Today is Corpus Christi in Trinidad and Tobago, a public holiday.

According to Gov.TT:
Corpus Christi is a long-standing tradition in our islands, going back to our pre-British occupation by the Catholic Spaniards. Though mainly observed by Roman Catholics, it is a designated public holiday. This special Feast Day is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, in commemoration of the institution of the Holy Eucharist. The impressive processions that take place (the biggest is in front of the Cathedral on Independence Square in Port of Spain) give you just a glimpse into the sacredness and significance of the occasion.

As a result I thought now was as good a time as any to answer one reader’s request for a recipe for ‘real’ Trini hot cross buns.

Would you believe that I have never had a Trini hot cross bun? It’s the truth! You see, my only experience with hot cross buns was on an Easter holiday to England when I was around 9. They were much too sweet and doughy for my liking and not being an insider to many Catholic festivals when I returned home I never saw them (or wanted to see them) again.

However when Janice (the reader) described the Trini hot cross buns of her youth as ‘yellow’ I instantly thought of the golden yellow sugar buns that are standard in all Trini bakeries. If these were the basis for a Trini hot cross bun I was more than willing to give them a shot! I decided to look through the various local newspaper recipe booklets that my mother has held on to through the years for hot cross bun recipes and, fortunately, one of them was actually an Easter one!

Using the recipe in that supplement and a recipe in the Naparima Girls High School Cookbook, as well as my many ‘tastings’ of sugar buns, I finally arrived at the following. I left mine as normal ‘sugar buns’ but feel free to use the instructions and additional recipe ingredients to add the traditional cross-shaped decorations. LIght and fluffy with a thin ultra-sweet crust, my mother and I enjoyed them immensely. Several people have told me that they taste better than Linda’s (a large bakery chain) including a reader Gina ! I hope that you will like them too

Feel free to keep the recipe requests coming

Trinidad Sugar Buns/Hot Cross Buns

Recipe by: TriniGourmet.com
Makes 16 buns

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm milk
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
4 tbsp margarine or butter
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp sultanas
2 tbsp currants
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground turmeric or saffron powder

Glaze

Dissolve 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp hot water

Icing (if using)

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
4 tbsps milk or cream
pinch salt
1/4 tsp lime juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine first 4 ingredients.
2. Stand aside in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes

3. Sift flour, tumeric/saffron and salt in a large bowl and rub in the margarine or butter
4. Add sugar, vanilla essence, cinnamon to yeast mixture
5. Add the eggs to the yeast mixture, beating well after each addition
6. Add sultanas and currants to yeast mixture
7. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture
8. Combine to create a soft dough
9. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes
10. Place in a greased bowl and turn over to grease the top

11. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 hour)

12. Punch the dough down and shape into 16 balls
13. Place on lightly greased baking sheets

14. Cover and let rise until doubled (20 – 30 minutes)
15. Using a sharp knife cut a cross or X on the top of each roll (if desired)
16. Bake at 375F for 12 to 15 minutes
17. Meanwhile make icing and glaze by combining the mentioned ingredients
18. When buns are baked, brush with glaze

19. Cool on racks
20. When cool, drizzle icing over the top of each roll following the lines of the cut cross (if using).

This post was first published June 7, 2007. It has been updated once since.

For more Caribbean recipes visit the Caribbean Cooking section of Veni Mangé - the Trinigourmet Amazon Bookstore!

Here in Trinidad the term bake is applied to any bread which is not leavened with yeast. It also usually involves cutting fat into flour in the early stages. People often ask me how I get my bakes to be so soft, well after much soul searching I am ready to share my ‘secret’ Ice water! I love to keep the dough as cold as possible and nothing does that better than ice water. Not only does that stop the gluten in the dough from toughening up it also keeps the little fat particles solid. This way they generate more steam in the baking process, resulting in a light fluffy bake. Of course, I have also heard that there are people out there who also love a rock-hard bake… So, I guess in that case I suppose doing the opposite of anything I suggested would yield you the results you desire

For me Coconut bake generates memories of Sunday mornings and warm Milo or some other form of hot chocolate. What memories does Coconut Bake have for you?

Coconut Bake

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ounce margarine
3/4 cup grated coconut
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water

METHOD:

1. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.
2. Rub in the fat, then stir in sugar and grated coconut.

3. Add water, and mix into a firm dough.
4. Turn out onto floured board, knead lightly, shape into a ball and leave covered for 15-20 minutes.

5. Press into the center and using a rolling pin, roll into a circular shape about ¾” thick. Mark ‘wedges’ into dough with fork perforations

6. Heat oven to 350°.
7. Put onto a flat, greased baking sheet and bake till golden brown for about 20-30 minutes.

8. Remove from oven.
9. Cut into wedges 2-3 inches wide.
10. Serve hot, attractively arranged on a flat dish.

This post was originally published on March 2nd, 2008. It has been updated once since then.

I originally made this recipe for a 2007 edition of “Weekend Breakfast Blogging: Ethnic Dishes With A Twist”. Since then it has generated quite a bit of traffic, especially from Chowhound, something that -really- makes me smile In the original challenge the host wanted us to make a dish from a culture, country, or ethnicity other than our own. Well wow, that really left me in a bit of a tizzy I wasn’t (at the time) familiar with that many breakfast dishes, and those that I did know invariably came from my own cultural/ethnic/national mixes. Nothing I found peaked my interest until I pulled out a vintage cookbook that I used to look through a lot as a child but have never seen my mother use. She says it was a gift but nothing in it ever appealed to her. Was she insane? Just look at that cover If this couldn’t give me the answer, nothing could.

I was not disappointed. The chapter “Breads from Abroad” opened with a stunning photo and recipe for a Danish Kringle. I knew that this would be my contribution immediately! I loved everything about the recipe. The name, the photo, the ingredients, the description.

From Better Homes and Gardens’ Meals with a Foreign Flair:

Flaky butter-rich layers fold around sweet’-n-spicy raisin filling; crisp almonds toast atop!

And flaky it was indeed. Just look at it falling apart as I chowed down

If you’ve been turned off by cloyingly sweet supermarket danishes, you’ll definitely appreciate the subtleness that the icing sugar filling contributes to the dough. Definitely a 5 star recipe. Very similar to the croissants which I made earlier this year (and am yet to post d’oh!) but much less labour intensive I don’t know how many Danish readers I have but I hope I did your bread some justice

From Wikipedia:

Kringle is a pastry developed in Scandinavia.

In Danish and Norwegian the word is kringle, plural kringler; Swedish: kringla, plural kringlor; Icelandic: kringla, plural kringlur; Finnish: rinkeli. The word origins from Old Norse kringla, meaning ring or circle.

In Scandinavia kringle denotes the pretzel-like knotted shape rather than the pastry type. Kringles may be made from puff paste (like Danish pastry) or yeast dough, filled with remonce or marzipan and raisins, sprinkled with coarse sugar, nut flakes or iced. Small saltkringler also exist, being the Danish word for pretzels. Kommenskringler are half-hand-sized breads in kringle shape, made from unsweetened yeast dough with caraway seeds. Sukkerkringler are similar, but sprinkled with sugar instead of caraway. Kringles are still popular items in modern Danish bakeries. The kringle symbol is one of the few ancient guild signs still being used and a golden kringle sign is often hung outside bakeries.

Danish Kringle (recipe)
Recipe from: Better Homes and Gardens’ Meals with a Foreign Flair
Makes 2 Kringles

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Raisin Filling:

Add 1 teaspoon ground cardamom to 1/4 cup soft butter; gradually stir in 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar. Blend in 2 tablespoons cream; add 1 cup light seedless raisins and mix.

Almond Topper:

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup halved almonds

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream butter with 1/4 cup flour
2. Roll between sheets of waxed paper to 10 x 4 inch rectangle. Chill.
3. Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water
4. Mix egg, milk, sugar, salt, yeast; stir in flour for soft dough
5. On floured surface, roll to 12-inch square; place chilled butter in center; overlap sides of dough atop butter.
6. Turn dough 1/4 way around; roll to 12-inch square

7. Repeat folding and rolling twice more.
8. Wrap in waxed paper.
9. Chill 30 minutes
10. Roll to 24×12 inch rectangle.
11. Cut lengthwise into 2 strips
12. Spread each with Raisin Filling and roll as for jelly roll, starting with long side.
13. Moisten edges; seal
14. Stretch each to 30-inch length without breaking

15. Place seam sides down on greased baking sheet shaping as shown
16. Flatten to 1/2 inch with rolling pin
17. Brush Kringles with beaten egg; sprinkle with Almond Topper
18. Cover, let rise til double, 25 minutes

19. Bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes, or till golden

For more recipes like this one check out the Bread & Baking section of Veni Mangé – The Trinigourmet Amazon Bookstore.

This post was originally published on August 27, 2007. It has been updated once since then.

Although I have been thrilled by all the attention that my little writeup has gotten through the years it has not been without some controversy. Many readers have expressed confusion and problems with my original instructions. That is why I am now republishing it with greater details around those steps which I think were causing some to have less than desirable results.

Before I proceed I must state that for the best results it is very important that you use bread flour instead of all-purpose. You will get a much better crumb due to the higher gluten content.

Made with all-purpose flour

Now let’s proceed

Ciabatta Bread Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
1/3 cup warm water
1 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
1 tsp brown sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons olive oil (edited in light of this comment )
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Wholewheat flour for dusting

Directions:

1. To Make Sponge: In a small bowl stir together 1/8 teaspoon of the yeast and the warm water and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy.

2. In a bowl stir together yeast mixture, 1/3 cup of the water, and 1 cup of the bread flour.
3. Stir 4 minutes, then cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sponge stand at cool room temperature for 24 hours.

After 24 hours

STOP! Before you read on, please note that it is very important that you get these first 3 steps correct. The most common question I get is whether I really meant to add 1/3 cup of water to 1 cup of bread flour! Yes, I did

At first when you add the water you will get something that looks like this…

rather dry isn’t it?

That’s why the instructions say to stir for four minutes. See how it gradually comes together?

The above can only happen with constant folding. You don’t want a soft or liquid sponge at this point. It will soften considerably as it sits overnight. You want it to hold together.

If at the end it is still a little too dry you can add water by the tablespoon, but again just enough to hold it all together.

4. To Make Bread: In a small bowl stir together yeast, warm water and sugar and let stand 5 minutes, or until creamy.
5. In bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with dough hook blend together yeast mixture, sponge, water, oil, and flour at low speed until flour is just moistened; add salt and mix until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. The dough should be relatively firm at this point and clear the sides of the bowl. If it’s not gradually add more flour (by the 1/4 cup) until it forms as described.

6. Scrape dough into an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

7. Let dough rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. (Dough will be sticky and full of air bubbles.)

They grow up so fast!

8. Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and cut in half.
9. Transfer each half to a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and form into an irregular oval about 9 inches long. Dimple loaves with floured fingers and dust tops with wholewheat flour.

10. Cover loaves with a dampened kitchen towel. Let loaves rise at room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

11. At least 45 minutes before baking ciabatta, put a baking stone on oven rack in lowest position in oven and preheat oven to 425 F (220 degrees C).
12. Bake ciabatta loaves 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden.
13. Cool loaves on a wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves

This post was originally published on November 24, 2006. It has been updated once since then.

This post was originally published December 13, 2006. It has been updated once since then

Roti. Four little letters that have the power to put any Trini into a smile-infused stupor Along with pelau I consider it one of Trinidad’s national dishes. East Indian in origin Trinidad roti has now become its own entity with several variants offered to the sidewalk or fast food consumer.

So, what exactly is roti?

Wikipedia to the rescue! Never mind that they spell tawa with a ‘v’??? Then again we spell Divali with a v and I see it everywhere else with a ‘w’ …. lol

Roti… features prominently in the diet of many West Indian countries, especially Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. West Indian roti are primarily made from wheat flour, salt, and water. They are cooked on a tava. Certain rotis are also made with butter. There are several types of roti made in the West Indies:

* Sada Roti: Similar to naan. It is cooked on a tava, therefore the bottom is not crisp like that of a naan. Because it is the easiest one to make, it is the most commonly consumed roti in Trinidad. It is a popular breakfast option in Trinidad, in combination with tomato choka, baigan choka (aubergine/eggplant/melongene), and other vegetable dishes.

* Paratha Roti: A roti made with butter, usually ghee. It is cooked on a tava. Oil is rubbed on both sides, then it is fried. This gives the roti a crisp outside. When it almost finished cooking, the cook begins to beat the roti while it is on the tava, causing it to crumble. It is also called ‘Buss-Up-Shut’ because it resembles a ‘burst up shirt’.

* Dosti Roti: A roti where two layers are rolled out together and cooked on the tava. It is also rubbed with oil while cooking. It is called dosti roti because the word dosti means friendship in Hindi. This type of roti is not made in Guyana.

* Dhalpuri: A roti with a stuffing of ground yellow split peas, cumin (geera), garlic, and pepper. The split peas are boiled until they are al dente and then ground in a mill. The cumin is toasted until black and also ground. The stuffing is pushed into the roti dough, and sealed. When rolled flat, the filling is distributed within the roti. It is cooked on the tava and rubbed with oil for ease of cooking. This is the most popular roti. Another version of this is aloopuri, which is made from potatoes.

Oh dear, just cutting and pasting that has my stomach grumbling! But let me soldier on Here in Trinidad roti is the ultimate hearty fastfood. In local parlance it doesn’t just refer to the breads listed above though. In essence when you say you’re going to ‘buy roti’ you mean you are going to buy a dish of curried vegetables/meats wrapped up burrito style in one of the above breads (except for buss-up-shot which is served on the side). Roti breads by themselves are referred to as ‘roti skins’. Everyone has their favorite roti shops and is on the lookout for the next ‘rising star’ of roti establishments. I remember when everything ’round town’ (the capital) was ‘Hot Shoppe’, then it was ‘Patraj’ that was the rage. Me I’m most indiscriminate, I love them all Growing up I used to see people making roti skins at sidewalk stands, especially in St. James. This does not seem as prevalent these days though. I loved watching it being made!

Coconut Rock Buns (link to recipe below)

Over the last few weeks on Twitter, myself and various other Caribbean cooks (who suitably enough converse under the #caribbeancooks hashtag) have been sharing and reminiscing over various food-related childhood memories. Chennette, who is my dearest and oldest foodie friendship, took the conversation to her blog with the post “Ode To The Bread Van”. The bread van of yore doesn’t seem commonplace anymore, and is something that I myself have written fondly about in the past.

As a child I fixated on one or two goodies and never really paid attention to anything else that was offered. As a result there were one or two items in Chennette’s writeup that left me puzzled, in particular ‘biscuit cake’. Even Google left very little for my edification. Fortunately she followed up this month with an even more thorough post “Trini Bakery Goodies – The Photos”, that includes a picture (and recipe) for said Biscuit Cake – that thing really doesn’t ring any bells! Fortunately all of the others do She was also kind enough to link to two of my own personal favourite recipes. Those for Cassava Pone and Coconut Rock Buns, as well as to many more around the Caribbean blogosphere.

• You can check out Trini Bakery Goodies – The Photos here

For these and other Caribbean recipes check out the Caribbean cookbook section of Veni Mangé – my Amazon bookstore!

TriniGourmet’s West Indian Bread Recipes (in alphabetical order)

	Banana Bread (recipe) Very light, spongy and deliciously moist. The banana flavour was milder and subtler than I expected, and the raisins added just the right amount of sweetness.
	Cassava Pone (recipe) Mmm pone. A sinfully sweet childhood memory. Not a pudding, not a cake, but something somewhere in between. Pones are usually made from root vegetables. You can also make them with carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin
	Coconut Bake (recipe) For me Coconut bake generates memories of Sunday mornings and warm Milo or some other form of hot chocolate. What memories does Coconut Bake have for you?
	Coconut Rock Buns (recipe) I don’t know why coconut rock buns appeal to me so much. I think in part it’s because of the contrast of the homely rough-hewn exterior which belies the soft airy texture of the insides. Or maybe it’s the sweet sugary crust which perfectly complements the coconut infused, raisin-studded flavours? Who knows? It may take a lifetime of consumption for me to find the answer
	Cornbread – Sarina’s Peppery Paprika (recipe) Growing up I never thought of cornbread as a particularly West Indian dish however it seems to have a place in the bread section of every Caribbean Cookbook that I own so I’m going to roll with it This particular recipe is one of my attention and has a little spicy kick that goes great with savoury dishes.
	Fried Bake (recipe) Fried bake (also known as float) is a popular breakfast bread throughout the West Indies. It’s also an essential part of Trinidad’s most famous beach food. I don’t even want to know the calorie count!
	Trinidad Dosti Roti – a valiant attempt (recipe) Dosti means friendship in Hindi, and in this recipe the two rotis are cooked together, making them friends! (at least until they are torn apart and eaten )
	Trinidad Hops Bread (recipe) Hops is the most basic of breakfast breads/buns here in Trinidad. I have no idea how it got its name, maybe it has to do with the lengthy yeast development stage before flour is added? Its distinctive smell, taste and shape I think are some of the earliest memories of morning for many a Trini child.
	Trinidad Sugar Buns (recipe) LIght and fluffy with a thin ultra-sweet crust.
	Trinidad Sada Roti (recipe) This is a plain roti, made of white flour. Because it is the simplest roti to make, it is the most commonly consumed roti in Trinidad. It is a popular breakfast option in Trinidad, in combination with tomato choka, baigan choka (eggplant), and other vegetable dishes.
	Wholewheat Bake (recipe) Hearty by nature, its heavy crumb it keeps you feeling satisfied for hours. Especially when taken with a savory topping. My version here, raises the fiber content through a healthy dose of wholewheat flour.

Recipes to come (if you see a recipe listed here rest assured that it will be on the site in due time, no need to ‘rush meh’ )

Biscuit Cake - reader request
Carrot Bread
Cassava Bread/Jamaican Bammie
Coconut Roll
Coconut Sweetbread
Currant Rolls
Dominican Mastiff Bread
Gingerbread
Jam Buns - reader request
Jamaican Toto - reader request
Mango Bread
Orange Date Bread
Trinidad Butter Loaf

Am I leaving anything out? What else do you want to see? Do let me know!

• To see all of the currently available bread recipes on Trinigourmet.com click here.
• If you’re interested in Bread-related cookbooks view the Bread, Baking & Desserts section of Veni Mangé, Trinigourmet’s online Amazon store!

This post was originally published on October 13, 2006. It has been updated once since then.

Bake is a popular breakfast bread here in Trinidad. Hearty by nature, its heavy crumb it keeps you feeling satisfied for hours. Especially when taken with a savory topping. My version here, raises the fiber content through a healthy dose of wholewheat flour. Be sure to pay attention to the resting time and icy water, it’s necessary for tender results

Wholewheat Bake

Ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz butter (or margarine)
1 1/2 oz vegetable shortening
1 cup ice cold water

Method:
1. Sift flour with the baking powder and salt

2. Rub in the fats
3. Slowly add the water to make a smooth dough (dough will be sticky at this point)
4. Begin to incorporate enough wholewheat flour to make a smooth, dry, but elastic dough. Knead well.
5. Shape the dough into a bowl and allow to rest for 60 minutes
6. Preheat oven to 400F
7. After 1 hour, place dough onto floured board
8. Roll to a thickness of 3/4″ to 1″

9. Place dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes
10. Serve hot, cut into wedges.

makes 4 – 6 slices

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated

Finally! I have completed (and posted) a Daring Cooks Challenge on time! I have been cooking along with this most recent adjunct to the Daring Bakers community but have always ended up missing the deadlines for one reason or another. No more!

This time around the challenge was Indian Dosas. I’ve made dosas before but this was my first time doing so with gluten-free flour. Two suggested accompaniments were also given; a curried chickpea filling and a coconut curry gravy. I decided to use the recommended filling but broke away and made a Tridoshic Dal recipe that I’ve had my eye on for a few years.

I’ve noticed that gluten-free flours don’t brown up like traditional ones do, so the dosas were a good bit paler than what I’m used to. That didn’t affect the taste though and I really enjoyed how they came out. The filling however was not as satisfying. The proportions and seasonings were all wrong where my preferences were concerned. The seasonings were much too overpowering. I tried to balance things out by adding some tomato but even that wasn’t enough. My next recourse would have been to throw in some coconut milk but that would have turned it into a sauce, which wasn’t what I wanted. I had no choice but to leave it be. Although J said he liked it in the future I will stick to my tried and true curried channa recipe.

The true star of the ensemble was the Tridoshic Dal. Warm, comforting and blissfully aromatic, it was the perfect balance to the spiciness of the filling and formed a great sopping sauce for the dosas as well

In the end I think that the success of this dish lies in finding the right balance of flavours in the fillings and sauces. I definitely want to play around some more! Any adventurous suggestions? I’m glame for (almost) anything, just no pork or shellfish please

Indian Dosas
Source: Debyi of Healthy Vegan Kitchen
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (120gm/8oz) spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)
½ tsp (2½ gm) salt
½ tsp (2½ gm) baking powder
½ tsp (2½ gm) curry powder
½ cup (125ml/4oz) almond milk (or soy, or rice, etc.)
¾ cup (175ml/6oz) water (you will need more if using gluten-free flour, add gradually)
cooking spray, if needed

METHOD:
1.Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.
2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.
3.Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 pancakes.