Sweet Pastry

I have such fond childhood memories of my parents bringing home boxes of pastries, breads and cakes from the bakery, especially King’s Bakery,” says Lori Ikeda. “When I moved away from Hawaii after college, the cakes and sweets were what I missed most — after family and friends of course! A few years ago, I developed this recipe as a kind of shortcut danish, using some of my favorite ingredients and flavors from home. It’s become a family favorite.”

Find Lori at her blog guavarose.com. She also is a regular contributor on CookingHawaiianStyle.com.

LORI IKEDA’S GUAVA CREAM CHEESE CUSTARD ROLLS

Ingredients:

• 3 dozen King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls

Cream Cheese Custard:

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1-1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• ¾ cup guava juice concentrate
• 2-1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions:

Place rolls on large baking sheets. Use a small paring knife to cut a cone shaped piece out of the top of each roll, going a little past halfway deep. This creates a well for the custard filling. Set aside the cut outs for another use. Place all the custard ingredients except for the butter and vanilla into a blender. Blend for 30-60 seconds until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Pour into a saucepan and cook on medium-high heat, whisking frequently until the mixture is thickened and starts to bubble. Lower heat to medium and cook and whisk another 2 minutes. Don’t let the bottom burn. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter, until it is melted in, then the vanilla. Pour into a bowl and cool 5 minutes. Spoon 1 tablespoon custard into each roll. Cover rolls with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. For the topping, pour guava juice concentrate into a small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch until there are no lumps. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking frequently until it is thickened and bubbling. Allow to cook 30-60 seconds more, then pour into a shallow bowl and cool to room temperature. Spoon 1 teaspoon topping onto the top of each roll. Place rolls in airtight containers (like large, rectangular plastic containers with lids) and chill. The topping will take a couple of hours to gel firm, but these can be eaten immediately. Keep tightly covered in the refrigerator to keep rolls soft. They can also be heated in the microwave for a few seconds to warm if desired, or soften if needed.

Be sure to watch Cooking Hawaiian Style on OC-16 channels 12 & 1012.