Guava Cheese Pop Tarts

The smell of guava always takes me back to my abuela's kitchen in Miami, where she'd keep guava paste tucked away in the pantry for special occasions. I never thought to combine it with cream cheese until I was experimenting one rainy Sunday afternoon, trying to recreate those breakfast pastries we'd buy from the Cuban bakery down the street. When I pulled that first batch from the oven, the pink glaze dripping down the sides, I knew I'd stumbled onto something that felt both nostalgic and entirely new. Now they're the most requested thing in my house, disappearing faster than I can make them.

Last winter, my neighbor Sarah smelled these baking through our shared apartment wall and actually knocked on my door to investigate. We ended up eating them warm from the oven with coffee while watching snow fall outside, and she made me promise to teach her how to make them for her daughter's birthday. There's something about that guava and cream cheese combination that makes people feel at home, even if they've never tried it before.

Ingredients

• All purpose flour: The foundation of your pastry, providing structure while staying tender
• Cold unsalted butter: Absolutely crucial for those flaky layers, keep it ice cold until you need it
• Ice water: Helps bring the dough together without making it tough
• Guava paste: The star of the show, thick and concentrated sweetness that intensifies when baked
• Cream cheese: Balances the guava's sweetness with creamy tang
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens both the filling and creates that perfect glossy glaze
• Milk: Thins the glaze to just the right pouring consistency

Instructions

Prepare your pastry dough:

Whisk together your flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, then work in that cold butter until you see pea sized bits scattered throughout. The butter should stay visible, those are your flavor pockets.

Bring it together:

Drizzle in ice water a little at a time, tossing gently with your hands until the dough just holds together when squeezed. Divide it in half, press into disks, wrap tightly, and let rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make the creamy filling:

Beat your softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside while you roll out the dough.

Roll and cut:

On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk to about 1/8 inch thickness, keeping it rectangular if possible. Cut into 8 rectangles roughly 3 by 4 inches each.

Fill and assemble:

Place a teaspoon of guava paste and a teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of 4 rectangles, leaving a clean border around the edges. Brush the border with beaten egg, top with remaining rectangles, and crimp edges thoroughly with a fork.

Chill and prep:

Transfer assembled pop tarts to a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes while you preheat oven to 375 degrees. This chilling step keeps them from spreading too much.

Bake to golden perfection:

Brush tops with egg wash, prick a few times with a fork to vent steam, and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until deeply golden brown. Let cool completely before glazing.

Make the glaze:

Whisk powdered sugar with milk and vanilla until smooth and pourable, adding more liquid if needed. Tint with food coloring if desired, then drizzle generously over cooled pop tarts.

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My daughter now requests these for her school birthday treat every year, and I've started making double batches just to keep up. There's something magical about pulling that tray from the oven, the pastry puffed and golden, filling bubbling slightly at the edges. It's become more than just a recipe in our house.

Making Ahead

You can assemble the entire pop tarts, freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake them frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time. They'll taste just as fresh as the day you made them.

Storage Tips

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, though they rarely last that long in my house. For longer storage, refrigerate them and bring to room temperature before eating, or warm slightly in the oven to recrisp the pastry.

Serving Suggestions

These are perfect alongside a strong cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk. For a breakfast spread, serve them with fresh fruit and maybe some scrambled eggs to balance the sweetness. They're also incredible broken up over vanilla ice cream for dessert.

• Serve them warm if possible, the filling gets wonderfully gooey
• Sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for extra crunch
• Try them with apricot or strawberry jam if guava paste is hard to find

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There's nothing quite like biting into a warm, freshly baked guava cheese pop tart, the flaky pastry giving way to that sweet tangy filling. I hope these become as special in your kitchen as they've become in mine.

FAQs About This Recipe

→ Can I use fresh guava instead of paste?

Fresh guava contains too much water and will make the pastry soggy. Guava paste or thick jam provides the concentrated sweetness and proper consistency needed for the filling.

→ How do I store these pastries?

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze unglazed pastries for up to 3 months and thaw before glazing.

→ Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, prepare the dough and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and filling.

→ What other fruit fillings work well?

Strawberry, apricot, mango, or pineapple preserves pair beautifully with the cream cheese filling. Choose thick, high-quality jams for best results.

→ Why must I chill the dough?

Chilling relaxes the gluten and keeps the butter cold, ensuring flaky layers. Skipping this step results in tough, shrinkage-prone pastry.

→ Can I bake these without the glaze?

Absolutely. The glaze adds sweetness but is optional. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking for a simple finish.