Christmas recipes

[kayt]

My mother already has her fruit soaking for her black cake. What's your recipies for this and other dishes for the holiday season?

[strombo23]

^^^ nice. i goin an do d same this week :) . i only tinkin bout pamie and pastels an ah done pick out fig leaves from meh neighbour's trees :D .

[strombo23]

haha...ah seein like plenty ppl visitin dem relative n friends and just NOT cookin dis Christmas :lol:

[Sumana]

mommy make black cake las week

[kayt]

I usually bake 1 chocolate cake, 1 cherry vanilla cake and 1 upside down pear cake for the season this serves my younger sister and I along with my nephew. My mother does the fruitcakes. I send a chocolate cake to my older sis for her lot and they fight over it. I'll have to send one for my neice separately since she's set up her own home with her baby.

An easy cake recipe is
6 oz butter,
6 oz sugar, 6 oz flour,
3 eggs with flavourings and baking power,
baked at gas mark 5 or 175 degrees. For every 2 oz butter + 2 oz sugar + 2oz flour there's one egg. With that ratio you can make a bigger or smaller cake.

Some flavouring are ,
lemon zest & juice,
orange zest, vanilla or vanilla essence,
mixed spice
and fruit.

[draja]

mommy make black cake las week

Torturing people eh. So she doh no yuh have "friends" up hya. It wouldn spoil if she put plenty rum in it.

[Sumana]

LOL actually, she sent up a cake with her sister that went back to Canada, and she's sending up another one with some friends that went to NY, but she's gotta do another batch soon though!!! Daddy always teases her that she shud open a fruitcake business for Christmas time

[draja]

Daddy always teases her that she shud open a fruitcake business for Christmas time

Your dad has a super idea, and it does not have to be Christmas time. Put it on the web and it will be anytime day or night. That's how big bussiness is born with a simple little idea like that, and with the web it's world wide in any time zone. There's software that you can do it yourself cheap.

[Sumana]

:lol: :lol: :lol: i'll tell mum

[kayt]

Last year when my mother was sharing out cake someone asked her if she was taking orders for this year. She didn't follow it up but it is a good idea for a little starter business for the right sort of person.

[cocoa]

So where is de Black cake recipe :)

[kayt]

^^ you'll have to ask my mother. I see her with eggs, flour, butter, caramel, brown sugar,(if she uses the darkest brown sugar, mollases sugar then no caramel is needed), mixed spice, orange/lime zest and the soaked fruit. She doesn't measure anything. It all just goes into the mix in a big big bowl and the table is strewn with greased ulp tins, oven hotting up. What flavourings or extras she adds is her secret.

[cocoa]

Please list any christmas recipes you know including drinks, thanks in advance. :mrgreen:

[Jenny]

cranberry and cinnamon muffins...lovely for breakfast....with hot choccie milk

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup vegetable margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp cinammon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
PREPARATION:
Grease one 12-cup muffin pan or use paper inserts.
Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs, beating well, and stir in cranberrues. Sift dry ingredients. Add to egg mixture, mix well. Pour into muffin cups and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

[cocoa]

Thanks Jenny, come on guys, how about rum cake, pone, ginger beer....ect.

[sapodila]

So who making pastels!

[sapodila]

I find this recipe interesting, since it calls for condensed milk.... and Jamaicans do make great pone.


Ancy's Cassava Pone

This recipe by Ancelata Worrell of St. Catherine, Jamaica was a winner in the 1994 National Culinary Arts Competition. Recipe courtesy Jamaica Tourist Board.

675 grams cassava, grated
225 grams grated sweet potato
225 grams flour
250 ml evaporated milk
200 ml coconut cream (juice)
225 grams grated coconut
125 ml condensed milk
15 grams nutmeg
15 grams cinnamon
10 ml vanilla
5 ml almond
10 ml melted margarine
225 grams sugar
225 grams raisins
15 grams salt

Combine all liquid ingredients in one bowl and all dry ingredients in another. Pour liquid on dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Pour in greased baking tin. Bake at 400 degrees F until done. Serve with your choice of sauce.

[sapodila]

Homemade Ginger Beer

The ginger beer's appearance will not be clear / sparkling

1 quart water
4 oz fresh ginger, unpeeled and finely grated
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

In a pot, bring water to a boil, and shut off heat.
Add grated ginger and lime juice.
Cover and let stand for one hour.
Add the light brown sugar and stir well to dissolve.
Strain the liquid through a fine strainer. Let cool.

Take a spoon or ladle and firmly press down on the ginger to extract its flavor when straining.

Pour the cool liquid through a funnel into a covered bottle or storage container.

Ginger beer can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Try to use when fresh, as the strength of the ginger fades each day, and the ginger beer eventually starts to ferment.

Shake well before using.

Double the recipe for more.

[Jenny]

I would love a nice pastel recipe...anyone?!?!!? :D

[sapodila]

Pastelles

2 cups cornmeal
1 oz butter
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups boiling water

Put cornmeal into mixing bowl, add chopped butter, oil and seasonings. Pour in boiling water, and quickly blend using a round-edged knife. (test between fingers; when pressed together, it must be smooth not sticky.)

Traditionally Pork / Beef is used. None users of these can sub with chicken or veggies :)

Beef fillings:

2 lb lean meat, finely cut or minced
6 red and green cooking peppers cut into small pieces
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
tomato ketchup to your taste
1 lb capers
2 lb. raisins plus 2 tablespoon for chopping
3 onions chopped finely
Spanish thyme
French thyme
basil
8 olives
banana leaves/ soharee leaves / aluminum foil

Heat oil, add garlic. Add meat and saute until light brown. .Add chopped onions, tomato ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer on low heat for about five minutes. Add herbs, chopped olives, capers, raisins, cooking peppers and simmer on low heat, until meat is tender and flavour is developed. Stock may be used at this stage and cooking continued at low heat. Filling should be tender and moist.

Prepare banana leaves.

Wilt in boiling water, or over a flame. Wipe leaves dry and cut in squares. Rub the leaves/foil with oil. Make sure leaves are well oiled before putting on corn.

Spread a small ball of corn on the leaf. Pat down. Place a square of wet muslin over the corn mixture and roll out thinly, using a rolling pin or pastelle press or your fingers.

Put about a tablespoon of meat filling mixture in the center of cornmeal.

Fold half of leaf over, bringing with it the flattered corn mixture. Fold over the other half to cover.

Now fold leaf to make a parcel.

Place into another leaf of opposite grain or if using foil, omit the second leaf covering. Tightly fold over the ends, if foil is used.

If leaves are used, tie with string and.......

put into a colander over boiling water, cover pot and steam. Use a double boiler or two pots of different sizes and a colander. Don't let water touch your pastelles :)

Steam for one hour. Remove from over boiling water and place pastelles on a flat surface.

Ingredients for vegetarian fillings:
1.5 - 2 lbs cooked lentils
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon raisins
1/2 lb capers
12 olives
2 carrots chopped
3 pimentos chopped
1 sprig celery minced
2 cloves garlic minced

Use same method for veggie version............only steam for 25 minutes.

[BW]

dotish question, but can you eat sorrel raw?

[sapodila]

Hey...........why not! It sour like #$%^..........but deliciuos with salt..........wash it first eh! yuh doh want no prickley tingy in yuh mouth :lol:

[Jenny]

Oh gorsh Sapodilla...thank yuh...I wanted to make something traditional from Trinidad to take over to my inlaws...!!! Wish me luck!

[sapodila]

Good luck! :D ............oh by the way........Trini's have adopted the pastelles as tradition........it's really Hispanic / Latinos.........Tamales! They use dried corn husk as well as banana leaves. Hey Jenny..... since you have all dem gadgets.........do you happen to have a chinese bamboo steamer? That would work very great! :)

[Jenny]

yups got a bamboo steamer...i keep it like new cause i does line it wid grease proof paper before i put anything in it...
oh gorsh yea, good idea Sap, thanks eh!!!
I go hafta use foil to wrap them up cause it eh have no fig tree whey i livin... :lol:

[sapodila]

Foil work well............zip lock sandwich bags work too! :)

[sapodila]

Chunky Chocolate Fudge Wreath with Walnuts and Currants

INGREDIENTS
12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (save the can)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounce can walnuts, plus more for topping
1/2 cup raisins or dried currants (a couple of handfuls)
candied red and green cherries to decorate top (like holly)
softened butter to grease an 8 inch round cake pan


Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter. Pour the chocolate and butterscotch chips, condensed milk and vanilla into a medium saucepan. Put the pan on the stove and turn the heat to low.
Cover the empty condensed milk can with plastic wrap and put it in the center of the round cake pan.
Stir the chips and milk until they melt together, about 3 minutes. Stir in nuts and raisins. Scoop the fudge into the cake pan all around the plastic-covered can in the center to form a wreath or ring shape. Let it be all bumpy on top. Keep pushing the can back to the center if the fudge moves it away from there. Cut the red cherries in half with scissors and the green cherries into quarters. Use the green pieces to make leaves and the red to make holly berries. Decorate the fudge with several groups of holly berry sprigs made from the cherries and garnish with walnuts between the sprigs.
Put the fudge in the fridge and chill until firm. Remove the can from the center, then loosen the sides and bottom of the fudge with a spatula. Cut the fudge into thin slices to serve.
To give the wreath as a gift-wrap in cellophane and secure with a bow or ornament.

[kayt]

Where's the punch-a-creme recipes?

[sapodila]

Oh Gosh girl...........buy ah pack ah egg nog and mix in 1/2 bottle ah white rum, grate some nutmeg over it and a couple dashes of angostura bitters and in it nah! :lol: Ah tired to think and write now!

[sapodila]

Littleone.........ah coming through fuh yuh deary...........Merry Christmas!

Punch-a-creama
6 eggs very well beaten
2 limes grate the zest ONLY
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 cans evaporated milk
2 cups white rum
2 dashes angostura bitters
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl .... whisk the eggs....... over a pot of steaming hot water for approx 3 - 4 minutes. ...Make sure the water not boiling to scramble the eggs :lol: .... beat eggs and lime zest using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Gradually pour in the condensed milk while continuing to mix

Add the carnation milk.

Stir in the rum and bitters, and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Transfer to a bottle and chill well before serving.

NOTE: If it is too thick........add some more evapourated milk and sweeten with more condensed milk to taste. If yuh doh drink alco..... get a taster :D

[brag]

Before I stopped drinking, I used to mix Guiness stout and eggnog together as a Christmas drink. It brought me memories of my childhood Christmas with my maternal grandparents. A particualr neighbor always prepared this special Christmas drink only for the children. It was a great home made drink, but now you do not have to make the eggnog yourself, but just buy the eggnog and blend it with stout.

[vaio]

saps you have anymore?

[Amelia]

Gosh I want to move een by saps yes! Jus for the food....and uh...saps wonderful company of course. :mrgreen:

[sapodila]

:lol: you're both welcome!

Gyuls.........when we were growing up we never ate outside except at a selected few neighbours houses and some relatives of course. Our mother and father had specific house rules that were written in stone. Would you belive that the first time I ate at a restaurant was in Canada? That was the worst experience ever thought........it was KFC! I and my siblings had never dined at any restaurants in Trinidad. My lil sis does now from time tuh time, now that she has all those social events to attend! We were raised by excellent cooks and became not to shabby in the kitchen either. There was / is always experiments in the kitchen. I am amazed at my big daughter efforts in the kitchen. She prepares some amazing gourmet meals for her Dad and siblings when I'm not at home........sometimes when I'm at home too eh :D This year my kids are cooking their Christmas presents........all three of them. One is making biscotti and petti fours ( marzipan covered and all) which would be boxed / tin canned and wrapped for her friends and colleagues, the other - cupcakes to decorate into wreaths for his friends and cousins and the last one is making sugar cookies which will be decorated and placed in miniature aluminium buckets ( like ice buckets ) for her friends and teachers. So you see, the tradition of cooking continues.

[guyguy]

That's really, really great Saps. Good for the children to know how to cook.

[Amelia]

:lol: you're both welcome!

Gyuls.........when we were growing up we never ate outside except at a selected few neighbours houses and some relatives of course. Our mother and father had specific house rules that were written in stone. Would you belive that the first time I ate at a restaurant was in Canada? That was the worst experience ever thought........it was KFC! I and my siblings had never dined at any restaurants in Trinidad. My lil sis does now from time tuh time, now that she has all those social events to attend! We were raised by excellent cooks and became not to shabby in the kitchen either. There was / is always experiments in the kitchen. I am amazed at my big daughter efforts in the kitchen. She prepares some amazing gourmet meals for her Dad and siblings when I'm not at home........sometimes when I'm at home too eh :D This year my kids are cooking their Christmas presents........all three of them. One is making biscotti and petti fours ( marzipan covered and all) which would be boxed / tin canned and wrapped for her friends and colleagues, the other - cupcakes to decorate into wreaths for his friends and cousins and the last one is making sugar cookies which will be decorated and placed in miniature aluminium buckets ( like ice buckets ) for her friends and teachers. So you see, the tradition of cooking continues.

:| I dont even know what is a biscotti.
Saps, adopt meh nuh.

[sapodila]

yuh too ole fuh me tuh adopt yuh gyul :lol:

Ah will post a biscotti recipe fuh yuh. I have tuh take de lil one out of de house before she goes mad here, her siblings already leave with their Dad and didn't include her in their plans :roll: Now I'm stuck with the whiner!

[Amelia]

yuh too ole fuh me tuh adopt yuh gyul :lol:

Ah will post a biscotti recipe fuh yuh. I have tuh take de lil one out of de house before she goes mad here, her siblings already leave with their Dad and didn't include her in their plans :roll: Now I'm stuck with the whiner!

Buh how saps could say I ole :?
Saps, u could be meh big sister.
I will even babysit the little one. We will make biscotti. :mrgreen:

[vaio]

who making biscotti for me....looks like i not doing any cooking this christmas, not even the turkey. Thank goodness for mothers-in-law and mothers eh ;)

I had some chicken ham this weekend, that was so good...them ppl saying it tasting just like the real ham :?

[saltwater]

Saps, where the sorrel recipe. I going to try it out on my own.

[guyguy]

Saps, where the sorrel recipe. I going to try it out on my own.
Aye gyul,
Yuh know how tuh make ANYTHING at all? Fuss waz turkey fuh Thanksgivin' now iz Sorrel. Wat nex? Peanut punch? Look oman, go buy ah cookbook nuh. :D :D :D

[saltwater]

Whappen to you. i could make the best dhalpurie from scratch. If you taste my dhalpurie you will never go commercial.

[guyguy]

Whappen to you. i could make the best dhalpurie from scratch. If you taste my dhalpurie you will never go commercial.
Hmmm .... well, if yuh cud make rell good dhalpuri from scratch, den you iz de borse cook in my book one time.

[Mivo]

I doh have to cook too much, as long as I make meh kids favorite:
Dhalpuri
channa an aloo
fry bodi
salad
Cake

already bought!
Peardrax
sparkling cider
solo and chubby

[snowbird]

Amelia love yuh seasonal avatar....... which reminds me I should pull out that trusted pastel recipe ;)

(which is really the phone number of my girlfried who makes delicious pastels...... time to put in my order) :D

[saltwater]

I found this in a Trini website

Casava Pone:
Ingredients
2 cups grated cassava (yuca)
1 cup grated coconut, fresh or dried, unsweetended
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons buter, melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Transfer to a greased 8 inch square baking dish and bake at 350 degree F until brown and firm to the touch.
2. Cut into small squares and serve.

[snowbird]

^^^
I have a good recipe for pone too...... actually, is meh Trini friend from around the courner have it..... she doz jus bring meh 'the finished product' :lol: huuuuuuum huuuuuuuum good!!!

[sapodila]

Just like I promised some photos form Christmas eve....

[shaddeck]

@sapodilla, invite meh next christmas, pleeeassee!

[sapodila]

@sapodilla, invite meh next christmas, pleeeassee!
Yes! yes! I will...........because is you who will be doing the cooking, while I oil my feet and put it up! :lol:

[guyguy]

Saps,
Like yuh had ah bhandara gyul? Ah coming wit shaddeck by you next Christmas eh ... but only if Saltwater come too wit she han loaded. Yuh know how she like tuh show op by people house wit she han swingin', ent? :D :D :D :)

[sapodila]

Aye de more de merrier! This year was fourteen of them jus so jus so ( everybody does want tuh do dey business this side of town ONLY CHRISTMAS TIME tuh end up by sap house) it was a task keeping up with vegetarian and non vegetarian, working two kitchens and dishes fuh so. Who knows what or who the new year will bring........ Salt and all.....

[saltwater]

I cyah come. My house does be full.

[saltwater]

Saps,
Like yuh had ah bhandara gyul? Ah coming wit shaddeck by you next Christmas eh ... but only if Saltwater come too wit she han loaded. Yuh know how she like tuh show op by people house wit she han swingin', ent? :D :D :D :)
You feel I doh know what you trying to do. I not bring no food for you.