This cheesecake has an especially nice
balance of sweet and tart.
Guava Cheesecake
1 1/2 cups chocolate-wafer
or graham-cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons plus 2 cups sugar
1 cup guava paste
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup guava marmalade or red currant jelly
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 tablespoons
sugar; press over the bottom and up the side of the pan. Bake
until almost dry, about 10 minutes. Set aside. (Leave oven on.)
Heat guava paste and lemon
juice in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking, until melted.
Set aside.
Beat the cream cheese
and 2 cups sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, lemon zest and melted
guava paste. Pour into crust.
Wrap aluminum foil around
the bottom and sides of springform pan and place in a large roasting
pan. Add 1 inch boiling water. Bake until the top is firm and
the filling no longer jiggles when shaken, about 90 minutes.
Turn off the heat, open the oven door a few inches, and let the
cheesecake cool 20 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Cover and refrigerate cooled cheesecake at least 6 hours.
Thirty minutes before
serving, melt jelly with 1 tablespoon water, whisking, and gently
brush on top. Chill at least 30 minutes more before serving.
Makes 12 servings.
Nutritional Facts Per serving:
630 calories; 36.7 grams fat (51 percent of total calories);
69.5 grams carbohydrate; 0.6 gram fiber; 173.9 milligrams cholesterol;
and 369.3 milligrams sodium.
Source: Recipe
from Steven Raichlen's "Miami Spice" (Workman, $13.95).
