POM Guava Cheesecake Cupcakes from FoodFlirt

POM Guava Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Pomegranate Reduction

• 24oz POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
• 1/3 cup organic brown sugar
• 2 TBSP balsamic Vinegar (I had raspberry balsamic on hand, so I used that)

Crust

• 1 1/4 cup organic rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cup organic flour
• 3/4 cup sweetened, shredded dried coconut
• 1/4 cup organic sugar
• 1/4 TSP nutmeg
• 1/2 TSP salt
• 1 TSP coconut extract
• 3/4 cup organic salted butter – melted

Cheesecake

• 3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese
• 1 cup organic sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I didn’t have any, so I used regular milk and it worked fine)
• 3 organic eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 2 TSP coconut extract
• 2 TBSP & 2 TSP flour

Pomegranate Guava Filling

• 8.5oz (or 1 small jar) Guava spread, jam or curd – I could only find jelly in my grocery and it worked fine!
• 1/3 cup pomegranate reduction

Pomegranate Guava Frosting

• 1 big bag of powdered sugar
• 1 cup organic salted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup pomegranate filling
• 3 TBSP coconut milk (again, I used regular milk)
• 1 TBSP lime juice
• red food coloring (optional)

To Make the Cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and spray/line your muffin tins.

For the Pomegranate Reduction: In a small/medium sauce pan combine POM Wonderful, brown sugar, and balsamic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40-50 minutes or until it has reduced by 3/4.

For the Crust:

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the oats, flour, coconut, sugar, nutmeg, and salt.
2. Add the coconut extract to the melted butter, and mix with the dry ingredients until well combined.
3. Press 1 tbsp crust into the bottom of the cupcake pans (use 1/2 tbsp for mini cupcakes).

For the Cheesecake filling:

1. Add cream cheese and sugar to a bowl, and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides if you need to.
2. Add the milk, and mix until smooth.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, only mixing until just incorporated. DON’T OVER MIX!
4. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, and flour until smooth.
5. Pour or spoon into your crusts, filling about 2/3 of the way.
6. Bake at 350º F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the Pomegranate Guava filling: In a small bowl mix together the pomegranate reduction and guava spread. Set aside.

To make the Pomegranate Guava Frosting:

1. In a large bowl combine a 3 – 4 cups of powdered sugar and the butter until smooth.
2. Add the pomegranate guava filling, coconut milk, coconut extract, lime juice, and red food coloring if you want.
3. Mix on medium speed until combined well.

I adjusted my frosting a little to my tastes. I added some of the pomegranate reduction I had left over, and some more lime juice for a little more tart flavor in the frosting. Adjust to your own desired flavor and/or consistency.

To assemble the cupcakes…

Spread 1 TSP pomegranate guava filling over each cupcake in a thin layer

If you want to get fancy, use a rounded pastry tip, about 1/2 inch in diameter, pipe frosting in a swirl onto cupcake.

Or if you are like me, you can cut a small hole in the corner of a plastic ziplock bag and pipe your frosting on your cupcakes that way.

Chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. Store any leftovers in a plastic container.