Baked Goodies

BANANA STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
Six to eight slices bread, cut to about two-inch thick
2 eggs
2 tbs sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 banana
pinch cinnamon and
nutmeg
1 tbs brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350ºF 
Beat egg well with milk and sugar.
Peel and slice banana combine with sugar, and spices. Slice each piece of bread through the middle to about 3/4 way down, do not cut through. Grease a shallow casserole dish. Stuff bananas into cuts in each piece of bread. Dip bread into egg mixture and place in dish. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and puffed. Serve with honey or syrup. Serves four.

PEPPERY CARIBBEAN BRUSCHETTA
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tbs chopped fresh basil,
parsley and cilantro (chadon beni)
salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground chili pepper
10 slices Italian or French bread
1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive oil
1/3 cup, freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
In a small bowl combine tomatoes with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and chili pepper. Pre-heat oven to broil. Lightly brush bread on one side with olive oil. Broil for one to two minutes or until crisp and browned. Reduce heat to 425ºF degrees. Turn bread slices over and spoon tomato mixture over each slice. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for eight to ten minutes or until heated through.Makes ten servings.

Pumpkin Pone
1 lb pumpkin
1 small dried coconut
1 cup cornmeal
2 oz margarine
2 - 3 oz sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp essence
Peel, wash and grate the pumpkin and coconut. Add the cornmeal and work the margarine in with a fork. Add the sugar and water to make a soft dropping consistency. Add the essence, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, mixing well. Pour into a greased dripping pan. The mixture should be 1 - 1 inches thick. Bake in a moderate oven until crisp and brown. Cool, and cut into 2 inch squares before serving.

Honey wheat cakes
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated lime zest
1/2 cup chopped almonds or pecans (optional)
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cupcake or muffin tin with paper cases. Sift together all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. With an electric beater beat butter until fluffy, add honey and continue beating until creamy. Add eggs one at a time beating well between additions. Add dry ingredients alternately with orange juice in three additions beginning and ending with the flour. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle with nuts Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until risen and golden. Makes 12

Baked doughnuts
4 1/2 to 5 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 packages instant yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup shortening
2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs lightly beaten
Topping:
1/2 cup butter melted
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
In a large mixing bowl, combine two cups flour, yeast sugar, and nutmeg. Warm milk with shortening to 115ºF, add eggs and add to flour mixture, stir well to form a wet batter, add as much of the remaining flour as you can to make a very soft dough. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, 45 to 50 minutes. Press dough with your hands, on a well floured board, to about 1/2-inch thickness. Stamp out doughnuts with a three-inch cutter. Place on a greased baking tray and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400ºF Bake doughnuts for ten to 15 minutes until golden. Remove, brush with melted butter and dip into cinnamon sugar. Makes about 24

Carrot coconut loaf
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
4 large eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup finely grated coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 cup orange juice
2 tsp grated orange zest
Preheat oven to 375ºF
In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with sugar until thick, add oil, coconut, vanilla, carrots, orange juice and zest. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into two greased loaf tins and bake for 45 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes two loaves

Coffee cake scones with pecan streusel crunch
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1 egg
1/2 cup evaporated milk or pourable cream
Preheat oven to 375F
Combine flour with baking powder and sugar. Add butter and cut into flour until mixture is the texture of small peas. Combine beaten egg, with milk and bitters, add to flour and bring together with your hands. Press onto greased cookie tray cut into eights. Lightly brush with milk, and press streusel onto scones. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden. Makes eight
Streusel Crunch:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans or mixed nuts
2 tbs cup butter, unsalted
Combine all ingredients until mixture is clumpy through your fingers

PASTEL DE TRES LECHES
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
Soaking mixture:
1 14-oz tin sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup evaporated milk
2 tbs rum (optional)
Preheat oven to 375ºF Butter and flour a 14 by two by nine-inch glass baking dish. Beat yolks. Make cake, beat yolks with one cup sugar until light in colour and mixture falls like ribbons onto the mixture. Beat in vanilla. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture alternately with the milk. In a clean bowl, with clean beaters, beat whites until fluffy add two tbs sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Stir 1/4 of the beaten whites into batter, and then carefully fold in the rest. Pour into baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove and cool in dish on a rack. Combine the milks with the rum, while cake is still warm make holes all through the cake then slowly pour on the milk until it soaks through. Refrigerate until ready for use. Serve with whipping cream and fresh fruit. Serves 10 to 15.

Oven baked plantain in rum and orange juice
2 plantains (almost ripe)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbs rum
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Peel and slice plantain lengthways.
Place in a well greased oven proof dish, mix orange juice, with rum and pour over plantains. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 15 minutes until tender, turning once if necessary. Serves four.

Shepherd's pie
6 potatoes
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tbs veg oil
2 lbs ground beef
1 cup chopped fresh herbs
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbs fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped celery
1 onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Peel and boil potatoes, drain and mash with butter and milk, season with salt, set aside. Heat oil in a sauté pan, season beef with herbs, garlic, thyme, celery. Add onion to oil and sauté for a few mins, add beef turn until no longer pink, add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 15 mins. Butter an oblong baking dish, line the sides with some potato by pressing along side with the back of a spoon. Place beef into dish, cover with potato and spread all around. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Bake for 20 mins until potato is golden. Serves 4

HOT CROSS BUNS
1 tbs instant dried dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg
1 egg yolk
4 to 41/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup mixed peel (optional)
1 egg white slightly beaten
1 tbs water
In a large bowl, combine yeast with two cups flour, combine water, milk, sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, egg, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in raisins and mixed peel add enough flour to make the dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Place in a greased bowl turn greased side up. Cover and et rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Punch down dough, divide into four equal parts. Cut each part into six equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, place about two inches apart on a baking sheet. With a scissors, snip a cross on top of each ball. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Mix egg white with one tablespoon water, brush top of buns with egg white mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Frost crosses on buns with powdered sugar frosting. Makes 24 rolls.

ORANGE RAISIN BREAD
1/2 cup dark rum
1 1/2 cup raisins
1 cup citron candied peel
5 1/2 to 6 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dried instant yeast
2 cups warm milk (120F)
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
Combine fruit with rum and soak for about four hours. Combine two cups flour with yeast, salt and sugar. Add oil to milk and add egg. Pour into flour mixture. Add fruits in rum. Knead to a creamy consistency. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time to form a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl. turn onto a work surface. Knead until smooth and springy. Place in a large bowl, cover and let stand until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease and flour a nine to ten-inch tube pan. Punch down dough, roll into a log and place into tube pan. Let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake for 40 minutes until golden. Makes one ring.

Powdered Sugar Frosting
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbs water or milk
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
Mix sugar with water and vanilla until smooth. Add a little more water if needed 1/2 tsp at a time. Place in a piping bag and pipe crosses onto buns in line with the crosses cut previously with the scissors. Let dry before serving.

LEMON MERINGUE TARTLETS
For the filling:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 tbs cornstarch
1/2 cup milk
1 cup lemon juice
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
Place sugar and cornstarch into a heavy sauce pan, whisk to combine. Add milk and lemon juice whisk to remove any lumps. Add egg yolks. Cook over a gentle heat, until mixture is thick, about six to eight minutes. (You may use a double boiler here). Remove from heat and cool, cover lemon with a piece of plastic wrap directly on lemon filling, this will prevent a skin from forming. Fill into prebaked pie shells top with meringue and bake for 15 minutes until golden. Refrigerate until ready for use. Serves six.
For the pastry:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1 tbs sugar
pinch salt
2 tbs iced water
Make pastry by placing flour, butter and sugar into a work bowl, add butter and cut into flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, add water if needed and bring mixture together with your hands, gently. Form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or more. Preheat oven to 400F. Roll dough into a circle 1/4inch thick, fit into small three inch tartlet pans or pie plate, prick pastry, fit pastry with a piece of foil, fill with dried beans and bake for 15 minutes, remove foil and beans, and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden. Cool. Makes six tartlets.  To make the meringue beat the egg whites with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until frothy, add a pinch of Cream of Tartar continue beating until glossy and peaks form easily, top tartlets.

LEMON COCONUT COOKIES
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup finely grated fresh coconut
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine butter with sugar and beat until light. Add egg and beat until combined. Combine flour, baking powder and soda, lemon zest and cinnamon, add to egg mixture. Fold in coconut. Drop by teaspoon full onto a greased cookie sheet and lightly press to flatten. Bake for 12 minutes for soft chewy cookies or 15 minutes for crisper cookies. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

ISLAND CORN BREAD
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 cups cornmeal
1 sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
11/4 cups milk combined with one tbs lime juice
2 tbs. vegetable oil
- Preheat oven to 375ºF
- In a large bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate bowl beat eggs, add milk and oil. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
- Spoon into well greased baking pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes until done and is springy to the touch.
- Cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Serves eight

PIZZA SQUARES
Base
2 cups all purpose flour
11/2 cups bran cereal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
11/4 cups milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Topping
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup tomato sauce,
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet pepper
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Preheat oven to 425ºF degrees In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, cereal, baking powder and salt.n Add oil to milk and combine with flour mixture. Stir to make a soft dough. Spread dough into a greased 15x10-inch jellyroll pan. Lightly spread surface with ketchup and tomato sauce using only enough sauce to lightly cover the dough. Sprinkle on onion and sweet pepper. Cover with grated cheese, and sprinkle on oregano. Bake for 20 minutes until done. Cut into squares and serve. Serves six to eight.

OLD FASHIONED MEAT LOAF
This meatloaf is delicious as a light supper dish, when refrigerated it makes great sandwiches the next day.
1 cup fine soft breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
11/4 lbs ground beef, chicken or turkey
4 ozs cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
1 large green bell pepper, cut into cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
n Preheat oven to 400ºF
Stir together bread crumbs and milk, let stand for five minutes, then add eggs. In a large mixing bowl combine meat, cheese, pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, salt pepper and ketchup. Add breadcrumb mixture and stir gently. Spoon mixture into a greased 9x5-inch loaf tin. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until cooked through.

BANANA STREUSEL CAKE
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 bananas mashed
1 tsp vanilla
For the streusel topping
1/2 cup chopped nuts
4 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Grease and flour a nine-inch cake tin
Make cake:
Cream butter with sugar until light, add eggs one at a time, combine flour with baking powder. Combine milk with bananas and vanilla. Add flour alternately with milk. Spoon into a nine-inch pan. Combine ingredients for streusel, sprinkle on top of cake. Bake 350ºF for 30 minutes. Makes one cake.

CHOCOLATE RIPPLE CHEESECAKE
20 OREO cookies
4 tbs melted butter
1 lb cream cheese
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 ozs semi sweet or bitter sweet chocolate
1/2 cup unflavoured yogurt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Finely crush cookies in a food processor, add melted butter and combine. Press mixture into the bottom of an eight-inch spring-form pan, refrigerate. Break chocolate into small pieces and place in a small saucepan, place saucepan into a larger pan (a skillet works well here), half filled with simmering water. Gently stir chocolate until it melts, taking care not to burn it, set aside. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy; add sugar, eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth, gently beat in yogurt. Drizzle melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture and fold just until incorporated. Do not stir or fold too vigorously or you will not get the ripple effect. Pour batter into cookie crust and bake for 40 minutes until cheesecake is slightly puffed and the centre is set. Refrigerate for four hours or overnight. Serves eight to 10
* If you are using a spring-form pan you can wrap the pan in foil during baking to prevent any liquid from dripping through the seam of the pan.

Southern Pecan Pralines
1 1/2 lbs white sugar
1 lb brown sugar
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb toasted pecans
Combine sugars, milk, cream, butter and salt in a heavy sauce pan; cook stirring constantly until a candy thermometer measures 250ÝF. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pecans, leave for about one minute then drop by spoonfuls onto a greased tray. Let cool at room temperature and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

1 unbaked pastry pie shell
5 eggs         
6 oz brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 oz melted butter
1/4 cup whiskey (optional)
1 cup lightly toasted pecans
Preheat oven to 350ÝF Line pie plate with pastry, refrigerate. Beat eggs with sugar just to blend, add syrup and molasses, stir well. Add salt, vanilla and butter, stir. Line the bottom of the pie plate with pecans, pour on filling, pecans, pour on filling, pecans will rise to the top. Bake for 30 minutes until set. Make one eight-inch pie

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