Today as a nation we celebrate 62 years of Independence. The cuisine of a country is a direct reflection of the history and culture of that country.
Ours is a nation true to this, our cuisine is a direct reflection of our colonialisation and our indigenous peoples, and for this we have one of the most delicious and intriguing cuisines of any country around the globe.
The recipes today celebrate us as a nation as each recipe is a direct result of a blending of our traditions and ingredients. Let us also remember today is a holiday and next week its back to school, so here are some sweet options you can prepare with your family to celebrate the end of a wonderful vacation for your children and indulge as well, because sweet indulgences are always welcomed.
Happy Independence!
Traditional sponge with lime meringue frosting
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
5 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
¾ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla essence
Measure all your ingredients and set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Cut your butter into chunks and place into your mixing bowl, make sure that your butter is very cold, you can use frozen butter. Add your sugar and start the creaming process, cream your butter and sugar until light in texture and colour, take your time here, use your fingers to feel the mixture to determine whether your sugar has dissolved.
Now add your eggs one at a time, beating well between additions.
You must incorporate your eggs slowly, and your mixture should be light and fluffy before you add another egg. If your mixture is somewhat loose and rather eggy, or appear curdled, you must beat a little more.
Measure your flour and sift three times.
Combine the milk with vanilla.
Now add your flour in three additions, folding in the flour alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.
Prepare 2 nine-inch cake pans: grease the sides, line the base with waxed paper, grease your paper and flour the pans. Shake out any excess flour.
Spoon the batter evenly into cake pans, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cakes pull or shrink away from the sides of the pan.
Do not open your oven door during baking or your cakes will fall.
Remove cakes from oven, cool in pans for five minutes, then invert onto cooling racks, remove lining and place right side up.
Lime meringue frosting
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites
⅓ cup water
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp lime zest
With an electric mixer, beat egg whites until fluffy but not dry. add cream of tartar.
Combine sugar with water, stir gently to combine, place in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, boil sugar until bubbly and spins a thread when lifted from a fork.
Poor syrup into egg whites with mixer running, add lime zest, continue to beat until all the syrup has been incorporated, beat for a few minutes longer until mixture loses some of its gloss.
Frosts 2 nine-inch cakes.
Trinidad key lime pie
Crust:
9 ginger or digestive cookies
2 tbs sugar
5 tbs un
