For Latinos, guava and cream cheese go together like milk and cookies. One of my mother’s favorite after-dinner treats was eating canned guava shells over a slice of cream cheese. We also grew up eating guava paste over sliced cheese as a snack. So, I’m not sure why it never occurred to me until now to make guava cheesecake.
I used crushed Maria cookies for the crust, but you can also use graham crackers if you are unable to find Maria cookies in your area.
Melt the guava paste in the microwave with a little bit of rum (or water). I like to do this right before I start making the cheesecake batter. This way, it has a few minutes to cool so that you’re not adding bubbling hot guava paste to your batter.
As usual, I prefer to make my cheesecake batter in the blender. I have heard people say that this adds too many air bubbles and ruins the texture. That has never been my experience. Just be careful not to overmix.
After the batter is done, it’s 20 minutes of High Pressure and then 15 minutes of Natural Release to have a delicious guava cheesecake on your hands!
The addition of the guava gives the cheesecake a nice mauve color. My taste testers agreed that the guava flavor was noticeable in each bite. I call that a win!
Like with most cheesecakes, it is best to make the guava cheesecake at least one day before serving for best flavor.
Pressure Cooker Guava Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup crushed Maria cookies (or graham cracker crumbs)
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp sugar
For the Cheesecake:
- 1lb of cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 7oz guava paste
- 1 tablespoon rum (or water)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Mix the cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in a small bowl until all of the crumbs are moistened. Press onto the bottom of a greased 7in springform pan. Set aside, or pre-bake the crust if desired.
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the guava paste and the rum in the microwave in 20-second intervals on High until the paste has melted and resembles jam. Set aside.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend on until just combined. Add the melted guava paste and blend until no streaks of guava remain. Be careful not to overmix. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan.
Pour 1 cup of water in the liner of your electric pressure cooker. Place the springform pan on a trivet in the pressure cooker. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes. When the cooking time is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for an additional 15 minutes before you release any remaining pressure.
Remove the cheesecake from the pressure cooker and use paper towel to blot any excess moisture that collected on the cheesecake. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before unmolding and serving.
Makes 8 to 12 servings.