Guava Pumpkin Muffins (Baked)

[ Equipment: oven or slow cooker with temperature control. For more information about the terminology in this recipe, see Low Temperature Baking: A Journey of 3 Paths ].

Flecked with bits of jellied guava, these moist, moist muffins pack fruity explosions in every bite. The guava paste had been sitting in my refrigerator for over a month, left over from another recipe, so I fashioned a muffin recipe for it. Online, there are few pastry recipes containing guava paste; it's mostly served as a condiment with cheeses, spread on bread like a jam or as a filling for cookies. Instead of a muffin with a guava filled center, I mixed the paste into the batter but left tiny chunks of it undissolved.

Guava paste tastes like a mixture of apples and pears with the consistency of a very firm jelly. It's also very sweet. To tone down the sugar and fruitiness, I combined the guava paste with pumpkin puree and then put in a little lemon flavoring to restore the citrus bite. These muffins have no eggs, because the pectin in the guava paste binds the ingredients just fine without them.

My local market shelves guava paste the in Mexican foods aisle. Guava jam could substitute, but may lack the intense flavor of the paste. An apple-pear jam might also substitute, although the flavor balance may not be a perfect match. Taste the batter with any of these substitutions and adjust the sugar, acid and spices accordingly.

Makes 6 muffins
- 210 calories per muffin
- Oven Temperature: 250°F/121°C

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bakers 5-spice or harvest spice or any pumpkin spice
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3/8 cup guava paste
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup milk (low fat or regular)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or 18 chocolate chips

Muffin Method:



1. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside.




2. In a small heatproof bowl, microwave the guava paste until soft - about 20 to 30 seconds in an 800W microwave.



3. Stir the pumpkin puree into the softened guava paste until well combined. The guava paste does not have to be completely dissolved into the pumpkin. I like to leave small bits of guava paste (no larger than 1/8 inch diameter) in the mixture. They will bake up in the muffins like little dots of jelly.



4. Mix in the oil and milk.




5. Pour the guava-pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture and stir to form a stiff batter. Do not overmix.



6. Grease 6 muffin cups (1/4 cup capacity). Divide the batter evenly into the mufffin cups.



7. Sprinkle the muffins with chopped walnuts or decorate them with 3 chocolate chips each (only 3 chips so that the chocolate doesn't compete with the other flavors). Lightly press the walnuts or chips into the batter. Bake the muffins in a preheated 250°F/121°C oven for about 40 minutes or until the edges of the muffins are lightly browned.



8. Cool the muffins on a rack for about 15 minutes. Unmold and continue to cool. If the bottoms of the muffins are very moist, I recommend cooling them upside-down so that extra moisture evaporates faster.



9. Plate and serve.