Cassava Pone (Yucca Cake)

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups grated cassava (yucca) - 2 medium (2 1/2 lbs.)

• 1 cup freshly grated coconut

• 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

• 5 tbsp cold butter/margarine

• 1 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp grated orange zest

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp almond extract

1. Peel and wash cassava. Grate on a hand grater or food processor. Put in a large bowl.

2. Break coconut and remove white flesh. Chop into chunks that can be processed in a food processor; or grate on a hand grater. Place in same bowl as cassava.

3. Add sugar, black pepper cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and orange zest. Combine.

4. Pour vanilla and almond extract onto cassava mixture.

5. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, work butter into mixture until well combined.

6. Place mixture into an 8 x 8 greased pan.

7. Bake at 350 °F for 1 1/4 hour or until top is crisp and brown.

8. Cool and cut into squares before serving.

Notes&Tips:

• Cassava Pone is a popular dessert/snack in the Caribbean. It is dense and gummy.

• Cassava, as it is known in the Caribbean, or yucca in North America, is a root crop. It is versatile. In the Caribbean, cassava is used in soups and stews, breads and other baked goods, or boiled and fried with other root vegetables.

• Do not use sweetened coconut flake for this recipe. You will not get the required texture if you do. Plus fresh coconut is moist and not dry like the flakes.

• When I grated my coconut, it was more than I needed for this recipe so I put the extra in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. It freezes well.

• This Cassava Pone is not too sweet, if you like a bit sweeter taste, add about 1/4 cup more brown sugar.

• I know you might be questioning black pepper in a dessert, but with this dessert you want that little heat as it enhances the taste of the cassava and coconut.

• This washes down well with a glass of hot (or cold) milk.