Guava Crisp Shortbread Bars Are Perfect for Tea Time

You know that traditional saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Well, that should actually be, “A guava a season keeps the doctor away all year”. Guava is highly rich in Vitamins A, B and C, dietary fiber, and essential minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium that strengthen your immune system and regulate your blood pressure. Guava is not only healthy, but it’s damn right delicious, too. Farah Shaikh from Foods for Better Health describes the fruit as, “a combination of pear and strawberry”. There’s no need to feel guilty about adding this tropical fruit to your daily diet.

Guava is a round- or pear-shaped tropical fruit that is usually light green, maroon or yellow in colour. It contains many hard seeds, which are safe to eat, or can be scooped away to enjoy the flesh of the fruit alone. But all don’t look the same inside—the meat is usually pink or off-white in colour. Common types grown in Trinidad are apple guava, strawberry guava, yellow-fruit cherry guava and red apple guava.

The health benefits of guava compile together to form quite an extensive list. Guava is one of the best weight loss snacks as it has no cholesterol or fat. It’s also low in carbs but high in fiber, which keeps you full for longer. Guavas contain less raw sugars than apples and grapes. Its high source of Vitamin A helps improve vision health and can even slow down the appearance of cataracts. Guava contains up to four times the amount of Vitamin C of one orange. The raw fruit contains an astringent that helps with digestive and bowl issues such and diarrhea and constipation. These astringents are alkaline in nature and contain anti-bacterial and disinfectant properties— that’s why fresh juice made from unripe guavas can help treat colds and coughs. It is also known to improve thyroid health since it’s high in copper, which is very important for hormone production and regulation.

To make these guava shortbread bars, you’ll need guava paste—and what better way to make it than at home? Fresh guava paste takes minutes to prepare and it’s one of the best ways to use up ripe or overripe guavas. Add as little or as much sugar as you’d like. Any leftovers can be smeared on a slice of toast as an alternative to store-bought jams that are packed with sugars and preservatives. Save this recipe—in the future, you can switch out guava for other fruits, like apples, pears or berries, to make different flavors of jam.

GUAVA PASTE

COOK TIME: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

•  8 guavas, ripe 
• ½ cup water 
• ¼ cup sugar (less or more, to taste) 
• ½ lime, juiced

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash guavas thoroughly and slice in half crosswise.
2. Place into a pot over medium heat with water and sugar.
3. Cook until the guavas are soft and then, place mixture into a blender and pulse until smooth.
4. Pass blended mixture through a sieve or fine mesh strainer to remove seeds.
5. Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

GUAVA CRISP SHORTBREAD BARS

PREP TIME: 20 mins
COOK TIME: 45 mins
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 5 mins

INGREDIENTS

• For the shortbread base:
  •  ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 
  • ¼ cup sugar
  •  ½ teaspoon salt
  •  1 cup all-purpose flour
• For the filling:
  • ¾ cup guava paste* (or substitute jam)
• For the crisp:
  •  ½ cup oats 
  • ½ cup flour
  •  ¾ cup brown sugar
  •  ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper. Allow the parchment to overlap on the sides for an easy lift out later. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix all the base ingredients until a well-combined soft dough forms.
3. Press the dough into the prepared pan until the bottom is covered evenly.
4. Spread the guava paste over the base until fully covered.
5. To make the crisp, combine oats, flour, brown sugar and salt together in a medium bowl.
6. Cut in butter by rubbing the flour mixture and butter between your fingers until it is mealy and resembles chunky crumbs.
7. Sprinkle the crisp over the guava filling.
8. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely.
10. Lift out the bars using parchment paper.
11. Cut into nine squares and serve as is, or with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.