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Cascos de guayaba con queso
Cascos de guayaba: guava shells poached in syrup with salty white cheese
On Cuban tables from Havana to Pinar del Río, the most loved dessert is also one of the simplest: guava halves, scooped of their seeds and simmered in syrup until glossy and tender, served beside a slab of salty white cheese. The sweet, perfumed fruit and the sharp cheese balance each other perfectly. Cooks often overcook the shells until they fall apart; they should still hold their cup shape. Queso blanco and cream cheese are usually made with animal rennet or microbial enzymes depending on the maker, so check the label and choose a vegetarian one if needed. Chef's tip: simmer the scooped-out seeds and pulp in a little water, sieve them and add that purée to the syrup, which gives it a deep pink colour and real guava flavour.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb firm ripe guavasabout 12
- 12 ½ oz sugar
- 3 ¼ cups waterdivided
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 9 oz queso blanco or cream cheesechilled, sliced; vegetarian if needed
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Peel 2 ¼ lb firm ripe guavas thinly, halve them and scoop out the seedy centres with a teaspoon, leaving thick shells. Keep the pulp.
20 minStep 2: Simmer the pulp with 250 ml of 1 cup water for 5 minutes, then press it through a sieve and discard the seeds.
6 minStep 3: Put 12 ½ oz sugar, the rest of 2 cups water, 1 cinnamon stick and the sieved pulp in a wide pan and bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Step 4: Add the guava shells in one layer and simmer gently, uncovered, for 40–50 minutes, until the shells are tender and translucent and the syrup is thick and pink. Turn them once halfway.
45 minStep 5: Stir in 1 tbsp lime juice, cool, then chill in the syrup. Serve two or three shells with syrup beside slices of 9 oz queso blanco or cream cheese. Keeps a week in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cascos de guayaba con queso take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
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