Desserts (some with low cholesterol)
Pan sizes for all the cakes can be either be:    A medium size kugelhumf form,
                                                                                  1¼" x 7½" or
                                                                                  8" square
All pans must be well-greased nd floured before placing the batter in them.

    "Appel na dushi" (glazed apples) Pare and core apples and rub well with lime or lemon juice. Boil apple peels with sufficient water to cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Strain this liquid, measure one cup, add sugar, food coloring and spices, boil until sugar is dissolved. Add the apples, coating them well with the syrup. Cook on medium heat, turn apples often until they are glazed. Add a little water if necessary.

Serves 6.

Note: you may use peers instead of apples.  


    "Carrot Cake" Mix baking soda with after and set aside. ix carrots with yogurt in a large bowl. Stir in sugar, oil and spices. Add flour, blend, then pour in baking soda mixture and raisins.

Bake in a greased and floured pan at 325°F for about 1 hour.


    "Bolo di pampuna" (pumpkin pudding) Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix the pumpkin with, vanilla and cinnamon then add to the creamed mixture. Blend in flour, salt and baking powder. Taste to see if more cinnamon is needed.

Pour into a well greased 2 quart ring form. Bake at 350°F for 1½ hours or until knife comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before removing from pan.
Serves 10 to 12.  


    "Chocolate Cake" Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and soda. Mix with water, oil vinegar and vanilla. Bake at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes.

    "Optional Glaze" Add enough water and lime juice to make a pouring consistency. Add a few drops of coloring and extract. Drizzle over cake.  

    "Tabaquitos" (Guava filled pastry) Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Combine oil and water and add all at once to flour in a deep bowl. Mix with a fork-then knead a little with hands, adding a little flour if dough is to moist. Make 30 small balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes for easier handling.

Roll out balls on a floured board-place a stick of guava paste at end of pastry, roll, then fold ends over. Dip tops in cinnamon/sugar.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until top and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool and store in airtight containers-can also be frozen.


    "Jewel Box" Day before: Mix each two packages of fruit gelatin with 2 cups water in flat trays untill firm. The next day, cut into squares.
Soften unflavoured gelatin in ¾ cup water in a double boiler.

Beat egg whites to a stiff meringue with sugar, adding the lime juice then the unflavoured gelatin.

Wet a large spring form (12") or 2 loaf pans, line bottom with waxed paper, also dampened. Put different color squares of gelatin on bottom and against sides of mold, add a layer of meringue, being sure to fill all the open spaces between the colored squares-add a second and third layer of squares and meringue. Chill at least 3 hours or overnight.

Unmold and serve with custard sauce, flavored with liqueur or brandy, Ponche Crema can also be used as the sauce.


    "Easy custard sauce" Cook pudding with milk to boiling point. Blend in vanilla. Cool. Add liqueur.

    "Forgotten Pudding" (Caramelized Meringue Cake) Preheat oven to 500°F.

Beat the egg whites until stiff with cream of tartar and grated peel, add sugar slowly then the vanilla.

Slightly grease a ring mold and coat with granulated sugar, shaking out the excess.

Spoon in meringue, cut through with a knife, shake to even the batter and remove any air pockets.

Put the mold in a shallow pan of hot water and place in the oven. Turn of oven and leave the meringue on for at least 2 hours WITHOUT opening the door at any time.

Unmold meringue, pour hot caramel over it and serve with chilled custard sauce.
Serves 10.


    "Caramel"
Melt ¾ cup sugar to a golden syrup.

    "Custard sauce"
See jewel Box for recipe.

The unused yolks from the Forgotten Pudding or Jewel Box can either be frozen for later use or used in making Ponche Crema. Chocolate Pudding, Marmelada di Webu.


    "Marmelade di webu" A day ahead of time: Peel and dry almonds thoroughly in the sun. When they are completely dry, grind to a fine and fluffy texture, making sure it is not pasty.

Place water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil and continue boiling for about 2 minutes. Add the almonds to the water and bring to boil 3 to 4 ,ore times. Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool.

The egg yolks must be well separated from the whites, even to removing the white dot clinging to the yolk. Beat yolks until almost white and creamy.

While constantly stirring, gradually add yolks to almond mixture. If this is done in a hurry, yolks will curdle. Place mixture in a double boiler and continue stirring. Add rosewater and almond extract to taste. Continue cooking until the marmelade is heavy in texture and when "the bottom of the pan is seen".

Pour either in a bowl or tiny liqueur glasses with small pink and blue bows tied to the stem. Cover with wax paper and do not refrigerate as it will dry out.
Serves 30.


    "Golden Cake" Sift flour with baking powder. Beat yolks until thick and very light in color. Add extract and salt. Gradually beat in sugar. Add flour alternately with water, beating after each addition until smooth.

Bake in an ungreased 10" tube pan at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pan when completely cooled.


    "Lime Soda Pudding" Dissolve gelatin in the boiling water. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth (or place in a blender). Stir in pineapple and nuts, and lastly the soda. Pour into a mold and refrigerate overnight.
Serves 12.  

    "Bolo di Pan" (bread pudding) Soak the bread in the milk and mash with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. In either a buttered form or two 8" pans, bake at 350°F for about 1 hour or until firm and nice in color.
Serves 12.
Can be divided in half.

    "Quesillo" (Flan) Caramelize 1 cup sugar over low flame until golden brown and cover bottom and sides of mold with it.

Mix milk and remaining sugar and scald. Cool lightly. Add to slightly beaten eggs, which are blended so that yolks and whites are well mixed. Add salt and vanilla. Strain. Pour into caramelized mold.

Place mold in a shallow pan of water and bake at 350°F for 1½ hours (or use a double boiler on stove over medium heat). Cool, then refrigerate. Invert into a shallow bowl.


    "Easy Quesillo" (Easy Flan) Caramelize sugar in the pan. Mix together all other ingredients. Bake covered, in a double boiler on a low flame for about 1 hour or in a 350°F oven, au bain marie for ± 1 hour

    "Bosanova" (Coconut custard dessert) Blend together 5 egg yolks, butter and the next four ingredients. Pour into a saucepan; bring to boiling point while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Line a 2-quart shallow pyrex with cake slices. Pour the above mixture on the cake.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and add sugar. Spread on cake and bake at 450°F for 5 to 10 minutes. (Optional: sprinkle shredded coconut on top before baking) Chill well before serving.


    "Pan Dushi" (Curaçao new year's cake) Dissolve sugar in milk, add butter and beat. Add eggs and beat until well incorporated. Add flour with baking powder, salt and spices. Lastly blend in fruit and brandy. Bake in a tube form at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  

    "Appeltaart" (Apple tart)
 
Dough: Knead butter, sugar, flour, salt and yolk together to form the dough. Use 2/3 of the dough to line 10" pie plate. Pinch the edges of the rim to make a crimped crust.

Filling:

Mix the apples, sugar, cinnamon and currants together. Arrange slices in the crust. Roll remaining dough into strips and criss-cross to decorate the top. Brush with beaten egg white.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Before placing pie in, reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes to one hour. 

    "Bolo Pretu" (Bride's cake)       Cook prunes and sugar to a jam of time

All other fruit and nuts are ground with coarse blade in an electric grinder. Grind the nuts, mix with fruits and soak in some of the brandy for at least a week or two. Add some of the liquor as the days progress.

Steep spices in a jigger of brandy one week ahead.

Cream and butter, add well beaten eggs, then fruit and liquor alternately lastly the flour bake in 2" deep baking sheets which have been greased and limed with the wax paper in a 325°F oven with a pan of water on the bottom of the oven for at least 2 hours.

Cool thoroughly and remove from pan. Store in such a manner that cakes can be turned every few days for the liquor to saturate the cake.

In Curaçao, a day or wo before the wedding, the cakes are cut into squares, wrapped in a waxed paper and placed in a small, decorated box for guests to take home.

The wedding cake itself, is baked in round pans, iced with fondant, then decorated.