I grew up eating breadfruit in a number of ways, but only as an adult when we visited Tobago some years ago, did I have my first delicious encounter with breadfruit pie. It was a long day of driving around the island, when we stopped at Jemma’s Seaview Kitchen for a late lunch. The stewed fish with this amazing breadfruit pie hit the spot and with the soothing sound of the waves crashing just feet away.. the ‘ritis’ kicked in. Since that day I vowed to come up with a recipe for breadfruit pie to equal what we enjoyed that memorable day.

You’ll Need…

1 breadfruit (about 4lbs)
1.5 cups evaporated milk
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
1 cup grated “medium” cheddar
1/2 cup Monterrey jack Cheese
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
1/4 scotch bonnet pepper diced fine
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* salt the water when cooking the breadfruit (1/4 teaspoon)

Notes: Top with bread crumbs (optional).. reserve 1/4 cup of cheddar to top the mix before going in the oven. You may need an extra 1/4 cup of liquid (milk, cream or water) to thin the cheese sauce if it goes too thick. You can use your favorite type of cheese to personalize this dish if you wanted. Remember to wear gloves when handling scotch bonnet peppers and wash your hands with soap immediately after. Do NOT include any seeds as that’s where most of the heat is.

We’ve got to pre-boil the breadfruit before we can assemble it in the pie for baking. Cut off the stem part, then rest that flat side down on your counter and cut into wedges. Then peel the skin off with a potato peeler or sharp pairing knife. The final step is to remove the sort of spongy center (almost like the continuation of the stem), so you’re left with a wedge that all breadfruit meat.

Rinse with cool water, place in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, salt and allow to cook until it’s tender. It will take about 20 minutes and as it boils you’ll notice it will change color (a bit darker). To be sure it’s fully cooked, pierce with a sharp knife and make sure there’s no resistance. Drain and set aside to cool a bit.

In another sauce pan heat the butter on low heat, then as it melts add the flour and cook for about 4-5 minutes. It’s important that you constantly whisk it, so the flour does not clump or burn. Now add the evaporated milk, turn up the heat to medium and whisk. Add all the other ingredients (except the breadfruit.. remember to save back a bit of cheese for topping) and cook for a couple minutes. Until you have a thick, but smooth sauce. Remember to add a bit more liquid if it’s overly thick.

It’s now time to assemble the breadfruit pie. Slice each wedge of cooked breadfruit about 1/4 inch thick, then place a layer onto a greased cooking dish. Add a layer of cheese, then another layer of sliced breadfruit and top with the remaining cheese sauce. Sprinkle on the grated cheese we reserved.

Place on the middle rack of a pre-heated 350F oven and bake for about 30 minutes. Since I used a shallow baking dish I placed it onto a cookie sheet, so it would be easy to remove from the oven and if any cheese bubbled over, it wouldn’t cause a mess in my oven. After 30 minutes I turned on my broiler and let it go for 2-3 minutes to give it that wicked golden touch on top.

Allow it to cool for a couple minute to really set, then dig in. This breadfruit pie would be enough to serve 5-6 people as a side dish. I assure you that this one will be a hit with your family. The lovely texture or the breadfruit, combined with that wicked cheese sauce we made and the slight zing for the scotch bonnet peppers, will have you wanting more. The first time I put this one together it took me right back to that day we had lunch in Tobago… the only thing missing was the sound of the waves and cool ocean breeze.

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.

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Ultimate Breadfruit Pie

Cuisine: Trinidadian Courses: Breads & Bakes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian Recipe Keys: Dairy Gluten Free Vegetarian

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 50 mins Marinate Time 5 mins Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Servings: 6

Description

A Caribbean-style layered breadfruit casserole with creamy cheese sauce, perfect as a comforting main or hearty side.

Ingredients

1 large breadfruit (about 4 lb)
1 ¹⁄₂ cups evaporated milk
2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
¹⁄₂ cup Monterey Jack cheese (grated)
1 medium onion (chopped)
Salt and black pepper, to taste
(Optional)

Instructions

Video

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Peel and prepare the breadfruit by cutting off the stem, slicing into wedges, peeling the skin, and removing the core.

+1 photos
Boil wedges in salted water for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and cool slightly.
In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 4–5 minutes to form a smooth roux.
Slowly whisk in evaporated milk. Add parsley, onion, mustard, scotch bonnet (if using), nutmeg, black pepper, and cheeses (reserve 1/4 cup cheddar for topping). Stir until thick and smooth.

+1 photos
Slice boiled breadfruit into 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer half in a greased baking dish, then pour over half the cheese sauce. Repeat with remaining breadfruit and sauce.
Sprinkle top with reserved cheddar (and breadcrumbs if using).
Slice each wedge of cooked breadfruit about 1/4 inch thick, then place a layer onto a greased cooking dish. Add a layer of cheese sauce, then another layer of sliced breadfruit and top with the remaining cheese sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F (175°C), then broil for 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
Rest 5 minutes before serving.

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Desserts

Carrot Pineapple Muffins.

September 27, 2012September 20, 20128 Comments

Note From Chris… Friends it’s with great pleasure I introduce you to Jessica Samantha Hylton, an island girl who among other things, publishes Jessiker Bakes. I convinced her to share her recipe for carrot pineapple muffins with us. Please show her some love and appreciation by going over to visit her website for most delectable recipes. You can learn more about Jessica in the short bio at the end of the recipe.. you’ll also find a link to her website there as well.

_____________________________________________

I wanted to do these cupcakes because they’re reminiscent not only to what’s going on over at my blog right now but also in my life metaphorically. It’s health month over at my blog Jessiker Bakes where I’m trying to show the balance between recipes that are tasty but are still healthy.

Similarly, there’s the balance of not only keeping my own lifestyle healthy but also balancing law school and my general life. I’ve just started this Monday and I can already see how hectic it’s going to be.

Making these cupcakes only took about 30 minutes and they’re so healthy you can have one for breakfast with yogurt or fruit so I know they will help me through this week at least! I hope they are also equally encouraging to you in real life and metaphorically if you’re also trying to find some balance in this crazy world!

About the actual muffins? They’re moist and simple; the only length to this baking process is the grating of the carrots and chopping of the pineapples. They’re also very delicious – I’m a pineapple fanatic! – and can also just simply be used by you as a guilt free way to end a long work or school day with a delicious treat topped with a little fat free cream cheese frosting I’m going to be sharing with you also. I hope you make them and enjoy them!

Carrot Pineapple Muffins [from Bella Eats / makes 12 whole grain, no added fat, naturally-sweetened muffins / adapted from Sweet and Natural Baking, by Mani Niall]

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups white/whole wheat pastry flour
3 tbsp oat bran *
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
4 large egg whites
1/2 cup light agave nectar
1/2 cup skim milk
1-1/3 cups grated carrots
3/4 cup diced pineapple
12 chunks of fresh or canned pineapple, about 1 x 1 x 1/2 inch in size

*Jessica says: note you can make this by simply grinding oats, whether traditional or quick oats.

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly spray a standard 12-cup muffin pan with vegetable oil spray.

Step 2: Sift together the flour, bran, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt into a medium bowl.

Step 3: In another medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer set at high speed, beat the egg whites with all the agave nectar until soft peaks form.

Step 4: Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the milk.

Step 5: Mix flour slowly into egg whites until combined.

Step 6: Stir in the carrots and the diced pineapple.

Step 7: Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Top each muffin with a pineapple chunk.

Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes, run a knife around the inside of the cups to release the muffins, and remove from the cups. Serve the muffins warm or at room temperature.

TIP: To freeze, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place the muffins in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. They should keep for up to 3 months.

Fat Free Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz tub of Sugar Free Cool Whip
8oz Philadelphia Fat Free Cream Cheese
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup Splenda (based on your taste)
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients until mixed for at least 2 minutes. Use immediately or set in fridge in a closed container.

About Jessica Samantha Hylton

Jessica Samantha Hylton is a 21-year-old blogger and law student at the Norman Manley Law School of Jamaica who also founded and owns her own baking company, Jessiker Bakes. Born in Jamaica but has lived in the British Virgin Islands for almost half her life, she has an avid love for traveling and seeing new places. When she isn’t baking or reading for her degree, Jessica volunteers at Campion College as the synchronized swimming coach where she has been doing so for the past 2 years. Her favourite hobbies include baking, synchronized swimming, reading, listening to music, blogging, learning new programming codes and a new found love for kick-boxing.

Jessica’s blog can be found at Jessiker Bakess <<< click to visit.

Desserts

Cassava Pone

May 26, 2025August 4, 201291 Comments

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked for a cassava pone or “doubles” recipe, yuh boy would be rich. No Joke! Though I’m still to come up with a good doubles recipe, I’m very excited to share this tasty cassava pone recipe with you all. I’m sure “bake and shark” will replace the requests for cassava pone now that I’ve finally got around to getting this up.

As there are islands in the Caribbean, so too the many recipes for making pone as it’s lovingly referred to at times. In this recipe I’ve tried my best to cover all the basics to give you a mouth watering slice of cassava pone, but you can certainly personalize it as you get better at it. I do things a little different than my mom (who’s recipe I used as the base for this), and dare I say my version is better than hers?

You’ll Need…

3 cups grated sweet cassava
1 cup grated coconut
1 cup grated pumpkin
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoon melted butter
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon grated ginger
½ cup raisins

Notes: Some work is required as far as the grating of the cassava and pumpkin, but you can also use a food processor or purchase the already grated cassava from your local (well stocked) grocery store and those of us in North America, can certainly use pumpkin pie filling. I know it’s not traditional, but sometimes convenience beats out on tradition. Same can be said for using canned coconut milk and not worrying about grating dried coconuts to get the milk out.

The first step is to peel, wash and grate the cassava and pumpkin. The skin on both the pumpkin and cassava will be a bit tough so you’ll need a sharp pairing knife or potato peeler. Now it’s just a matter of grating both items. It will take a bit of labor and do watch out for your fingers when the pieces get small as you grate away. At that point I usually use a piece of paper towel to hold onto the small pieces so I have a better grip. If you’re not in the Caribbean or somewhere tropical where cassava is grown, you may notice that it’s skin may be waxy. I believe the cassava is dipped in wax to help prolong it’s shelf life when it’s exported so don’t be alarmed. I’ve been told that you can find already peel cassava in the frozen section of the grocery store, which works well for this recipe. But I can’t confirm the results when used as I’ve never personally used frozen cassava.

Now it’s just a matter of assembling everything into a thick batter. Start off with a large bowl (you’ll need a wooden spoon or whisk) and add in the coconut milk, sugar and spice. Give that a good whisk to break down the sugar. Then add everything else and mix well. In the mean-time preheat your oven to 350F.

The next step is to grease a baking pan/dish (I used a ceramic pie dish).. you can use cooking spray or a light coat of butter as I did. Now pour in the batter into the baking dish and place on the middle rack of your now hot oven.

Since every oven differs when it comes to maintaining it’s heat and distribution, you’re aiming for 1 hour of baking. However if you find that the middle of the cassava pone is still wet or not as firm or golden brown as the edges, do allow it to bake for 10-20 minutes more. I ended up leaving mine for an extra 15 minutes if memory serves me right. I did the toothpick test.. stick a toothpick into the middle of the pone and if it comes out clean it means it’s fully cooked.

It’s very important (and you’ll need to ignore the temptation) that you allow the cassava pone to fully cool before slicing.

Your entire house will be blanketed with the lovely aroma of baking goodness and don’t be surprised if your loved ones keep asking “is it done yet?”. I purposely turned on the fan above our oven (vent) to pump the enticing scent throughout the neighborhood. You could hear neighbors mutter “what is he making now”, area dogs were barking hysterically and people on their evening walk would pause as they walked by our house (with a quizzed expression on their faces). Yea.. the wicked chef is at work again!

There is a bit of work involved if you choose to grate your ingredients, but I assure it will be well worth the effort. If you’re not from the Caribbean and you do have friends from the region.. make one of these and surprise them. you’ll instantly get an island passport of choice (smile).

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.

Desserts

Sour Cherry Jam.

July 21, 2012July 21, 201244 Comments

Depending on which island you’re from you may have a different name for these sour cherries as I found out when I posted a pic to the facebook fan page. However, one thing is common throughout the Caribbean.. the way we prepare this sour cherry jam. Sour is usually the word we use as North Americans would use “tart” to describe the taste or flavor of something. So with that in mind, I must say that these cherries are good for two things.. making chow ( a spicy pickle) and for stewing down into this crude form of jam. Too sour to do much else.

A rather simple recipe which takes me back to my school boy days, when my daily allowance would be spent on a portion of these from the vendors outside the school compound in San Fernando, during recess break.

You’ll Need…

3 cups Caribbean sour cherries
1 cup sugar (white)
2 sticks cinnamon
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger (grated)
1 cup water
8-10 drops red food coloring

Notes: Please allow this cherry jam to cool fully before serving.. it will be very hot. Though this is considered a jam it will have the seeds, so be aware when eating.

We first have to take some of the “sour” out of the cherries, so put the cherries into a deep pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Not only will we remove the tart taste, we’ll also get the sour cherries very tender. Let it go on a rolling boil for 20 minutes, then take off the heat, strain and get ready for the next step.

Then pour the now cooked cherries into a saucepan on low heat and add the sugar, pinch of salt, cinnamon, ginger, 1 cup of water and red food colouring. Bring this up to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.

As this sour cherry jam stews down, it will get infused by the lovely aromas of the cinnamon and ginger and the sugar will give it that lovely balance good jam should have. Allow this to simmer for 30 minutes with the saucepan covered. Remember to stir every 7-10 minutes. By now the cherries should have absorbed the rich red color (as it would be done traditionally) and start to fall apart from being very tender. The goal now is to thicken the liquid, so remove the lid and cinnamon sticks, then turn up the heat. When it starts off it will not be as red, but the more it stews down, it will intensify. So if you need to add more food coloring (if you want it more red), add near the end so you can gauge how red it is better.

As it thickens, do taste for sugar and adjust accordingly. I ended up adding 2 extra tablespoons of sugar to my batch. Since your cherries may be more sour (or sweet) than the ones I used (no 2 are the same), you may have to add some sugar. Yes, you can use brown sugar if you wish. It will take about 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken up, but try not to burn off all the liquid as it will thicken up when it cools down.

Unlike other jams, this sour cherry jam is not a spreadable jam as there is a seed in every cherry and more for snacking.. unless you know of a way to de-seed the cherries (do share with me) and as I mentioned above.. do let it cool before sampling. You can bottle and store this in the fridge for a couple months, but I know it will be gone before then.

I’d love to know what name you know these sour cherries as and do say which island you’re from, in your comments below.

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.

Desserts

Banana Bread Pudding

May 26, 2025May 15, 201225 Comments

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.

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.

Desserts

Hot Cross Buns.

April 9, 2012April 9, 201230 Comments

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.

Desserts

Coconut Battered Banana.

April 1, 2012April 1, 201212 Comments

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.

Desserts

How To Make Banana Nut Bread.

March 12, 2012March 12, 201234 Comments

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.

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Desserts Gluten Free

How To Make Coconut Sugar Cake.

November 13, 2014January 22, 201250 Comments

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 desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
2 bay leaves
thick slice of fresh ginger
4-6 drops red food coloring (optional)

Important: If doing this dessert according to a gluten free diet, do go through the ingredients mentioned above to make sure they meet with you specific gluten free dietary needs.

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 desiccated 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.

Desserts

Cinnamon And Brown Sugar Plantains.

May 28, 2025January 11, 201255 Comments

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.

Desserts

How To Make Caribbean Black Cake Part 2

May 26, 2025December 24, 2011110 Comments

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 F 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.

Desserts

How To Make Caribbean Black Cake Part 1

May 26, 2025December 24, 201128 Comments

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.

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