat your hands in powdered sugar or dampen your hands. Use the back of a measuring tablespoon or your thumb to create an indent in the middle. Spoon in guava. Warm it up to loosen the paste (add some water and mix if necessary) or directly spoon about half a teaspoon of paste into the center of the cookie. I find that piping in the warmed paste is a bit easier as well. Chill the cookie in the freezer for about 10 minutes if the dough is too soft. (Optional) for plain cream cheese cookies, leave out the guava and skip the indent. Bake. Leave a few inches between the cookies on the parchment paper. They shouldn’t spread too much since we chilled them. Bake them at 350°F for about 15 minutes, but monitor for when they are lightly brown on the edges and browned on the bottom. Serve. Allow the guava cookies to cool before serving them. The guava paste will be gooey and scorching hot, but will eventually set. Dust them with powdered sugar or make a cream cheese glaze to drizzle.
Tips for this Recipe
Spoon and level flour. It’s so important to spoon and level your flour for this recipe instead of packing it in. Too much flour and you’ll end up with cookies that taste like straight flour. To do this, spoon your flour into your measuring cup and then use a knife to level it off. Moist cookies. Use room temperature cream cheese and butter to get started with. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so you don’t have any streaks. Almond vs. vanilla extract. I recommend using a majority of almond extract with only a fraction of vanilla extract in this recipe because I love how it tastes with the guava. Feel free to play around with your favorite extracts or even add some lemon zest. Sticky dough. The dough is very sticky to work with. Take into account the chilling period which helps roll the dough between your hands. If it’s too wet, you can cover your hands with powdered sugar or dampen them to ease the rolling. If the cookies soften too much, throw them in the freezer for a short burst. Working with thick guava paste. Guava paste is quite thick to work with. Spoon it the best you can into the center of the cookie and let it melt from the heat of the oven. I prefer to warm it up in 30 second intervals in the microwave until it softens. Or, substitute the paste with guava marmalade or jam instead.
Storage Instructions
Any products with cream cheese should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You can store these cookies in a container on the counter at room temperature for up to three days. These cookies are best fresh and warm. But you can freeze them! To freeze the cookie dough: To freeze the baked cookies, transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Cookie Recipes to try
Recipe
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