Grandma’s Kitchen! A
s a child I spent many happy moments just watching my Granny trot about the house; chores, fun or relaxation it was all the same to me, her round face, warm smile and welcoming demeanor could often dry tear filled eyes with a smile, simple hug or a bit of bribery. One of the many things she loved to do was bake, somehow creating large meals in what I thought was the twinkling of an eye. Granny was the baker, and I was the spoon licker, so we were a match made in heaven, if I do say so myself. One Item she made quite often was sweet bread, (a very serious thing) and my stomach was always full long before the cake
Granny’s Sweet Bread Ingredients
1 lb All purpose flour ¼ lb Margarine or butter, melted ¾ Cup milk 6oz Sugar 1 Small dry coconut, grated or 1 ½ cups desiccated coconut 1 tsp Vanilla essence 3 tsps Baking powder 6oz Raisins ½ Tsp Salt 1 Egg
went into the oven. More than the baking or the recipe, it was the experience (grandchild and grandparent) that we always treasure, and is a staple in Caribbean households. This recipe from Granny’s kitchen is a delicious treat that’s easy to prepare - all very straightforward with the exception of the coconut. You may decide to purchase your grated coconut, or choose to go the old fashioned route, like us, using the whole dry coconut. What an experience that was! If you have never tried before, you may never know how hard it is to
jimmy, wiggle, jiggle, crack and remove that hard coconut from its shell. Once the excavation was over, Granny moved on to grating and I to snacking on coconut bits (my official responsibility, as I thought, was to ensure that the bread didn’t have too much coconut). I hope that you enjoy making this as much as we did.
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Grease loaf pans. 3. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy; add the egg, milk, butter and vanila essence. 4. Sift flour and baking powder together and add slowly to the creamed mixture. 5. Stir in grated coconut and blend well 6. Pour into loaf pans and bake 1hr or until the top is golden brown. 7. The bread is finished if when stuck with a match stick or fork the end comes out clean. 8. Allow to cool, then slice.
CARIBBEAN DREAMS | 37