Desserts

Caribbean desserts are celebratory desserts, and the recipes have been around for a while. Sometimes a chef might come up with something new, but they tend to keep those flavor profiles consistent or to reconstruct an existing dessert. Another interesting fact about Caribbean desserts is that some of them use vegetables instead of fruits; ingredients such as cassava and winter squash tend to work well in sweet applications like pones or puddings.

When using coconut for desserts, I always say the more finely grated the better, so get out your box grater or food processor. Big pieces of coconut tend not to incorporate well into the desserts in this book, resulting in an unpleasant mouthfeel. Use fresh coconut where possible. If you cannot get fresh coconut, check the frozen section of your supermarket for grated coconut. If you use dried coconut, please note that it needs to be hydrated with a bit of coconut milk. And if you use sweetened dried coconut, you will probably need to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe, depending on how much sugar and coconut the recipe calls for. The rule is fresh is best, then frozen, then dried.