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When we were young, there was a guava tree in my grandparents’ yard. My brother, my cousins and I would climb it and sit on a branch, stuffing ourselves. What we didn’t eat, my grandmother would turn into guava jam and jelly, sweet stewed guavas (served with dumplings and salty fried fish) and steamed guava duff.
My Mom makes a great guava cobbler – a yummy mix of sweet fruit, fluffy cake and a hint of buttery crunch. Recently, I asked for a copy of her recipe. When I received it, I realized two things – how easy it is to make, and that it’s in my grandmother’s handwriting. Another great recipe from Ma’s kitchen!
Guava Cobbler
2 cups peeled, sliced guava shells (1.5 – 2 pounds guavas)*
1 tablespoon lemon juice*
1 ¾ cups sugar*
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) butter, diced
¾ cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup milk
Cook guava, lemon juice and 1 cup sugar over moderate heat until fruit softens.
(* Note: if, like me, you can’t find fresh guavas, use canned and skip the above step. Just drain and slice a 14-16 oz can of guava shells and continue below.)
Preheat oven to 350F. Put butter in a casserole dish and place in the oven to melt. In a small mixing bowl, combine ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup flour, ¾ cup milk and 2 teaspoons of baking powder. Stir until smooth.
Pour this batter over the melted butter – do not stir. Gently spoon fruit over top – again, do not stir. (As you can see in the photo below, it’s not pretty at this stage. But have faith.)
Bake 25-30 minutes, or until cake sets and the top is golden brown.
The recipe recommends serving with brandy sauce, but we’ve always eaten this drizzled with egg sauce (beat together 1 raw egg, a few drops of vanilla and sugar to taste.) It’s also good with ice cream, especially if the cobbler is still warm.
Sounds and looks so yummy
As much as I’m thankful for the recipe for the Guava Cobbler, could you post a recipe for steamed Guava Duff? My Mother-in-Law was born in the Bahamas’s and I once had her recipe for Guava Duff but it was lost in moving. Would love to have it again. Thanks for you help!
Hi, Glenda. Thanks for your note! Doing a blog post about steamed guava duff is on my list — I’m just trying to perfect the recipe first. But stay tuned…
This recipe sounds, great! It’s a blessing to have such great recipes passed down through generations. I love how simple and quick it is too….the good ole Bahamian ‘slam bam’ way of cooking! 🙂
Praying for all you good folks in the Bahamas.
Thanks, Ken. Fortunately, Abaco escaped the worst of the storm. Sadly, our Bahamian countrymen to the south weren’t so lucky.
I was wondering don’t you take the seeds out before cooking the guavas? Why boil the guavas before using in the cobbler? Be too tough if you didn’t? Thanks
Hi, Chris. Yes, you peel the guavas and remove the seeds and pulp around them. You’ll be left with shells, which is what you boil. Yes, they’d be tough — and potentially sour — without boiling them down with sugar. If you try this recipe, let me know how it works out! 🙂
What a lovely blog you have. I’m wondering if you can substitute guava paste for the guava mixture mentioned in the cobbler recipe? If so, it would make the process much simpler. Guava paste is readily available in grocery stores in South Florida.
Hi, Tom. I think that might work. I’ve substituted guava paste (cut into small pieces) in lots of other recipes. The paste is pretty sweet, so I’d probably start by using a little bit less than I would of fresh or canned guava. If you do try it, please let me know how it works out!
Amanda
P.S. Thank you for your kind words about the blog.
Wait do you cook the egg on it? Or do you just put the raw egg with the sugar and vanilla on the top?
Yes, mix up a raw egg until it’s frothy, add the vanilla and sugar and just spoon over the top of each individual serving. (i.e., after it’s been spooned out into serving dishes.)
Amanda