Jamaican Beef Patties

A Jamaican pattie is a golden yellow pastry with various fillings. Although the name suggests it’s Jamaican, it’s eaten in other parts of the Caribbean too. The traditional filling is ground beef, fillings can include chicken, veggies, shrimp, lobster, fish, soy, ackee etc.

Patties can be eaten as a whole meal, as a snack or as bite size finger food at parties.

Ingredients:

• pastry (buy ready made or make your own – if making your own add 1tsp of ground turmeric for the golden colour
• 300g minced beef
• 1tbsp Jerk marinade or seasoning
• 1 onion
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tomatoes
• 2tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1tsp pepper sauce
• salt, pepper and tumeric powder
• extra peppersauce if you want it hot(ter)
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Chop and dice all veggies
2. Mix all filling ingredients and saute in a little vegetable oil until cooked.
3. Set aside and let cool.
4. Beat the egg in a cup and set aside.
5. Roll out pastry and cut out circles roughly 15cm/6in in diameter.
6. Place a small amount of filling in the middle.
7. Paint edges with egg.
8. Fold pastry over filling and press edges together with a fork.
9. Place patties on a baking sheet and bake at 190* for 20-30mins until golden brown

Roti

Rotis are little breads that you fill with pretty much anything you can think of. I’ve tried them with chicken, shrimps, beef, goat and veggies. Chicken with beans is my personal favourite.

Oh, and btw… It’s not half as complicated to make as the directions might lead you to believe!

Ingredients:

• 8oz wholemeal flour
• 1 tbsp cornmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ ozs unsalted (soy) margarine
• cold water
• vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Sift flour, cornmeal and baking powder into a bowl
2. Rub in the (soy) margarine.
3. Add the cold water, a tablespoon at a time to bind the dough. Knead until smooth and non-sticky.
4. Cover the dough and leave in a warm place for half an hour.
5. Knead again for 3–4 minutes and divide into four equal portions.
6. On a floured surface roll out the portions into thin rounds.
7. Lightly brush each one with a little vegetable oil, roll all of them out into a ball again and leave to rest, covered, for 15 minutes.
8. Roll out again into thin 8-inch circles.
9. Heat a heavy frying pay.
10. Brush one side of the roti with vegetable oil and cook for 1 minute.
11. Coat the other side with oil, turn it over and cook for another minute.
12. Repeat this process turning the roti frequently until brown.
13. Wrap in a towel to keep warn until the other roti are cooked.
14. Cut a pocket in the rotis and fill them with something you like.

Moccha Squares

Another Swedish sticky cake that my kids can’t get enough of.

Ingredients:

• 150g butter/margarine
• 2 eggs
• 3dl caster sugar
• 3tsp baking powder
• 2tsp vanilla sugar
• 2tbsp cocoa powder
• 1,5dl milk
• 4,5dl white flour

And for the iceing:

• 50g butter/margarine
• 3tbsp strong coffee
• 3dl iceing sugar
• dessicated coconut

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and allow it to cool off a little.
2. Whisk eggs and sugar fluffy and whiteish in colour.
3. Mix all dry ingredients and stir them into the egg mixture together with the milk and the melted butter.
4. Put into a square baking tin (I use a non-stick turkey baster) and bake for 10-15mins at the bottom of the oven in 225*.
5. Prepare the iceing: Mix all ingredients, but not the coconut, in a bowl.
6. Spread over the cake while it’s still warm.
7. Sprinkle an even layer of dessicated coconut over your masterpiece.
8. When cold, cut into squares and enjoy!

Coconut Tosca

This is one of my family’s favourites. A Swedish sticky cake that is delicious and decidedly addictive. In this house making just one is never an option… =)

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 6dl caster sugar
• 3dl white flour
• 2tbsp baking powder
• 2tsp vanilla sugar/vanilla extract
• 0.5tsp salt
• 175g butter

And for the tosca:

• 75g butter
• 2dl caster sugar
• 1,5dl double cream 1dl syrup
• 200g dessicated coconut

Directions:

1. Whisk eggs and sugar until it’s fluffy and whiteish in colour.
2. Add the melted butter and stir until properly mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients properly.
4. Add dry ingredients to eggmixture and stir.
5. Pour into a large, square baking tin (I use non-stick turkey basters)
6. Bake for 12-15mins in 200*
7. Whilst cake is in the oven, put all the tosca ingredients into a saucepan and stir until it starts to boil, then put it aside and wait for cake to be ready.
8. Pull cake out of oven and spread the tosca in an even layer over the cake, then bake for another 10mins.
9. Cut into squares once it’s cooled off.