The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook (43 page)

Spoon some of the chilled syrup over each pear. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of minced crystallized ginger, and serve.

 

Makes 8 servings

This dessert is made for those occasions when the clock is running faster than you are. Presentation is the key here, so take a little trouble to be sure each plate looks pretty.

 

Put the orange slices into a bowl, sprinkle them with the liqueur, and chill them.

Drain the orange slices, and arrange them in a fan pattern on dessert plates. Place a scoop of sorbet at the base of the fan pattern on each plate.

Garnish with the mint leaves or flowers, and serve at once.

 

Makes 8 servings

When we have an overload of bananas and the banana daiquiri drinkers can't keep up, we mash some bananas, sprinkle them with lemon or lime juice, and freeze them for later use in this cheesecake.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and part of the way up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.

In a food processor or blender, blend the cream cheese, sugar, banana liqueur, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.

Carefully spoon the filling into the shell, taking care not to disturb the crumb crust. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes.

While the cake bakes, blend the sour cream, sugar, liqueur, and vanilla in a bowl. When the cake is ready, spread the topping evenly over it. Bake the cake 5 minutes more. Transfer it to a rack, and let it cool. Chill it in the refrigerator, covered loosely, overnight.

Remove the side of the pan, and transfer the cake to a serving plate.

Garnish it with fresh banana slices before serving.

 

Makes 1 9-inch cheesecake

Flans are very popular in all the Spanish-speaking islands of the Caribbean. Rum, coconut, and coconut cream give this version a tropical twist.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat the milk and cream in a heavy saucepan until bubbles form around the edge. Do not let the mixture boil. Add the cream of coconut, vanilla, and rum. Heat the mixture until bubbles form, whisking constantly.

Beat the whole eggs and yolks together. Add them to the hot milk mixture, and whisk well over the heat until the custard is smooth and evenly colored. Remove the pan from the heat.

In another saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Allow the sugar mixture to boil, without stirring, until it is syrupy and brown. When it is caramelized, pour a little of the syrup into each of six custard cups. Swirl each cup so the caramel coats the side and bottom, taking care not to burn yourself. Fill the cups with the custard. Set the cups in a baking pan, and pour water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake the custard for 15 to 20 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted in the custard comes out clean.

Let the custard cool to room temperature, and refrigerate it.

When the custard is thoroughly chilled, unmold it by running a knife around the side of each cup. Invert the cups onto a baking sheet. If the custard isn't released within 4 minutes, gently tap the bottoms of the cups with a knife handle.

Serve each mound of custard on a slice of pineapple, and sprinkle the custard with the toasted shredded coconut.

 

Makes 6 servings

Cool and creamy, these parfaits are an ideal make-ahead solution to the dilemma of what to serve for dessert when company's coming.

 

To make the sauce, stir together the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat, and boil the syrup, swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until the syrup is a deep golden brown. Add the heavy cream and butter (the mixture will bubble vigorously when you do so), and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Remove it from the heat, and whisk in the sour cream.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce into each of eight wine glasses. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon nuts in each glass. Place the glasses in the freezer.

For the parfaits, fill a large saucepan halfway with water, and bring the water to a boil. Whisk together the sugar, ½ cup cream, the yolks, and the instant coffee in the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl. Set the pan or bowl over boiling water, and whisk the mixture constantly until a candy thermometer inserted in it registers 160°, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl, and whisk in the white chocolate and Tia Maria.

Combine the remaining 1
½
cups cream with the sour cream in a large bowl, and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg-yolk mixture thoroughly into the cream. Pour cup of the parfait mixture into each glass. Chill the remainder. Freeze the parfaits for 1 hour.

If necessary, stir the remaining sauce over low heat just until it is pourable. Spoon 2 tablespoons sauce over each parfait, and sprinkle each parfait with 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Place the parfaits in the freezer until they are set, about twenty minutes.

Divide the remaining parfait mixture among the glasses. Freeze the parfaits 1 hour.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon sauce in zigzag lines over each parfait. Cover the parfaits, and freeze them overnight.

Let the parfaits stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a star tube. Pipe a rosette of whipped cream onto each parfait. Top each with a walnut half, and serve.

 

Makes 8 servings

When our soursop trees are bearing, their slender limbs bend with the weight of the heavy fruit. Removing the seeds is the most taxing. part of the preparation. We've found that using the sieve attachment and wooden paddle of our Kitchen Aid mixer separates the fruit from the seeds in record time.

This recipe can also be used to make tamarind ice cream; just substitute tamarind pulp or concentrate for the soursop. Soursop and tamarind concentrates are available in many Latin American markets.

 

In a saucepan, scald the milk. Add the sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot milk mixture over the beaten eggs, and beat until the mixture is well blended. Cook it in a double boiler, or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, until the custard is thick and smooth. Chill it thoroughly.

Stir the soursop pulp or nectar, salt, lime juice, and heavy cream into the custard, and churn and freeze the mixture according to your ice-cream maker's directions.