Desserts Archives - Page 5 of 6

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.

Banana Fritters A Caribbean Favourite.

March 5, 2012August 9, 201184 Comments

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….

Frozen Caribbean Watermelon Treat.

March 5, 2012July 26, 201122 Comments

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….

Sweet Spicy Sour Tambran Balls.

May 28, 2025July 6, 201133 Comments

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.

Coconut Drops With Your Tea.

March 5, 2012May 22, 201146 Comments

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.

Peanut Punch For Two.

March 5, 2012January 26, 201149 Comments

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.

Yummy Mango Muffins.

March 5, 2012November 8, 201021 Comments

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!

A Vintage Trinbagonian Coconut Ice Cream Recipe.

March 5, 2012July 11, 201057 Comments

“Can you take that into the garage, it’s getting loud?” Are you freaking kidding me? As a kid the sound of the hand crank (and later on the electric one) ice cream pail (maker) was music to our ears. Sunday afternoons especially when we had family visiting, meant home made coconut ice cream (or sour sop, barbadine… any fruit that was in season). As kids we would circle that ice cream pail like hawks ready to pounce on it’s prey. The key was listening closely to the hum of the ice cream maker, since it got to a sort of dragging pace/sound when the ice cream was firm inside – it was then time to attack.

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.

A Quick And Simple Orange Flavored Loaf Cake.

March 5, 2012March 25, 201078 Comments

I’ll be the first to admit that baking is NOT one of my strong points, but I’m slowly getting the hang of this and I’m quite confident that I’ll perfect it pretty soon. I’m still to figure out why my cakes tend to split in the middle (top) when baked – maybe one of my readers can help with this? This recipe is pretty straight forward so I won’t go into much detail as with other recipes I post.But I still have a few pics to help you along the way.

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.

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How to make coconut sweet bread.

March 5, 2012November 29, 2009168 Comments

My grandmother seems to posses the “sweet-hand” for making a killer coconut sweetbread and though I’ve never formally asked her to share it with me, I’ve been playing around with developing a recipe to try and match hers. However with her 94 years of experience, I doubt I’ll ever be able to come close to equaling hers. This morning I started off the day GRAND… with a large cup of tea and a couple slices of fresh-baked coconut sweet bread and it took me right back to my child hood.

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…

The simplicity and splendor of fry plantains.

March 5, 2012November 2, 200941 Comments

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.

An energizing mango smoothie with a tinge of orange juice.

March 5, 2012August 15, 200934 Comments

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.