Cassava Pone

Cassava Pone always reminds me of the days when my grandmother would be surrounded by some of her grand kids, my mom and aunties and we all had a part to play. Back then we would get the cassava, grate it, strain the juice out and let it dry. At some point everyone was grating either cassava, pumpkin or coconut. The finished product would always be distributed between the houses. They were the best of days.

You will need:

4 cups grated cassava

1 cup grated coconut

1/2 cup mashed pumpkin (grated or can)

1 1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

6-8 tbsp softened butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

Method.

Preheat oven to 325˚. Grease your baking pan and set aside. Blend or mix together coconut milk and grated coconut and set aside. In a large bowl combine all ingredients in the order listed above and mix well. Pour mixture into greased baking pan and place on centre rack of oven and bake uncovered for one hour at 325˚, followed by another 45 minutes of baking at 350˚. The finished product should be firm and not wobbly or shaking. If the top is not brown enough for you, bake for 10-15 minutes more, at 375˚.

Tip – You can use frozen coconut and cassava; just bring them to room temperature. Some pones take up to 2 hours of baking, but ovens’ heat differs, so don’t worry if yours takes less time or even longer. You can also add less coconut milk or use evaporated milk.