Banana bread pudding is one of those things I don’t recall being made in our home growing up as the dessert of choice was always cake. My mom is a serious baker when it comes to cakes… but traditional stuff and not those fancy ones you see  in the cookbooks and on the Food Network. I’m still to find a cake which rivals her fruit cake. Not the heavy rum/fruit cake that’s so famous in the Caribbean, but a much lighter version. Maybe I’ll get her to share the recipe when she’s back from the Caribbean where they (mom and dad) usually do their winters.

I must confess that bananas are not my thing… had too much as a kid, so I kinda lost my liking for it. Banana bread pudding was never something I was interested in… until! About 3 years ago at my sister’s wedding, I had what was probably the best dessert I’ve ever had. The chef at Chaud restaurant in Port Of Spain, created a masterpiece of a dessert, something I have to admit I can’t recreate (yet). Then there was that night at Walkers Fish Market restaurant in Burlington Ontario when again my taste buds were captivated by what came to be the 2nd best dessert I ever had. Yup.. banana bread pudding, topped with a heavenly caramel sauce.

You’ll Need…

1 day old bread
2 1/4 cups warm milk
2 tablespoon butter
1 heaping tablespoon custard powder
3 eggs (room temp)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar (granulated)
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

* Notes: This is a good recipe to make use of ripe bananas which are a bit tarnished (going black and discolored). I added the custard powder to give it extra body and flavor. It was a suggestion by a friend from India who’s an amazing chef. We use day old bread so it’s a bit dry and will absorb the rich custard-like liquid very easily.

In the warm milk add the butter and whisk… should melt easily. Take about 3 tablespoon of that liquid in a smaller bowl, add the custard powder and whisk until you have a smooth consistency. Now add that custard mix to the bowl with the milk and butter (whisk).

In another bowl add the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla and work it well with a whisk, until creamed.

Combine the two liquids now (milk mixture and egg mixture) and give it a good whisk.

Your bread should have been prepped at this point as well. All I did was rip it apart into 1 to 2 inch pieces.

Now peel and slice the bananas and get ready to assemble everything.

In the bowl with the bread pieces, add the sliced banana and raisin.. then pour in the liquid and give it a good mix. Try to make sure all the pieces of bread absorb some of this rich liquid.. press down if necessary. Cover the bowl and allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Just to ensure that the bread absorbs all that goodness.

Preset your oven to 350F, then pour the bread mixture into an oven proof dish and place on the middle rack of your oven. It will take between 50 -55 minutes, depending on how well your oven distributes the heat. The top will be slightly golden when it’s done.

This banana bread pudding is very easy to put together, even though it may seem like a lot of steps. Just make sure you have a few big bowls handy as you can see from the recipe above, I used quite a few. Serve with some warm caramel sauce (see video below) and you’ll be dessert heaven. Add some home made coconut ice cream and you’ll take this to another level.

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Easter wasn’t a time of egg hunts or chocolate bunnies when we were kids. It was all about going to church, listening to our dad read the bible on Good Friday, watching King Of Kings on TV and how could one forget the special fish lunch. It was a time when our mom would do her usual magic in the kitchen with ground provisions (yam, sweet potato, dasheen.. even some green banana would make an appearance), served up with tasty stewed fish. Dad would drizzle olive oil over his heaping plate- full and being our hero.. myself and my brother would follow. Our sisters have never been into the ground provision thing, so they were never as happy as us. However the hot cross buns did put a smile on everyone’s face.

BTW… we hated the fact that according to some superstition, we were not allowed to go swimming on Good Friday. Ever noticed that when you’re not allowed to do something how much you ‘really’ want to do it? Yea, my brother and I did sneak off the odd time and get our swim on with friends.

Let’s make some hot cross buns.

You’ll Need…

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 large egg
1/3 cup mixed fruit
1/3 cup currants
1 pack instant yeast (about 8g)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar (granulated)
1/4 cup golden brown sugar
teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground clove (optional)
5 tablespoon butter (melted)
1 cup milk (warm)

For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk

For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup powder sugar (icing sugar)
tablespoon milk

Notes: Traditionally I believe currants are used but I used raisins instead (what I had) and the ground clove is indeed a good addition, but I did this recipe without and it was just as fantastic.

The very first thing we need to do, is to get the yeast to bloom. Add the yeast to the cup of warm milk and stir in the teaspoon of granulated sugar. The yeast will feed off the sugar as it does it’s thing. Place the this bowl with the warm milk, yeast and sugar in a warm corner of your kitchen. It can take between 5 and 10 minutes to fully bloom. You’ll see a sort of frothy/foamy surface.

In a large bowl (or you can use a stand up mixer if you have one) sift in the flour and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice), then add the brown sugar and give it a good mix. Now add the yeast mixture, beat the egg and add… and also the melted butter. Try not to over work. Now add the dried fruits (mixed fruit and currants) and knead. I finished the kneading on a flour dusted surface.

You should have a smooth, soft dough, that’s not wet or soggy. I had to add a couple extra tablespoons of flour to get the right consistency I was looking to achieve. I then got a clean bowl, sprayed it with some cooking spray and placed the dough ball in there. I covered it with plastic wrap and placed it in a warm corner of the kitchen to proof. That can take anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hrs, depending how warm your kitchen is. You’re basically looking for it to double in size. I sprayed the bowl with cooking spray, so it wouldn’t stick as it rose.

Just under 2hrs and my dough was ready to proceed. I then used my fingers to deflate the dough a bit as it did double in size with the help of the yeast. I then divided the main dough into 12 equal smaller dough balls and placed them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Now it’s time to make the egg wash and to give the buns it’s first brush. In a bowl I whisked the egg and milk.. then with a pastry brush I gave each bun a paining.I then covered them with plastic wrap and again set them aside in a warm coroner of the kitchen to proof further. They will double in size again so remember to leave space between each. It can take up to 1 hr to double in size (but again, this depends on how warm your kitchen is).

After 1 hr (or when they have doubled in size), remove the plastic wrap and get ready to move on. Now may be a good time to preheat your oven to 400F. You can refer to the video below… using scissors, snip a cross on the top of each bun. No need to go too deep. Now give them a final brush with the egg wash.. this will give it it’s glossy, golden look when they’re done baking.

Put the hot cross buns to bake on the middle rack in your oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. You can place a tooth pick through the thickest part of one of the buns and if the tooth pick come out clean, it means the buns are fully cooked. The batch I made was done in 15 minutes flat. Allow to cool before putting the finishing icing or it will melt and you won’t have that ‘cross’ on the top.

In a bowl, whisk the icing sugar and milk until it’s thick and smooth. Now place it into a piping bag and run a strip each way to form a cross on each hot cross bun. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can always use a zip lock bag.. all you have to do is snip a small hole on one corner and use as a piping bag. If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to resist the temptation while they cooled. I think we ate about 3 of these hot cross buns before the icing went on them. You kitchen (entire house) will have the lovely scent of a bakery.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/hot-cross-buns/feed/ 3 http://caribbeanpot.com/coconut-battered-banana/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=coconut-battered-banana http://caribbeanpot.com/coconut-battered-banana/#comments Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:33:19 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=4810

True to the vibrant island vibe, this banana dessert combines the use of two ingredients we’re known for in the Caribbean. Fragrant ripe bananas and shredded dry coconut for that wonderful nutty finish. Very similar to banana fritters, this banana dessert is a great on it’s own or with a heaping scoop of ice cream(rum and raisin please)  and it’s a great way to finish a spicy Caribbean style meal. However you must serve it hot or risk it going soggy very fast, with it’s rich creamy interior and flaky crust.

You’ll Need…

4 ripe bananas (firm)
veg oil for frying (2-3 cups)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoon dessicated coconut flakes
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup water (see note below)

Notes: You can be a bit creative and add some vanilla, cinnamon or nutmeg to the batter if you wish. When making the batter you may need a bit more that then 1/4 cup of water I mentioned in the ingredients list, as your flour may be a bit different than what I used. You’re looking for a thick batter so adjust accordingly. When watching the video below you’ll noticed that I screwed-up the pronunciation of  “dessicated” coconut..small thing.

* I stared off with 4 ripe bananas as I call for in the ingredients list, but it seems we have a banana thief dwelling in our home so I had 1 short. At this moment the RCMP, FBI, Homeland Security and other branches of the law enforcement are investigating. If only the flying squad was still around.

The first step in making this delicious banana dessert is to make the batter. In a large bowl, sift in the flour and baking soda, then add everything except the banana and oil. Using a whisk, whip until you have a thick smooth batter.

In a deep pan or deep-fryer heat your oil. You’ll need between 2 and 3 cups of vegetable oil.. as the oil heat it’s time to peel and slice your bananas. Don’t slice until you’re almost ready to fry as the banana will get discolored very fast. Peel and slice lengthwise into 1/8 inch (1/4 inch would work as well) thick slices. I also had my draining station already set for soaking up the extra oil after removing the battered bananas from the hot oil. (paper towels)

With your oil at 190C it’s time to dip the slices of banana into the batter, coat well and gently add them to the hot oil (shake off excess batter). Remember if you’re using an open pan as I did,  add the battered banana pieces away from your body to avoid getting burned.

These will go golden brown very fast so be ready to flip after a couple minutes. Cook evenly on both sides, then remove and drain. Be ready for a delectable banana dessert.

It’s important that you serve these tasty coconut battered bananas hot, or as I mentioned in the notes above – they will go soggy and won’t be the same. Feel free to dust with powdered sugar for a wonderful presentation and delightful finish.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/coconut-battered-banana/feed/ 5 http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-banana-nut-bread/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-make-banana-nut-bread http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-banana-nut-bread/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 22:22:27 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=4763

One thing you can’t get away from in the Caribbean is the love and appreciation of bananas. So this banana nut bread is a common visitor in our kitchen whenever we have bananas which are about to go bad (rude house guest though – never sticks around for more than a day and just disappear s without even saying bye). As a boy growing up on the islands I recall always having a bunch of bananas or plantains hung up to ripe in the shed adjacent to our home… watching it closely for the first sign of ‘yellow’ so we could attack. We usually lost out to the many birds in the area who would zero in before we would.

Like the banana fritters recipe I shared with you all a while back, this banana nut bread recipe is great for using ripe bananas which are about to go bad (over ripe).

You’ll Need…

4 ripe bananas
1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoon sour cream
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

You can also add some cinnamon and allspice to really give this banana nut bread that unique Caribbean flavor.

Notes: I used really ripe bananas (easier to mush) and it’s a great way to use bananas which are about to go bad. You’re probably wondering about the sour cream, but I assure you it will make this bread very moist and not dry as some banana breads are notorious for.

In a large bowl, place the sugar, salt and butter… we’ll cream it to a smooth consistency. I started off with a spatula but I opted for my hand mixer after, for easier work. If you have a freestanding mixer, remember to keep scraping down the side so you get the lovely creamy consistency we’re hoping for.

Now it’s time to add the eggs, vanilla and sour cream and continue to cream with your hand mixer for a couple minutes.

Now it’s time to add the dry ingredients, but before you do.. in another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together. This way they will mix evenly. This is when you would put the cinnamon and nutmeg if you want to add a bit of spice to the final bread. Since I didn’t want to over-work the dough, I did the rest manually with my spatula. Add the flour and in a folding motion.. mix well. You should have a smooth, thick dough by this time. I’m sure you can do this step with your mixer.. but on low speed and not for too long.

It’s now time to mush the bananas to add to the dough. In a large bowl I placed pieces of the peeled bananas and using a potato masher I went to work. It took a few minutes, but at the end I had a smooth banana mash.. ready for the dough.

Before we move on, it’s probably time to pre-heat your oven.. set it at 350 as we want this to bake slowly. Now pour in the mashed banana (puree) into the main batter and fold it in until it’s completely mixed. Remember not to over-mix.

Add the chopped pieces of walnuts and fold in, so every slice of the finished banana nut bread will have a little tasty crunch. I used a silicon baking mold and though I probably didn’t need it, I still hit it with a tiny bit of non stick cooking spray. If you’re using a conventional baking pan, do remember to grease with butter and dust with four.. or baking spray. You’ll notice that I had the baking mold on a cookie sheet.. that’s just for handing purposes (get in and out of the oven).

By now your oven should be ready… place it on the middle rack and allow to bake for 1 hour. After 1 hr it should be fully cooked, but do check with a toothpick. Insert a toothpick into the deepest part of the bread and if it comes out clean, it means it’s fully cooked. Due to variations in everyone’s oven… you may need some additional cooking time. This is exactly what I needed, so I had to keep it in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. You’ll certainly get mad having to wait an additional 15 minutes as your kitchen will have the lovely scent of baked banana nut bread goodness.

Allow to cool (if you can) before slicing and enjoy.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-banana-nut-bread/feed/ 6 http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-coconut-sugar-cake/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-make-coconut-sugar-cake http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-coconut-sugar-cake/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:47:02 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=4330

I’ve been told that I don’t do enough dessert recipes, so with some time on my hands I decided to raid the cupboards and come up with a dessert recipe to share with you all. This recipe is somewhat refined from the one my dad would do, but it’s just as delicious and if I may be bold enough.. better that his! He’s old school when it comes to making sugar cake, as he prefers to get fresh dry coconut and do his thing with the grater. Besides not liking to grate coconut like a mad-man (my fingers still show battle scars from the last time I grated coconut), I noticed that I had some per-packaged shredded coconut so it was going to be a recipe for sugar cake I’d be sharing.

You’ll Need…

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups dessicated coconut (unsweetened)
2 bay leaves
thick slice of fresh ginger
4-6 drops red food coloring (optional)

The first thing we need to do is start the syrup we’ll need as the base for this. In a deep saucepan heat the sugar, water, bay leaves and  a thick slice of ginger. Bring up to a rolling boil and allow to cook until it reduces and gets thick. (about 5-7 mins). You’ll have to constantly stir with a spoon or a whisk as I did.

Now it’s time to remove the bay leaves and ginger from the pot and discard (if you like the strong aroma and taste of ginger and bay leaves.. you can always grate the ginger into the syrup and crush the bay leaves). Add the essence and stir in the dessicated coconut (shredded or flaked coconut).. now add the drops of coloring and stir constantly. It will require about 5-7 minutes (on medium heat) to get to the consistency we’re looking for.(you can always follow along with the video below)

The idea is to burn off as much liquid as you can from the pan, so you have a thick and sticky consistency. A good sign that you’re close to where you want it to be, is when the coconut mixture starts coming away from the sides of the pan and somewhat clump.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet I then took spoon full amounts and made small heaps to form little sugar cakes. This will need to set (cool and take shape) before you can fully enjoy them. Remember we just made a syrup with the sugar so this will be extremely hot… do have some patience. Your kitchen will have the lovely aroma and coconut, essence,ginger and bay leaf… and I’m sure you’ll and your kids will love this tasty treat.

* If you have a 1 inch deep pan you can pour the cooked mixture into it and allow to cool, then cut into even squares. You can also be creative and do different colors and stack them to form a rainbow effect if you wish.

Store in an airtight container for maximum freshness and do refrigerate if you plan on keeping them more than a few days.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-coconut-sugar-cake/feed/ 14 http://caribbeanpot.com/cinnamon-and-brown-sugar-plantains/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cinnamon-and-brown-sugar-plantains http://caribbeanpot.com/cinnamon-and-brown-sugar-plantains/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:38:11 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=4292

I have a weakness for plantain, which means I can’t walk by the display at the grocery store and not put some in the shopping cart. A lot of times they go bad on the counter and I know this… but I just can’t help myself.  Yet again I had some on the counter in the kitchen calling out to me (or was that Caron saying “are you going to use these or let them go bad again?”) so rather than fry them as I would normally, I decided to be a bit creative.

With the addition of the spices and sugar this could easily be considered a dessert, or used as a topping for some good coconut ice cream, but I much prefer it as a side to my rice dishes and the leftover I made sandwiches with. Toasted bread with a thin layer of butter and a few slices of this wonderful cinnamon plantain slices.

You’ll Need…

3 medium ripe plantains
2 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch grated nutmeg
pinch salt
2 tablespoon olive oil (for brushing)

Recipe Edit Notes. In the video I posted below I failed to mention a few things. The plantains I used would have been better if they were a bit riper and I think it would be much tastier if you gave them a good brushing of melted butter. The butter would allow the brown sugar to caramelize and form a lovely coating on the finished slices of plantain.

Start by trimming off the ends of the ripe plantains and discard. Then cut in half length-wise and peel off the skin (see the video below to see how I did it).  You will now have two pieces of peeled plantain… slice off (lengthwise) a piece about 1/4 inch. Now use this sliced surface to sit on your cutting board to make slicing the rest of the plantain easier. Slice 1/4 inch pieces and set aside.

Mix together the cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, salt and brown sugar until it’s completely blended.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (makes clean-up easier) and brush it with oil to coat the surface. Now place the slices of ripe plantain on top, brush with the olive oil and sprinkle (generously) the spice mixture we just made, evenly on each piece of plantain. (See my note above about using butter)

Place in the middle rack of a preheated 400 F oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. After 30 minutes check to see how it’s doing.. if you find that it’s golden and a nice caramel coat has formed, you may want to remove it from the oven early. I say this because I know that no 2 oven are the same when it comes to controlled temperatures.

The lovely scent of cinnamon and nutmeg should be present in your kitchen and you’ll be tempted to eat a slice or two as soon as it comes out of the oven… be careful as it will be very hot.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

In part one of this black cake making recipe we focused on preparing the aromatic fruits we’ll be using to give the cake it truly unique Caribbean flavor. Black cake is one of those desserts you’ll find in just about every Caribbean home during the Christmas holidays and as we’ve discussed in part 1, just about everyone does things a bit different. This black cake recipe is one which takes me back to my childhood in Trinidad and Tobago as we all (brothers and sisters) assisted my mom in making these the night before Christmas. Besides the scent of freshly painted walls, varnished floors, new curtains and bed sheets… the tempting fragrance out of the oven leading up to and including Christmas day is one of pure joyful memories for me. Cake, bread, bake pork and the smoked ham.

Let’s get baking…

You’ll Need…

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 lb)
1 cup brown sugar
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon mixed essence
4-5 cups dried fruits (puree/soaked)
2 cups allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon browning (see note below)
1 teaspoon lime zest (grated)
dash of angostura bitters (optional) and a pinch of salt

Note: The browning required to give the cake the dark rich color and Caribbean flavor is not your typical gravy browning. It’s a Caribbean style  burnt sugar browning. Its consistency will be similar to molasses (thick). You can source this at any West Indian grocery store or you can make  your own if you prefer.

* Make sure the eggs are room temperature and the butter is soft.
* if you prefer to use granulated sugar instead of the brown sugar I mentioned, by all means do so. This is just my preference.

We’ll start off by creaming the butter and sugar until you have a fluffy and smooth consistency. You will also notice that the color will become more pale as you cream the butter. This is one of those times you’ll be thankful if you have a standing mixers. we don’t own one (Santa, please bring Chris a Kitchen Aid for Christmas. please boss), so in a large bowl I put the sugar and butter and using my handy hand mixer I went to work. Back in the old days I remember it was my dads job to do this with a large spoon. Mr Man was old school.

After you have a smooth and fluffy batter base, it’s time to start adding the eggs. Remember to have them at room temperature for best results, add one at a time and mix it thoroughly.  Tip : Crack each egg into a small bowl first so you can fish out any shell if any pieces fall in.. this way you’re not diving in the batter for it)

After you’ve added and worked in all the eggs, it’s time to add the vanilla, bitters, mixed essence and lime zest and give it a good mix.  Seeing that I was using a hand mixer I added the soaked fruits in two batches to make less work for the mixer. I added 3 cups, worked it in with a spatula, then gave it a good mix with the hand mixer.. then repeated with the other 2 cups of fruits. I now had the ‘wet’ batter completely mixed.

By now you’ll start getting that wonderful scent of cake batter, spiced by the wonderful soaked fruits. Now it’s time to work with the dry ingredients, then combine everything. In another bowl I placed the flour, pinch of salt, cinnamon, nutmeg (if you have freshly grated that would work best) allspice and baking powder. Give that a good mix and I would even suggest sifting to really have it mix evenly. We’ll now start adding the dry ingredients to the wet batter, but do so in 1/3 amounts (so three times). To make mixing easier and to allow for even mixing.

 With the batter completely mixed, it’s time to add the browning (see note above about type) and time to give the entire batter it’s final mix.

You’ll have enough batter here for 2 round pans (10-12 inches) or as in my case I used 3 disposable rectangle pans. Not only did I grease then, I also lined them with parchment paper to avoid any issues when they were done baking (to remove them). I got the pans in the dollar store and I like the fact that they came with lids, so I could easily seal them when they were cooled. Great for giving as Christmas gifts.

Pour in enough batter to 2/3  up the pan and place in a preheated 250 C oven for 2.5 hours. Since your oven will differ from mine, I suggest you give the cake the toothpick test after the 2.5 hrs to see if it’s fully baked. In the video below I explain this. If it’s not fully cooked, put it back in for another 20-30 minutes. I baked mine on the middle shelf of my oven if you’re wondering and it was completely baked after 2.5 hours.

After you remove the cakes from the oven allow it to cool for a bit, then you can brush a mixture of rum and sherry over it and allow it to soak through the cake. This will give it that added kick! Trust meh!

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-caribbean-black-cake-part-2/feed/ 13 http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-caribbean-black-cake-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-make-caribbean-black-cake-part-1 http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-caribbean-black-cake-part-1/#comments Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:09:52 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=4162

I still recall my dad getting instructions from our mom when it was his job to grind the fruits for preserving in making black cake. He had to adjust  the mill the right coarseness for the consistency of the final fruit mixture to be perfect, or my mom would have an ear-full for him. I don’t think he cared much as he would sample the rum and cherry brandy during the process for that mellow state of mind. As we got older, this job became ours (I still have a love for prunes as I’m sure my mom’s recipe had about 1/4 lb less prunes than what she started off with)… if only I could convince our daughters to help me!

Black cake, rum cake, fruit cake… yea, it’s well known throughout the Caribbean and I can bet my last dollar that no two recipes are the same. Our grandmother’s cake is uniquely different than our mom’s and I’m sure when my mom sample the cake I sent for her.. she’ll notice that it’s nothing like hers. Please use the recipe below as a guide to come up with your own unique twist to this most loved cake and do get your children and loved ones involved. It’s a wonderful feeling to have the entire family involved… ladies, have your girlfriends over for a girls nite and you could all have your fruits ready for black cake making.

Today we’ll spend some time preparing the fruits we’ll be using in the actual black cake recipe, as it’s important for the fruit to soak or marinate for at least a month before it’s ready for making the batter for the black cake. In some cases I know people who do  this step as soon as the use the fruits and have it soak for a full year until it’s Christmas time again.

You’ll Need…

dark rum 2 cups (try to get a spiced rum)
sherry 4 cups
prunes 1 lb (pitted)
mixed peel 1 lb
raisins 1/2 lb
maraschino cherry 1/2 lb
lemon peel 1/4 lb

* Traditionally cherry wine or cherry brandy (an alcoholic drink unique to the Caribbean) is used along with rum, but I used Sherry instead since it was the only option I had available. In all honesty, the Sherry gave it a wonderful rounded fruity flavor which I quite liked. Additionally, I used a dark spiced rum which complimented the overall bouquet I was looking for. Remember you can always tailor this to your own taste by adding any other dried fruits you may like.

 I’ll be using a food processor to mince or puree the fruits, but if you’re old school and want to use a food mill.. do your thing. We’ll start by giving the prunes a rough chop to make it easier for the food processor and it also allows us to verify that each prune is truly seedless. Prunes are a favorite snack of mine and to this day I remember the look on Caron’s face the first time we went grocery shopping as a couple and I picked up a bag proudly in the store. I didn’t realize that in North America, prunes are associated with constipation…. even the young girl in the checkout gave me a sort of weird look.

The next step is basically to put everything into the food processor and to add about a cup or two of the rum/sherry into it and puree to help the processor. The consistency is totally up to you. I started giving it a few pulses (just to get things going), then I had it run until I got a thick but smooth consistency (with a little chunkiness). Some of you may like to actually get little bits of the fruit when the cake is made, so keep an eye on the consistency.

The next step is to pour the entire mixture into a large bowl and add the rest of the rum and sherry. Give it a good stir to make sure the fruit absorbs all the liquor goodness and get ready to place it all into a container which can be sealed. I used a glass bottle.

Using a large spoon I poured everything into the glass bottle I purchased (cleaned) especially for this purpose as it can be reused yearly.

If you prefer you can always “soak” the fruits without pureeing and do that step the day you’re actually making the cake, but I find that not only is it more convenient to have this step done in advance, but the fruits seems to absorb all that rum flavor and goodness much better when everything is pureed. This can be stored in any cool dark spot in your kitchen or pantry.

In the next step to making the black cake, we’ll go though the making of the dough and the actual baking of the cake itself. You can always refer to the video below for help in preparing the fruits for making this Caribbean black cake.

Note: The longer you allow the fruits to ‘soak’ or marinate the more flavor it will absorb and it will make for a more rounded and fruity cake. This explains why most people go though this step as soon as they use the preserved fruits and allow the new batch to marinate for a full year. I must also warn you that if you were to open this bottle during the ‘soaking’ period, you’ll be tempted by the lovely aroma.. to grab a spoon and eat some.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-caribbean-black-cake-part-1/feed/ 0 http://caribbeanpot.com/banana-fritters-a-caribbean-favourite/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=banana-fritters-a-caribbean-favourite http://caribbeanpot.com/banana-fritters-a-caribbean-favourite/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:38:48 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=3668

With  all the recent requests I’ve been getting for more dessert type recipes, I’ve decided to share a classic banana fritters recipes with you guys. In all honesty I don’t like banana as I once did as a child. I strongly believe I had too much growing up on the islands as it’s common to have trees around your home, so we always had various varieties of ripe bananas to snack on. I recall my mom making this treat for us when the bananas were going a bit discolored (at it’s ripest) and she wanted to use them before they got chucked into the rubbish bin. But back then there were no confectionery sugar topping!

You’ll Need…

3 ripe bananas
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
3 cups of vegetable oil for frying
confectioner sugar (optional, but nice finishing touch)

In a fairly large bowl, peel and cut the ripe banana into chunks, then mash using a fork or potato masher into a smooth consistency. It will have the consistency of baby food … parents will know what I mean.

Whip the egg, then add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.. then whip some more until the sugar breaks down. Now add that to the bowl with the mashed bananas. You can certainly use an electric mixer if you wish, but I much prefer a wire whisk (burn some calories before replacing them with tasty ones).

The final step in preparing the batter is to slowly start adding in the flour and baking powder. Mix until you have a smooth batter, without any lumps. After that… all you have to do is heat the oil on a medium/high flame and add spoonfuls (tablespoon) of the batter into the hot oil. It will take about 1 minute to get golden brown, then flip and cook for another minute until that side is also golden brown. Once cooked you will notice that it will start floating in the oil. Remove and drain on paper towels. Final step before eating is to dust with the confectionery sugar. Serve warm… good with vanilla ice cream on the side as well.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below… even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Happy Cooking

Chris….

When we were kids and home for the ‘August” (summer) holidays from school, I recall my mom making this frozen treat for us. Except she would use Kool Aid or any type of fruit juice we may have at the time. If memory serves me correct, I think she would even use the custard mixture for home made ice cream as well, before my dad broke the bank and brought our first ice cream pail (maker). Speaking about frozen treats, as kids in primary school I recall buying “ice blocks” from the vendor who lived next to the school. Basically all he did was put fruit juice (super sweet) into ice trays and freeze them. Then we would shell out our 5 cents to get one… so good on a hot day. Hated the sticky feeling in your hands after though. Got into a lot of trouble with my mom when the red juice from the melted ice blocks would get onto our kaki shorts (school uniform).. still remember trying to wash it off as soon as it happened. Only to walk around school for the next hour with a huge wet spot in the front of my pants.

Speaking about Kool Aid… we were at the grocery store many moons ago, when I mentioned to Caron that we should get some Kool Aid. She then asked “what flavor do you like?” Without hesitation I said “red”! Yea, for me red is a flavor.. how many of you agree?

This recipe is very simple, refreshing and you can get your kids or grand-kids involved. But…. there’s a simple “big people” version as well.

You’ll Need..

1 seedless watermelon (about 4 lbs… gives about 4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
couple dash angostura bitters (optional – but a nice addition)
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Start by cubing the watermelon to make it easier for the food processor or blender.

The next step is to add everything into a food processor or blender and puree. You may have do do it in batches as it may not all fit at the same time. Pulse and try not to blend too long, or it will go a bit frothy.

Pour the slush mixture into a baking dish. Metal works best, but all I had big enough was a ceramic one.. just takes a bit longer to freeze. Now place it in the freezer and let is firm up for about 1 hour. Then remove it from the freezer and give it a good stir. Break up any chunks which may have formed. Then place it back into the freezer and let it sit for 2-3 hours.. until it firms up. Now using a fork, with a sort of flaking action.. create the flaky/slush texture we’re looking for.

Serve immediately or risk 2 things happening. It will melt or if you place it back into the freezer for too long it will freeze solid. Scoup out and serve in martini glasses for the kids.. it will make them feel they’re sipping cocktails! Or if mommy or daddy want a grown-up version, add some rum or vodka.. yea that’s what I did last night while sitting on the patio being eaten by mosquitoes. Hope they made it home.. teach them to ‘drink” and fly!

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

Happy Cooking

Chris….

So you’re confused if you’re not form the Caribbean, tambran is just the local way of saying tamarind. This was a favorite of mine as a kid in primary school on the islands. Today I still search them out whenever I make a trip back home or when I go shopping at the many Asian stores locally. The only difference with the ones that comes in a small plastic box at the Asian stores is that there’s no real kick to it and they’re really tiny in size. Probably the size of a small marble. But the ones I grew up eating every recess in primary school, where as big as ping pong balls. Back then I think we got 50 cents to buy treats at recess and lunch break and most of my money went to the vendor with the preserved fruits and tambran balls just outside the school compound. It was a tough choice to make when there were “penna cool” (freezies) on sale and the days were hot and sticky. The tough choices we had to make on our own as kids!

You’ll Need…

200 grams of tamarind (see note below) – a little less than 8 ozs
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (or any hot pepper you like)
2 cups golden brown sugar
3 tablespoon white sugar (granulated)
2 cloves garlic

Note: Usually the tamarind (tanbran) we get in the Caribbean are a lot bigger in length and thickness than the packaged ones I got from the local Asian store. If you want less work, you can always buy the tamarind paste that’s already free of seeds and the hard shell exterior. I left the seeds in my finished tambran balls as I find they hold a lot of flavor and as a kid I like spitting the seeds at the end. But if you do, remember not to sink your teeth into them or you’ll be making a visit to the dentist. or cussing Chris!..

Start by creating the spicy sort of paste we’ll need to give it that kick … to know that we’re eating tambran balls. In a bowl (as in my case) or a mortar and pestle place the hot pepper, garlic and about 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar and pound to smooth paste. I put the little bit of sugar to give it a bit of grit to achieve a smooth paste.

Set this aside and lets get the tambran ready. A s in my case (since I didn’t buy the pulp) remove the outer hard shell and pull the ‘meat’ or pulp out.. try to remove that sort of stringy fibers that may be holding them together. You have two options now, remove the seeds or not. I didn’t as I mentioned in the notes above. Break up the pulp into pieces and add it to the pepper/garlic paste we made.

The next step is to add the brown sugar and give it a good stir, then using your hands start forming the ping pong tennis ball size. If you find that it’s not holding well, add about 1 teaspoon of water to the bowl. Remember you’ll be playing with extremely hot peppers so you may want to wear gloves. If you find that the mixture is too soft/runny and not taking shape, add some more brown sugar. Additionally if the room is hot they may give you a hard time shaping as the heat from your hands and room temp will melt the sugar. Place the mixture in the fridge for a few minutes and try again.

I was in too much of a hurry to eat these so my ball did not shaped well. But I’m sure you’ll do a better job than I did. The final step is to spead the granualted sugar on a plate and roll the tambran balls to give it that extra finishing touch. You can always set them in the fridge to chill a bit and remain in it’s ball like shape.

Remember, though this is basically a sugar rush waiting to happen, it will be spicy from the raw garlic and scotch bonnet peppers.

Before you go I invite you to leave me your comments below.. even if it just to say hello. It’s always appreciated. And don’t forget to join us on facebook and do check out the cooking videos.

As kids would have to eat their cereal before heading off to school every morning in north America, we grew up (if we didn’t want actual food) drinking tea. Now here’s the thing about “tea”… basically this would mean just about any hot drink. So it could well be coffee, Milo, Ovaltine, chocolate tea, actual green tea.. the list is fairly long. Along with tea we usually had a slice of cake, sweet bread, crackers or coconut drops.

I must confess that I’ve not had coconut drops in quite some time, so when the scent of them baking in the oven blanketed the kitchen, it brought back a rush of childhood memories. I was one of those kids who loved school and looked forward to it, when most kids didn’t.

You’ll Need…

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 stick butter (about 2 oz or 4 tablespoons)
1 large egg
3 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Angostura Bitters
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup shredded coconut (see note below)
about 1/2 cup water

For the glaze

2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup water

Notes: Traditionally, fresh grated coconut is used for this recipe. But since I don’t have access to the fresh stuff, I had to settle for the packaged shredded coconut. I did end up using the sweetened variety, but if you have the unsweetened one, feel free to use that. Since my dough was a bit dry, I had to add some water. I ended up using about 1/2 cup as noted in the list of ingredients above, but this may vary for you. Use it as a guide. You’re looking for a dough which is somewhat firm and can keep it’s shape while baking.

Start by creaming the butter and sugar in a bowl. Make sure the butter is at room temperature to make this easier. I started off using a large spoon (use the back of it to work the butter/sugar combo against the walls of the bowl) but I ended up using an electric hand mixer. You’re looking for a smooth, creamy sort of texture with no feel (gritty) of sugar left back. I then added the egg, vanilla and bitters to the mixture and give it a good whisk.

Then in a large bowl, I put the flour, cinnamon and baking powder and gave it good whisk to make sure everything is blended well. Then I poured in the creamed butter mixture and created a dough. This will be a bit tough to work, so I add the water I mentioned in the notes above. I’m not sure how this would work in an electric mixer, but manually it takes a bit of muscle. I ended up using my hands at one point.

The final step of preparing the dough is to fold in the shredded coconut and raisins.

With your oven at 350 degrees, grease a cookie sheet, or as I did.. line it with parchment paper. Now spoon on the batter onto the cookie sheet and bake for about 25-30 minutes. It will start to go golden. I did two batches of 12.

After about 25 minutes remove it from the oven and brush on the simple glaze. Basically it’s sugar dissolved in warm water and brushed onto the tops of the coconut drops. You can also sprinkle on some sugar on top of each,  to add that extra touch. Place back in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

The true master at these drops as well as coconut sweet bread is my grandmother, but she’s turning 95 this year so baking is out of the question these days. Reminds me that the next time I head down to the islands I’ll have to make sure and get her recipe. Before you head to your kitchen to make up a batch of these coconut drops, do leave me your comments below and be sure to connect with us on Facebook. And don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/coconut-drops-with-your-tea/feed/ 15 http://caribbeanpot.com/peanut-punch-for-two/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=peanut-punch-for-two http://caribbeanpot.com/peanut-punch-for-two/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:28:24 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=3040

There’s been a number of requests for a peanut punch recipe, so I caved in today and finally got around to putting one together. My dad who’s one of my go-to people when I’ve never made something before, is wintering in the Caribbean so this recipe cost me a long distance call. And though his recipe calls for using custard, which I didn’t use… you’ll be amazed at how simple, quick and how delicious this drink is. Peanut punch is one of those drinks that we tend to associate with sexual prowess in the Caribbean and it’s said to be good “for the back”… thoughts?

This recipe will yield enough for two people or one greedy person You can always make more by doubling the recipe.

You’ll Need…

8-10 cubes of ice
2 tablespoon peanut butter (smooth or chunky – your choice)
1 cup milk (again your choice – I used 2%)
1 tablespoon condensed milk (Sweetened)

Note: Once you’ve made this basic or traditional peanut punch you can experiment a bit by adding some of these ingredients…
- dash vanilla essence
- ripe banana
- dash nutmeg
- honey
- granola

* If you don’t have condensed milk, you can add sugar or honey as your sweetener or a combination of both.

You’ll need a blender or as I did, a magic bullet. Start by placing the ice in first. This way the condense milk and peanut butter will go on top of it and not settle on the bottom where the blades will not reach.

After the ice I put in the peanut butter, followed by the condense milk and milk. Then blend for about 30-40 seconds until everything breaks down and is incorporated evenly.

You’ll have a delicious, very filling, creamy and frothy drink. Serve immediately to make use of that ice we crushed during blending. Above you’ll notice that I listed some additional ingredients you can use as you become a bit more experimental. I would suggest adding one or two to start and go from there. For a more filling peanut punch, you can add the ripe bananas and/or granola I mentioned above.

My favorite memory of peanut punch other than the tetra packs my mom would have in her parlor, was going to visit my god father on Saturdays at his “chinee” shop in Princess Town, where he had peanut punch in the sort of fountain that had all the freshly made drinks. His fruit punch was also deadly!

Do leave me your comments below and don’t forget to join us on Facebook and Twitter and how can we forget the huge selection of cooking videos you can watch.

I’m not much of a dessert person, but I do enjoy scones (must have raisins) or coconut sweet bread with my morning cup of tea. These days is decaf tea and not those rich cups of Ovaltine and Milo I grew up on. I’ve been hitting the gym quite regularly (have to get in some sort of shape for carnival – look for me if you’re playing in Tribe) so I have to try and stay away from the condense milk sweetened cups of tea I so enjoyed back in those days. I still recall dipping my Crix in the cup and making a meal out of it. GOOD TIMES!

Here’s a simple recipe using chunks of ripe mango to give any boring muffin a punch of true Caribbean flavor. I just love the warm and homely feel you get when you have the alluring scent of baking coming out of the kitchen. If you’re ever trying to sell your home and you have an open house, bake something. Buyers (especially women) will be drawn to the property for sure.

You’ll Need…

1 ripe mango (peeled and cubed)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract.

* A nice addition to this would be chunks of pineapple as well – next time I decide to bake I’ll give that a shot.

This takes about 30 minutes from the time you start to the time the warm tasty treats comes out of the oven, so it’s a great treat for the family on a lazy Sunday morning.

Peel the skin from the mango with a vegetable peeler or pairing knife. Cut the mango vertically, with a sharp knife, sliding the knife along the seed on one side. Repeat on other side of the seed; cut any mango away from around the seed and chop the mango into small cubes. Be sure to use a ripe, but firm mango.

The next step is to mix all the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl; mix well. I used a whisk for this process so everything gets incorporated evenly.

BTW, while we’re getting the batter ready preheat your oven at 400. Combine the milk, oil, eggs, and almond extract in a medium bowl; whisk until smooth. Then add the milk mixture to the flour mixture; stir just until moistened (try not to over-mix). The final step is to stir the chopped mango gently into the batter. This step can be a bit messy if you’re anything like me, but pour the batter evenly into a 12 cup muffin pan.  Bake the mango muffins until golden brown, 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the muffins from the cups and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

* Don’t forget to lightly grease the muffin tray or do as I did and give it a good spray with baking spray.

Didn’t I say it was fairly easy and fast to make? Nothing beats a warm muffin on a cool morning with a hot cup or tea or coffee while you check your Facebook account to maco what your friends are up to. Speaking about Facebook… don’t forget to join our select group of foodies! CLICK HERE TO JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!

This day we had friends over for dinner and since I’ve been receiving tons of messages for a coconut ice cream recipe and the fact that our guests love ice cream, I thought it was time for me to dust off the ice cream maker we purchased a couple summers ago. Reluctantly I took the maker into the garage, since the sound of the churning was supposedly disturbing them… forget that this was helping me relive one of the most cherished childhood memories

You’ll Need…

4 tablespoon custard powder
4 cups of coconut milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 can condensed milk (sweetened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* I need to mention a few things about the ingredients I listed above.

Coconut milk – the traditional way is to get a couple dried coconuts, husk, grate, add water and squeeze out the milk from the pulp. But to save on time and sourcing “good” dried coconut was hard for me, so I opted for the milk in the can.

Heavy cream – to keep this a bit healthy I used 1/2 and 1/2 which is a cream with a lower fat content. But you’re free to use heavy cream or you can also substitute Carnation milk for the cream.

* If you’re using an ice cream maker that’s not one of the new ones (where you have to freeze the inserts before using) you’ll be required to have ice and some salt for the freezing process.

This is a very simple recipe, but you do need a couple hours of prep time to ensure that the cream mixture cools down in the fridge and you also have to factor in time for the ice cream maker.

Start by making a custard. In a deep pan/pot whisk together (over low heat) 1 cup of the coconut milk, the sugar, custard powder and heavy cream. Keep whisking as this can easily start to stick to the bottom of the pan and go lumpy. The goal is to get  a thick consistency and can take between 5-9 minutes. You’ll notice that it will be thick enough to start remaining on the sides of the pan (see pics below).

Turn off the stove and add all the other ingredients to the pot. Whisk like you’ve never whisked before (or use an electric mixer). It’s important that you break down any lumps that may form and to incorporate everything. Then place in the fridge to cool down for at least an hour.

After it cools, place in your ice cream maker and freeze according to it’s instructions. As I mentioned, we have one of the electric ones that churn away with the  aid of a small motor at the top. I placed the mixture in the ice cream container, attach the hood and then fill the side with ice. I had to purchase ice cubes so they could easily fit without having to break up further. After I packed the side with ice, I poured salt all over the ice and then turned on the machine. Now don’t ask me why I put the salt on the ice, it’s just something I saw my dad would do. Supposedly it’s to keep the ice/water at a constant temperature.Remember to keep adding ice and salt to the sides as necessary.

Normally I’d have pics showing what I mean by placing the ice, salt etc.. but I started making mango margaritas and I kinda forgot about taking pics.. . I do apologize. I’ll sahre the recipe for that treat soon.

Our machine took about 30 minutes to fully firm the ice cream and as I touched on above… the machine will start dragging when the ice cream is fully done. If you like soft serve textured ice cream you can enjoy the ice cream right now. However I like to empty the ice cream into freezer containers and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes to really firm out. This also allows me to keep small batches for when I next feel like a refreshing dessert – like today!

* Tip – If you like pieces of coconut in your ice cream, a quick fix is to purchase some shredded coconut from the grocers and add as a topping. To enhance the flavour of the shredded coconut, toast it on the stove for a couple minutes. I supposed you could also add it to the mixture before freezing… so it’s infused into the ice cream. The choice is yours, as I like my coconut ice cream naked! The pic with the sprinkles above, was for our daughter.

Please leave me your comments below as I’d love for this post go viral on the internet, so others can enjoy this wonderful ice cream. And don’t forget to join us on Facebook – click on the image below to get started.

Though I can’t recall, I was told by my mom that when I was younger I had a special craving for pound cake. However I do still remember the cake I would get every time someone from the islands came up for a visit, that my mom would send especially for me. I’m sure they broke all sorts of customs rules.

You’ll Need…

2 eggs
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup of oil or butter
1 1/4 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour

Start by setting your oven to preheat at 375F. Then cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla  together until light; beat the eggs and add to mixture. Then add the orange zest, juice, salt and yogurt. Finally add the baking powder and sift in the flour and mix thoroughly. I used a whisk, but if you prefer you can use a hand mixer or a food processor? Try to get it to a smooth batter.

All I did next was to spray some cooking (non stick) spray into the loaf pan that I was using and poured in the batter. If you don’t have non stick spray (and some people hate using that) grease and dust with flour to ensure that the cake is easy to remove once baked.

Now you oven should be up to the desired temperature. Bake on the middle rack for about 45 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick into it and get it out without any residue.

Enjoy… (allow to cool before slicing)

Don’t forget, if you know why my cake splits at the top, please do leave me a comment below. And don’t forget to enter this months contest, for the free magazine draw.

You’ll Need…

4 1/2 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup mixed fruit (cherry, orange peel etc)
1/2 cup sultana or raisins
3 cups coconut, grated (not dried or sweetened)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
2 eggs, well-beaten
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons almond essence
1/2 lb butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled.

* If you don’t have the mixed fruit, use: 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherry and 1/2 cup mixed peel.

In a large mixing bowl put the flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder… using a whisk, work a few times to incorporate the dry ingredients.

Then add the mixed fruit, grated coconut, raisins and sugar and whisk together. It will become a bit lumpy as the mixed fruit will be a bit wet.

The final step is to whisk the 2 eggs in a small bowl and add the milk as well as the melted butter and almond essence, then pour into the main bowl with everything else.

While we work the mixture preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Now using a cooking spoon or fork, work the batter until everything is incorporated into a batter (it will be almost cookie dough like) and not like a cake or bread batter. Don’t try to knead like you would normal bread. I really wish I had a pic to show you what the dough would look like, but my camera’s battery died and I couldn’t allow the dough to sit. It will be wet, heavy, sticky and very hard to work with the spoon.

Now all we need to do is grease your bread pans and pour in enough mixture about 3/4  the depth of the pan. You’ll need 2 pans. When your oven is ready place the 2 pans on the middle rack and allow to bake for about 60 minutes. At about 50 minutes I would recommend that you do a toothpick test by placing a toothpick in the middle of the bread and removing. If it’s clean when you remove it, the bread is cooked in the middle. If you find that the toothpick comes out with dough stuck to it, it means you’ll have to cook it a bit longer.

To add a nice touch, remove from the oven when done cooking all the way though. Then in a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar to form a glaze. Using this glaze, brush the bread and then sprinkle the top with some sugar and place back in the oven from about 5 minutes.

Remove from the pans and allow to cool before cutting. When you cut the coconut bread you will notice that it will not cut clean and will crumble.. this is natural!

Tip 1: When the coconut sweetbread is cooled, I would recommend that you wrap with plastic wrap to seal it off from air or it will dry up and become very crumbly.

Tip 2. Since there’s fresh grated coconut this bread can go bad relatively fast. I would leave it on the counter for about 3 days and after that store in the fridge for a few days more. However, I’m sure you’ll find that this bread won’t last long as your family will devour it very fast.

* I was tempted to use the shredded coconut you can get in the baking section of the grocery store, but was advised against it. As I was told the end product would not be as good as using fresh grated coconut. However if you do use the store bought shredded coconut and use it for this recipe, I’d love to know about your end results. BTW, make sure you use the finest shred you can get if this is your only option. (maybe you can pre-soak the shreaded coconut in the milk if you don’t have access to fresh grated coconut.)

Happy Cooking.

Chris…

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/how-to-make-coconut-sweet-bread/feed/ 47 http://caribbeanpot.com/the-simplicity-and-splendor-of-fry-plantains/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-simplicity-and-splendor-of-fry-plantains http://caribbeanpot.com/the-simplicity-and-splendor-of-fry-plantains/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:09:49 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=1464 Dad it’s getting black! Yup that’s what I heard the last 2 times I purchased plantains with the intention of sharing the simple recipe for fry plantains. I grew up eating fry plantains as a side to many dishes, but my absolute favourite was making sandwiches with these as the filler. I still recall my mom waiting just until the plantains would be so ripe they’d be very close to going black before she cook them. We were told that the more ripe (or quale) they went, the more sweet they would be. So this is exactly what I was trying to achieve, except with my rather busy schedule I tend to forget about them. Not until one of our girls point them out or when those pesky fruit flies appears, do I remember what I was trying to achieve.

For best results allow your ripe plantains to go a bit dark (it will look discoloured) before frying. In the pic below you’ll notice that the plantains I used were ripe, but were only just starting to go “quale” or discoloured.

You’ll Need..

1-2 ripe plantains
1-2 cups of vegetable oil for frying.
salt – optional
brown sugar – optional

Start by peeling the plantains. Do so by cutting off the ends and then cutting the plantain itself in the middle (as in the picture below).Discard the ends and get ready to peel off the skin and slice for frying.

Then using a small knife, cut through the skin along the length of the 2 pieces. Don’t go too deep as you only want to cut through the skin. Then peel back the skin and discard. Now cut thin strips (about 1/2 cm or little less than 1/4 inch) along the length of the piece of plantain.

The final step is to fry the pieces of sliced plantain. Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently place the pieces away from you to avoid hot oil splashing onto you. Allow to cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side (medium heat) or until it gets to the colour you like (use a fork to flip them over). The darker you allow it to go, it seems to also enhance the natural sugars in it. You’ll also notice that it floats when cooked through.

This is not a dish for the health conscious, since even though you pat dry on paper towels, the plantain tends to soak up a lot of the oil.

I usually sprinkle a little salt over mine and I know people who does the same with brown sugar… but you can enjoy these just the way they are when they cool a bit.

If you’ve ever purchased a rice dish at a Caribbean restaurant in North America you should have come across fried plantains served on the side. The Jamaican spot where I go for my jerk chicken with rice and peas, knows to give me a good potion of fry plantains with my takeout order.

Remember to leave me your comments below.

Happy Cooking.

]]> http://caribbeanpot.com/the-simplicity-and-splendor-of-fry-plantains/feed/ 17 http://caribbeanpot.com/an-energizing-mango-smoothie-with-a-tinge-of-orange-juice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-energizing-mango-smoothie-with-a-tinge-of-orange-juice http://caribbeanpot.com/an-energizing-mango-smoothie-with-a-tinge-of-orange-juice/#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:48:33 +0000 admin http://caribbeanpot.com/?p=1033 Looking back at my childhood it puzzles me as to what was our facination with imported fruits like apples, pears and grapes? It’s funny how when you move away from home you crave the things you took for granted. Like off-the-tree mangoes and oranges. Mangoes with such names as Julie, long, hog, dou dous (sp), belly full, Princess Town starch, calabash, donkey st*nes and turpentine to name a few. Today I’m stuck buying  the flavour less stuff we get in the supermarkets. Mangoes that were picked green so they could last the journey to North America and still have some shelf life.

I’m sure this will taste much better if I had the mangoes that grew in our yard as a kid, but you got to use what you have.. right!

You’ll need..

1 Cup diced ripe mango
1 cup yogurt
1 Orange (juice)
6 ice cubes
1 teaspoon honey

This is so simple! Dice one ripe mango into cubes and set aside in the freezer for about 1 hour. Then in you blender, food processor..or the magic bullet that you kinda stole borrowed from your dad, combine the ingredients mentioned above and blend (puree) for about 1-2 minutes.

This is so refreshing after a long summer’s day as you’re about to hit the hot tub to unwind!

BTW – I placed the diced mangoes in the freezer so I didn’t have to water-down the smoothie with too much ice. This way I was still able to keep the temperature of the finished drink/dessert chilly! If Tehya wasn’t having some of this with me, I’d add a shot of dark rum or Cointreau just for good measure

Do leave me your thoughts in  he comments box below. Almost forgot.. I didn’t have plain yogurt so I used a vanilla flavoured one which turned out to be awesome.

You’ll need…

410 g can mangoes in light syrup, drained well and finely chopped

1/4 cup (25 g) flaked almonds

large pinch ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

2 sheets ready-rolled puff pastry

8 teaspoons ready­made custard

1 egg, lightly beaten

milk, to brush

Let’s get started….
Preheat the oven to hot 220°C (425°F/ Gas 7). Lightly grease two baking trays. Pat the mango dry with paper towels and place in a bowl with the flaked almonds, cinnamon and half the sugar

Cut the pastry sheets into quarters on the diagonal to make eight triangles. Place one eighth of the mango filling in the center of each triangle, then top with 1 teaspoon custard.

Brush the edges with egg, fold in half and use a fork to seal the edges. Brush the pastry with a little milk and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Place on the prepared trays and bake for 10 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

Serve each person two turnovers with mango ice cream, if desired.

Note: If fresh mangoes are in season, finely chop 2 mangoes and use them instead of the canned mangoes.

You’ll need:

1 ripe pineapple

2-3 tablespoons of dark rum

1 teaspoon of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of whipped topping (try to avoid the canned stuff.. get some whipping cream and make your own – musch more tasty)

1/4 cup of shredded coconut.

Peel pineapple and cut crosswise into 6 slices. Place in a bowl and drizzle the rum and sugar over the slices. Mix around so every piece gets coated (would be nice to let it sit for about 3-5 minutes – covered so the rum does not evaporate). On a medium hot grill, place the slices for about 10 minutes, turning once. Remember to watch closely since the sugars can burn and become overly charred.

Top with the whipped cream and shredded coconut… feel free to add a nice heaping scoop of your favorite ice cream.