sweet taste

of the

CARIBBEAN
Designed by Janell Thorpe
 sweet taste
of the
CARIBBEAN

Designed by Janell Thorpe

2
Introduction
Th i s b o o k i s a de lig h t f u l a n d wa r m i nvitati on to some of the
C a r i bbe a n ’s mo s t t a s t e f u l a n d s weetest tr eats. I t includes a var iety of
de sse r t s f r o m s ix o f t h e C a r ibbe an’s i sl ands; the Bahamas, Bar bados,
t h e C ay m a n Is la n ds , G re n a da , Ja maica and Tr ini dad. Sweet Taste of the
C a r i bbe a n will de fin it e ly e n lig h t e n and br ing w ar mth to your taste
bu d s, f r o m t h e fin e s t a ll n a t u r a l ingr edients found ar ound each i sl and,
t o t h e be a ut y o f t h e fin a l a n d in t r icate desi gn of the desser ts. Each
r e c i p e i s si mple a n d do e s n ' t ke e p you in the kitchen for a long per iod
o f t i m e . T h es e is la n ds we re c h o s en because they ar e some of the most
we l l - k n ow n o n e s in t h e C a r ibbe a n. Some of these r eci pes may even
l ea d you i n to c re a t in g o t h e r de s s er ts that you never even thought of.
W h o k n ow s wh e re t h is C a r ibbe a n desser t cookbook w i l l take you? But
t h e n a g a i n , a lit t le c u r io s it y a n d exper i mentati on won't bur n you. Li ke
m o st foo ds wh e re it ' s v it a l t o h ave cer tain ingr edi ents in or der to tur n
o u t r i g h t , t h is bo o k do e s n ' t pu s h you to be a per fectionist, unless you
r e a l ly w a n t t o be . So me o f t h e ingr edients can be substituted, w hich i n
t u r n w i l l save yo u mo re mo n e y, and w ho know s it might even make you
c r e a t e som e t h in g n e w t h a t yo u n ever thought of befor e . Sweet Taste
o f t h e C a r i bbe a n is f u n a n d s imple . I t gives you something new to tr y
w h i l e a l l ow in g yo u t o be f re e a n d not tied dow n w i th the same old
de sse r t s. I t is g o o d e s pe c ia lly fo r l ear ning as well as hosting dinner s,
pa r t i e s, or wh a t e ve r t h e o c c a s io n may be . I t's something that w ill
i m p r e ss you r f a mily a n d f r ie n ds . Enj oy!
4
Table of Contents
Bahamas 5
Barbados 9
Cayman Islands 13
Grenada 17
Jamaica 21
Trinidad 25
Colophon 29
6
Bahamas
 Pineapple Tart
Ingredients 2 c flour 2 c fresh pineapples (peeled)

8 t butter 4 whole cloves

2 eggs 1½ c brown sugar

2 c water 1 tsp salt

Instructions 1 5
Boil pineapple & sugar together for Turn on lightly floured board & knead.
15 minutes and set aside. Divide dough in half, roll out portion and
line a well-greased pie pan (standard size).

2 Pour flour into a mixing bowl; mix in salt,

baking powder and 1 c of sugar.
6 Fill with already prepared filling. Roll out
remainder of dough and cut into ½ inch strips.
Bahamas

3 Make a hole in the middle: add egg,

margarine, cream and mix well. 7 Moisten edge of bottom dough.
Lay half of pastry strips across
to form a criss–cross pattern.

4 Gather dough together with

fingers and press into a ball.
8 Bake at 350° F. for 1½ hrs, or
until golden brown.

8
 Mango Pie
Ingredients 1 unbaked 9" pie shell + dough 1 tsp cinnamon
for top crust
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 c peeled, thin sliced ½
riped mangoes
2 t butter or margarine
1 c sugar (brown or white)

2 t lemon or lime juice

Ingredients 1 Place one layer of mangos in pie

shell and sprinkle with half the sugar,
lemon or lime juice and spices.

2 Add remaining sliced mangos, sugar,

spices, lemon or lime juice and dot
with bits of butter or margarine.
Bahamas

3 Cover or criss-cross with pie crust.

Bake about 45 minutes at 350° F.
This makes 6 servings.

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12
Barbados
 Bajan Sweet-Coconut Bread
Ingredients 1 small fresh coconut ½c butter or margarine

2c flour 2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt ¼c milk

½c sugar 1c mixed fruit

Instructions 1 Pierce the coconut and drain the

liquid and store in the refrigerator.
5 In a large bowl, mix, ½ cup of the sugar
with the butter until it's light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, then the vanilla.

2 Break the coconut into chunks and grate

the flesh into a small bowl. You need at 6 Measure out ¼ cup of the coconut milk
least 1 cup; more is even better. and combine it with the milk. Add the
liquids to the egg mixture, alternating with
Barbados

the dry ingredients and stirring just until

3 Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a
9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
everything is blended.

7 Spread into the prepared pan. Bake

for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick
4 In a small bowl, stir together the flour,
mixed fruits, baking powder, salt and inserted in the center comes out clean.
coconut flakes Cool on a rack before slicing.

14
 Corn Pie
Ingredients 1t sugar 1 egg

1 ½ t flour 1 onion (finely chopped)

½ Ib cheese ½ sweet pepper (chopped)

1 tin drained corn 1 t butter or margarine

½ tin evaporated milk

Instructions 1 Melt butter in pan and add flour,

stir to avoid lumps,

2 Add milk, stir to avoid lumps then

add grated cheese.
Barbados

3 Add corn and sugar, put in

onions. Add the egg last to hold
ingredients together.

4 Bake in oven at 50° for

35 to 40 minutes.

16
18
Cayman Islands
 Heavy Cake
1¼ c brown sugar 2t melted butter
Ingredients
1 raw grated cassava 2c hot water

1c milk and coconut milk 1 tsp ginger

½ tsp nutmeg or 1 tsp cinnamon

mace and salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ pack dried coconut flakes

Instructions 1 Combine cassava with milk, sugar and

spices and mix well.
Cayman Islands

2 Add coconut, hot water and melted butter.

3 Mix briskly and taste for sweetness

desired. Add more sugar if necessary,
pour into greased Pyrex dish.

4 This time around I used a non-stick

baking pan. As it was black I lowered the
temperature from 375° to 350° F.

20
 Tortuga Rum Cake
Ingredients
1 c chopped walnuts and sugar ½ c oil

1 box yellow cake mix 4 eggs

1 small package instant vanilla Secret Sauce

pudding mix
1 stick oleo (butter)
¼ c water
¾ c dark rum

Instructions 1 5
Preheat oven at 325° F. Grease and flour Boil for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
a bundt pan Sprinkle walnuts over the Remove cake from oven.
bottom of the pan.
Cayman Islands

2 Blend dry cake mix, dry pudding mix, 6 While in pan, gently stab cake with sharp knife.
Slowly pour sauce over cake (will look like too
water, rum, oil and eggs for 2 minutes. much sauce, but cake will absorb it.
Pour over walnuts in pan. Bake for 1 hour.

3 Prepare Secret sauce 10 minutes before 7 Let the cake cool in the pan for 30
minutes before removing from pan.
cake is finished baking.

4 Combine water rum, water sugar and

butter in to sauce pan. Heat over
medium heat, stirring until boiling.

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Grenada
 Spice Cake
Ingredients 1½ tsp grated lime zest 2c sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground nutmeg 3 eggs

and salt
1½ c white sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
and baking powder 1 c unsalted butter, chilled,
cut into tablespoon-size pieces
¼ tsp ground allspice
½ c milk

Instructions 1 4
Preheat oven to 350° F,(175° C). Add the dry ingredients alternately with
Grease a 9"x 5" loaf pan. the milk, stirring after each addition

2 Sift together the flour, baking powder and

salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream 5 Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 75 to 90 minutes in the
together the sugar and butter. preheated oven, until a toothpick
Grenada

inserted comes out clean.

3 Beat in the eggs one at
a time, then stir in the lime zest,
nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice.
6 Cool in the pan for 10 minutes
before turning out onto a rack
to cool completely.

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 Nutmeg Ice Cream
Ingredients 1½ c milk 1 tsp vanilla

3 large eggs 1t grated fresh nutmeg

½t salt ¾c sugar

1½ c heavy cream

Instructions 1 4
In a saucepan bring the milk and the cream Cook the custard over moderate heat, stirring
just to a boil. Do not boil but turn off the constantly with a wooden spoon, until it
heat as soon as it gets to boiling stage. registers 175° F. on a candy thermometer

2 In a bowl whisk together the eggs, the 5 Transfer the custard to a metal bowl
set in a larger bowl of ice and cold
sugar, the nutmeg, the salt, and the vanilla. water and stir it until it is cold.
Grenada

3 Whisk ½ cup of the milk mixture into

the egg mixture, and whisk the mixture 6 Freeze the custard in an ice-cream maker
according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
into the remaining milk mixture.

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30
Jamaica
 Fruit/Rum Cake
Ingredients 2c
1
butter, 9 eggs,
pinch salt,
2c red wine
1c dark molasses
¼ c white rum (optional)
2½ c all-purpose flour
1 t lime juice
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground nutmeg, allspice
1 t almond extract
½ cinnamon
1 grated zest one lime
2 lb chopped dried fruits

Instructions 1 5 Fold
Preheat oven to 350° F, (175° C). Grease into batter, being careful
and flour 2"–9" round cake pans. not to over-mix.

2 Inbutter
a large bowl, cream together the
and sugar until light and fluffy. 6 Pour into prepared pans. Bake
in preheated oven for 80 to 90
Beat in eggs, then add rum, lime juice, minutes, or until a knife inser ted
vanilla, almond extract, and lime zest. into the center comes out clean.
Jamaica

3 Stir in mixed fruit,

wine, and molasses 7 Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn
out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

4 Sift together flour, baking powder,

nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and salt.

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 Banana Bread
Ingredients 2 eggs
¼ tsp salt
¼ c soft butter
½ c sugar
¼ tsp allspice ½ c coconut milk

2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla

½ c coconut
½ tsp baking soda
½ c raisins
2c sifted, all-purpose flour
3 mashed ripe bananas

Instructions 1 5 Add
Preheat oven to 350° F, (180° C). Lightly flour mixture and stir just enough to
grease an 8"x 4" bread pan. moisten. Fold in coconut and raisins.

2 In a small bowl combine sifted flour, baking

soda, salt, and spices. 6 Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour,
until a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean.
3 Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together
butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well.
7 Be careful not to over bake it or the bread
may come out dry.
Jamaica

4 Stir in coconut milk and vanilla. Slowly add

mashed bananas, beating until well combined.
8 Allow bread to stay in the loaf pan for
about 10 minutes before removing.

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36
Trinidad
 Gulab Jamun
Ingredients
1½ c mawa (khoya) 2 eggs
¼c chenna ¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp soda bicarbonate
¼ tsp allspice
3t refined flour (maida)
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp green cardamom powder
½ tsp baking soda
2c sugar
ghee – to deep fry 2c sifted, all-purpose flour

Instructions 1 Grate khoya and mash chenna and keep aside.

Mix the two along with soda bicarbonate,
4 Clear the syrup by removing
the scum, if any.
refined flour, green cardamom powder
and a little water to make a soft dough.

2 Divide into sixteen equal portions 5 Heat ghee/oil in a kadai. Add the balls, deep
fry on low heat till golden in color.
and shape into balls.

6
Trinidad

Drain and soak in the sugar

3 Prepare a sugar syrup with sugar
and two cups of water.
syrup for at least fifteen to
twenty minutes before serving.

38
 Coconut Fudge
Ingredients ½c butter or margarine ½ tsp salt

¾c cream 2 tsp vanilla

½c milk 1 tsp coconut flavoring

3½ c sugar ½c shredded coconut

Instructions 1 Combine sugar, cream, salt, butter and milk

in a large heavy saucepan and heat

2 Over medium heat, stirring only until sugar

is dissolved. Continue to cook until it
reaches the soft ball stage.

3 Remove from heat and when almost

Trinidad

cold, add vanilla and beat until creamy.

3 Stir in coconut and turn into greased

8"x 8" pan. Cut when cool.

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 Colophon
Theme: The theme of my cookbook is Caribbean desserts.
Main Focus: The main focuses of this book are specially chosen desserts from six of the Caribbean’s
islands. Which are Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Jamaica, and Trinidad.
There are two desserts chosen from each of the six islands, which is what completes the book.
Photographs: The photographs used in this book are taken from www.google.com and
www.flickr.com. The pictures are zoomed in for emphasis.
Some of them were edited in Adobe Photoshop before being placed inside the book document.
They are all high quality and high resolution images.
Software: The programs that I used to completed this cookbook are
Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.
Design and Creation by: This book was designed and created by Janell Thorpe. It has a simplistic
look to it because when you're cooking or preparing something it should get straight to the point
to give less time in the kitchen. Color coordination is a good way to keep everything consistent.
Printing: It was printed at the Art Institute of Washington, Arlington, Virginia Service Bureau.
It was all completed in May of 2012.
Specifications: This cookbook was designed and printed at the size of 8 inches wide by 8 inches
high and a total number of 32 pages, which includes the front and back covers. It was also printed
on medium weight plain paper.
Colors: The colors blue and green used in the beginning of the cookbook are representational
of the coolness and warmth of the Caribbean as well as the beautiful waters. Each recipe page
color was taken from the dessert beside it.

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