Long weekend snacks

Easter long weekend is upon us and so is the school Easter vacation, it’s a time of get togethers, although small at the beach here, in Tobago and down the islands.

Covid restrictions have translated in more persons cooking and baking at home, which I think is great! Snacks or tea time treats are always in need, so if you are looking to amp up your snack making this weekend, here are some delightful treats for you to try!

Cornmeal biscuits with cilantro and chilli

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cornmeal

1 tbs chilli powder

4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

½ cup butter

⅔ cup milk

¼ cup chopped chadon beni (cilantro) optional

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, rub butter into mixture until it resembles peas, add milk and chadon beni .

Bring mixture together with your hands.

Divide into 2.

Press mixture out to ¾ inch thickness and stamp out with cutter about 2½ inches wide

Place on greased baking sheet, brush with milk, bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden.

Makes 10 to 12

Cassava pops

1 lb peeled raw cassava, cut into 2 inch pieces, centre vein removed

1 tbs baking powder

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp all spice powder

¼ cup finely chopped chives

1 pimento pepper, seeded and finely chopped

4 blades chadon beni finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp pepper sauce

coconut oil to fry.

Place cassava, baking powder and flour into a food processor, process until mixture resembles a paste. Add the rest of the ingredients and process only until mixture is fully combined.

Heat oil in a wok or deep pan.

Spoon mixture by small spoonful’s into hot oil.

Fry until golden and puffed, a few minutes per side.

Remove and drain.

Serve with tamarind sauce or chilli sauce.

Enjoy with ice cold Solo Apple J.

Serves 4 to 6 as a snack .

Thumbprint cookies

1 cup unsalted butter

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

2½ cups all-purpose flour

pinch salt

2 egg whites

1 cup finely chopped nuts, (peanuts, hazelnuts or almonds)

1 cup jam or jelly any type

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Butter and flour baking trays.

Cream butter until light. Beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar.

Add egg yolks and vanilla, beat until blended.

Combine flour and salt and add to batter.

Stir until a dough like consistency is formed.

Shape cookies into one-inch balls and place on a trays.

Lightly beat egg whites in a shallow bowl.

Place finely chopped nuts in another shallow dish.

Roll each ball of cookie dough in egg white and then roll lightly in nuts.

Place on prepared trays about one inch apart.

Press centre of each cookie in slightly using your thumb or index finger.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

Gently press the indentation again and cool cookies on racks.

When cookies are cooled, spoon a little jam or jelly into the centres.

Makes about 48 cookies

Tonka spiced cake doughnuts

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt, plus more

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ginger

1 tsp grated tonka bean (optional)

2 large egg yolks

1 cup full cream unflavoured yoghurt

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tbs unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

Coconut oil for frying

For glaze:

1cup powdered sugar

1 tbs lime juice.

Hot water.

In a medium mixing bowl place flour, baking powder, 1 tsp salt, spices and tonka.

Beat egg yolks with yoghurt, sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture comes together as a smooth but sticky dough.

Gently turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and gently knead to a smooth but soft ball. Dust dough with more flour and roll to ½" thick, brush off any excess flour.

Stamp out circles about 3½" in diameter, then stamp out centres from dough about 1" in width, remove dough from centre and set aside.

Fit a large pot with deep-fry thermometer and pour in oil to a depth of 1½". Heat over medium-high until thermometer registers 350°. Fry doughnuts, turning once, until puffy and browned, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Make glaze by combining powdered sugar with lime juice, add hot water if needed to make a slack consistency. Dip doughnuts into glaze and place on wire rack to set.

Makes about 9

Mexican empanadas

For the dough

4 cups flour

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 cup shortening

½ cup water

Combine flour with paprika and salt.

Cut in shortening until it’s the size of small peas.

Add water and bring the mixture together.

Refrigerate until ready for use.

Filling

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh herbs

2 pimento peppers

1 onion, chopped

1 lb chicken or beef, ground

2 tsp roucou

½ cup raisins

⅓ cup sliced green olives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ hot pepper, chopped

1 beaten egg

Heat oil in saute pan, add garlic, herbs, pepper and onion, sauté until tender about 4 minutes, add meat and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add roucou and stir. Cook for about 15 minutes until meat is tender. Cool.

If your meat seems lumpy, then put it into your food processor bowl and process for 30 seconds, just until fine.

Remove, add raisins and olives, season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Roll each piece of dough into a 4-inch circle.

Place about one tablespoon of filling in the centre of the lower half.

Fold over and seal using a little water if necessary.

Place on a greased baking sheet, brush with beaten egg.

Repeat until all dough and filling are used up.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden

Serve with spicy tomato salsa

Makes 20