I am an absolute sucker for lemon bars. They are so tart and so sweet at the same time– and then a bit creamy and buttery, too. Oh m’ gosh, my mouth is watering something fierce now. Yeah, there’s a reason why lemon bars continue to hold their own, even decades after they came into being. And that’s because they’re darn delicious.
But a buttery crust topped off with a tangy-sweet filling doesn’t have to be reserved only for lemons. Oh no, no. How about limes? Sure, why not? Aaannnddd guavas? Now that’s the ticket.
Even though I didn’t grow up eating guavas, I have to say they’re up there with some of my favorite fruits. They’re a soft, golf ball sized fruit with a flavor that I can only describe as floral, acidic, and sweet. Guavas are so exotic and tasty that the fact that they are filled with a bunch of little seeds doesn’t discourage me, in the least, from wanting to devour a couple million of them.
That’s why, when trying to come up with a lemon bar variation and Tony suggested guava-lime, I squealed like a little piggy with delight. Guavas love lime and I love guavas. These bars were destined for greatness. And they were every bit as delicious as I had envisioned, not to mention, pretty darn addictive. Buttery, tangy, and sweet with a delicate texture– yum! And with warmer months coming, I could definitely imagine bringing these to a BBQ. They’re so fresh, tasty, and tropical, they’d fit right in with the other summery delicacies.
Too little time? Try this hack! To make guava puree, you can trim the ends from some guavas, toss them in a blender, and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture and voila, you have a delicious and nutritious guava puree. If you’d like a quicker alternative, feel free to buy already made guava puree. I find mine in the freezer section next to other Mexican ingredients like frozen banana leaves and the such. The kind I use is pink in color (as you can see in the photo above). The great thing about this puree is that you can use it in other things, too, like smoothies, pies, aguas, or even for a delicious braised pork. MmmMmmm!
What do you think? What’s your favorite exotic fruit? What do you bring to summertime parties? We can’t wait to hear the whole story! See you soon.
Guava-Lime Bars Recipe
Author: Danielle
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 9 bars
These Guava-Lime bars are an exciting take on the classic Lemon Bars. They’re tangy and sweet with a prominent guava flavor. It’s hard to eat just one.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup plus ⅔ cup sugar, divided
- 1 cup plus ¼ cup flour, divided
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 tablespoons guava puree
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, ¼ cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and salt until it forms a dough. Press into a 9×9-inch square baking pan. Bake in the oven until the crust is browned, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, lime juice, guava puree, remaining ⅔ cup sugar, and remaining ¼ cup flour until well mixed. Pour over the crust and bake until the filling no longer jiggles when moved, about 20 minutes more. Set aside to cool to room temperature. They will firm up as they cool.
- Place the powdered sugar in a strainer or sifter and sprinkle over the cooled guava-lime bars. Top the powdered sugar with lime zest, cut the bars, and serve or store in the refrigerator.