Desserts Gluten Free

Homemade Coconut Mango Ice Cream.

One of our favorite desserts in the Caribbean is homemade ice cream and as a boy growing up on the islands, there was nothing better than the stuff our dad would make in his hand-crank ice cream pail (maker). After a delightful Sunday lunch in the heat of the Caribbean sun, we (brother and sisters.. sometimes visiting cousins) all gathered around my dad as he cranked his way to the perfectly frozen ice cream. He had this down to a science, even knowing how many turns on the handle will produced the perfectly frozen and creamy ice cream.

You’ll Need…

3 large mangoes (about 2 1/2 cups pulp)
1 can condensed milk (sweetened)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Notes. I pureed about 2 cups of the mango, then chopped the remaining 1/2 cup to give the ice cream some texture. You can also add some shredded coconut flakes to the mixture for an even more coconut presence. The mangoes must be fully ripe for ultimate sweetness and to allow for a smooth puree. If doing this recipe gluten free please go through the list of ingredients to ensure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Wash, peel, dice and puree the mangoes. Do remember to leave back about 1/2 cup in chunky bits to give the ice cream some texture and delightful fruity surprises while enjoying this wonderful frozen treat. You can use a blender or potato masher to get the right consistency.

In a large blow, pour in the everything except the mango puree and give it a good whisk or use a hand blender. Then add the pureed and chunky mango pulp and again mix in well. Then place it in the fridge to chill for about 1-2 hrs. It will help the ice cream maker.

Basically all you have to do now is pour the liquid into your ice cream maker and proceed as you would normally do when making ice cream. In my case I have one of those electric makers which is lined with ice and topped with salt (old school) to maintain a consistent temperature.

If you’re using an ice cream maker as I did the key is to listen to the hum of the motor, as it thickens-up you’ll hear a difference (almost struggling) in the motor. However, only you will know how your machine works, so do as you would normally when making ice cream.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker you can place the liquid in the freezer (in a bowl) and give it a good mix every hour or two until it’s frozen. This will help it achieve a churned texture and not one large frozen block. Speaking about blocks.. as a kid our mom would place any extra ice cream base in ice trays and freeze as cubes. We called those frozen treats….wait… ice blocks!

This is excellent as it is and will have the texture similar to soft-serve. I like my homemade ice cream a bit more firm, so i usually place the ice cream in plastic freezer containers and put them in the freezer for about 1 hour to really stiffen up! Not only does it firm up, but it’s a good way to save some for later!

This one can go on the restaurant’s menu” Caron mentioned after she had her first serving of this amazing coconut mango ice cream. Whenever a dish really stands out she always add it to our growing list of menu items for the day we open our restaurant.

Homemade ice cream continues to be a traditional desert enjoyed throughout the Caribbean, and I strongly encourage you to get your family involved. Not only is it a recipe you’ll easily get your children involved in making, but you’ll be able to control what goes in it and not feed them the  processed stuff from the grocery store.As we used mango, you can use just about any fruit in season.

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Desserts

Carrot Pineapple Muffins.

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.

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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 Vegetarian

Banana Fritters A Caribbean Favourite.

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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)

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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.

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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).

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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.

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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….