Name: Conkies
Yield: Makes 16 Conkies
Cuisine: Barbadian
Ingredients: ¼ cup (60 g) vegetable shortening; 1 tablespoon ground cassia or cinnamon; 2 cups (200 g) corn flour or fine cornmeal; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg; 2 tablespoons almond essence, or 1 tablespoon almond extract; 1 heaping teaspoon pink or sea salt; Eighteen 8-inch (20 cm) square banana leaves or pieces of foil lined with wax paper; 3 cups (300 g) finely grated fresh coconut (requires roughly 1½ coconuts); 14 ounces (400 g) calabaza, kabocha, or other winter squash, finely grated; 1 cup (240 ml) nondairy milk; ⅓ cup (50 g) raisins; 1⅔ cups (260 g) finely grated white-fleshed sweet potato; ½ cup (115 g) vegan margarine; 1¾ cups (350 g) light brown sugar; 1 cup (125 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

Preparation info

Makes
16
Conkies

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Caribbean Vegan

By Taymer Mason

Published 2021

About

Conkies, also known as paime in Trinidad and Tobago, are pastelles made from a mixture of corn flour, coconut, and pumpkin and steamed in banana leaves. They are a popular traditional food in Barbados and are often eaten around the end of November, as November 30 is our independence day. This is one of those desserts that people make in large quantities and offer to friends and family. Serve them with vegan ice cream if you like. Make sure that the raisins you use are d