Chocolate Syrup

You can make chocolate milk with this or top ice cream or desserts!

2 Cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla

Place the sugar and cocoa in a deep saucepan (I use a ten cup pot) as it will bubble up as you cook it.
Add the water and whisk to blend well. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
When it begins to boil and bubble up, lower the heat slightly and whisk constantly for just two minutes (too long, and the syrup will granulate).
Remove from heat and blend in vanilla.

Allow to cool before pouring into container, or use a mason jar. Stored in the fridge, it keeps for weeks.

African Chocolate Pudding

I started with the Joy of Cooking recipe for vanilla pudding, edited to use local ingredients, and made it chocolate because I like that better. If you want vanilla pudding, just leave out the cocoa. (I'm going to try coconut next, using coconut milk instead of coffee.)

First, heat up the double boiler* while you assemble the ingredients.

1 1/3 cups full cream powdered milk
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. Cocoa powder (unsweetened)
3 cups boiling water
4 Tbsp. cornstarch (corn flour)
1 cup cold water or coffee
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Place the first three ingredients in the top of the double boiler.
Stir in 3 cups boiling water. Use a whisk to blend well.
In a separate bowl, blend the coffe with the cornstarch till smooth.
Add to the hot mixture, stirring till smooth.
Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, till slightly thickened.
Cover and cook 10 more minutes.
Add about a cup of the hot mixture to the eggs and blend.
Add back to the double boiler and cook 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
Remove from heat and add vanilla and blend.

You can put these in individual custard cups or a 1 1/2 quart bowl, cover and refrigerate.

*I don't have a double boiler, either. I have a steel bowl that fits perfectly into the rim of a steel pot, and use that, no problem.

Chin-Chin

Chin-chin is a traditional Nigerian snack, ubiquitous at Christmas time. It us usually produced in large quantities and kept on hand for visitors and children throughout the season, and sometimes makes an appearance at weddings, baby-naming ceremonies, and so on. It keeps for weeks without refrigeration as long as it is stored dry and cool (Christmas time being the only time of year in West Africa that would qualify).

Follow this link: http://www.africanchop.com/chinchin.htm This recipe is Americanized in measurements, i.e. it uses cups rather than grams; and in Nigeria margarine is generally used instead of butter (due to lack of refrigeration), but butter surely tastes better. Also, nutmeg is commonly added. You can use a pinch up to a 1/2 teaspoon, depending on your taste.

You can roll the fried balls in sugar and/or cinnamon to make them extra special. This is definitely not health food, although it is highly satisfying and a few is no overindulgence. Chin chin with a cup of black tea with powdered milk and sugar is the height of Christmas hospitality.

Orange Lassi

If you like yogurt, this is a great way to take it without added sugar.

If you don't like yogurt, you probably will after trying this.

Oranges in Nigeria tend to have a fibrous core, so I cut the centers before squeezing.

Mix about equal parts yogurt and orange juice. I take it in a bowl with a sprinkling of granola, but you can also drink it from a glass if you prefer-- that makes it more like a smoothie.

This can also be made with mangoes, when they are in season. Yum!

Christmas Shortbread

I call it "Christmas Shortbread" because Scotch Shortbread is so amazingly scrumptious that I only allow myself to make it at Christmas time.

Shortbread is the ur-cookie: stripped down to the barest essentials of butter, flour, sugar.

A few years ago I was part of a Christmas cookie exchange. A week or so later, my friend Melissa Adams commented that next to the fancy-looking iced and chocolate-coated offerings, the shortbread didn't look like much. But as the flashier cookies disappeared her husband Sam tried the shortbread and cried out, "You've been holding out on me!"

1 cup butter, softened (226g)
1/2 cup sugar (some prefer to use powdered but regular is fine)
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream the butter, then add the sugar and beat very smooth. Then add the flour and salt. It may seem dry at first, but continue stirring until there is very little loose flour, then with clean, dry hands knead briefly in the bowl until it comes together as a smooth ball of dough.

Break the ball in half and roll each half into a ball. Then flatten onto a floured board to make a circle about 7-8" in diameter, 1/2" thick. Transfer each round to an ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork, pierce as shown:

Pierce the dough additionally to allow steam to vent (I make a simple, star-like design). Bake 275 degrees F (135C) for 30-35 minutes, till golden around the edges. Let cool. No, it isn't one giant cookie, you break it into triangles to eat.

If you want to go a little fancier, serve shortbread with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and some raspberry or strawberry syrup (idea compliments of Shirley Bubar).

Cocoa Cashew Cookies

Chocolate chips being only an occasional and well-savored treat in Nigeria, I decided I needed another cookie to ring my chocolate bells on occasion. So I came up with this recipe.

1 cup butter, softened (226 grams)

1 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/3 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. hot water or coffee
1/2 cup cashews, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Cream first 2 ingredients.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat till smooth and fluffy.
Blend in flour, baking soda and salt.
Mix in coffee, enough to make dough pliable but not too soft.
Stir in nuts.
Roll dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 375 for 10 minutes.

Ginger Cookies

When I take out the recipe card for these I always think of my Vermont friend, Janie Booth, with whom I often compared and modified recipes... these have been further modified for African ingredients. I like a lot of ginger; everyone loves the sparkly, crystalline appearance these cookies have.

The molasses or treacle is optional (sometimes it's hard to get in Africa); they add chewiness to the cookies, without it the cookies will be more like ginger snaps, and are also delicious. (See the sparkles?)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine (170 grams)
1 cup sugar (1 1/2 cups if not using molasses/treacle)
1/4 cup molasses or 2 Tbsp. black treacle (optional)
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. or more ginger, to taste (I like at least 4 tsp.)


Cream together butter, sugar, egg and molasses or treacle.
Sift dry ingredients together and blend with butter mixture.

Roll to 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Resist eating too many like this, they are yummy raw!

Flatten slightly on cookie sheet and bake 350 9-11 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Hershey's Chocolate Cake

Modified slightly from the Hershey's cocoa box. This is our favorite cake. A class of cold milk is a must with a nice hunk of this.

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk OR, 1/3 cup powdered milk and 1 cup water
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1 cup boiling coffee OR water
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or 9"x13".
Combine all but coffee and chips, beat two minutes.
Mix in coffee and chips. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or frost with Hershey's chocolate frosting (half recipe for 9"x13" pan):

half recipe                      full recipe
1/2 (113 grams)              1 stick butter or margarine (226 grams)
1/3 cup                          2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 (250 grams)           3 cups powdered sugar (500 grams)
3 Tbsp                           1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp.                          1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter, stir in cocoa, alternately add sugar and milk, beat at medium speed till spreading consistency. Mix in vanilla. Add more milk if needed. Frost cake.

Yogurt Cheese Spread

To make Yogurt Cheese:
Place a coffee filter or clean cloth in a strainer over a bowl, and cover with another filter. Fill with plain yogurt. Refrigerate for several hours. Peel off the filters or cloth and store in an airtight container. (You can use the liquid whey, in the bowl, to make muffins or bread.)You can use the Yogurt Cheese as a sour cream substitute.

To make spread:
To one cup of yogurt cheese, mix in your choice:
1 cube bouillon
black pepper
minced, fresh or dried garlic
minced fresh or dried onion
One or more herbs: thyme, rosemary, marjoram, dill
Salt to taste

Refrigerate and use within 3 days.

Whole Wheat Crackers

These are so good!! Crackers as we know them in America are not generally available in Nigeria; if you stumble across a stray box the price is likely to be ten dollars or more!! I start by sorting through the wheat berries and grinding them with an attachment on my heavy duty stand mixer. I like the whole wheat to be coarse for crackers, it adds texture.

3 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil or cooking margarine (not spread)
1 egg
milk
spices to taste

Combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. Cut the margarine into the flour. Beat the egg in a 1 cup measure and add enough milk to bring the liquid up to one cup. Add liquid to flour mixture and mix till well combined. Form a ball and knead for a few moments.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220C).

Divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll out very thin on a floured board. You can now sprinkle the dough with a little salt, pepper, sesame seeds, garlic powder, parmesan cheese, or whatever suits you; and roll lightly to press the seasonings into the dough. Transfer greased cookie sheets (the easiest way is to roll up the dough, and unroll it on the pan). Prick the dough all over with a fork (unless you happen to own the old-fashioned doodad that women used to keep for piercing crackers, in which case use that). Cut into desired size with a pizza wheel or pie crust cutter. Bake crackers 7-10 minutes, till lightly browned (or well-browned, if you want them to be very crisp) Watch carefully in the last minutes, they are so thin they change quickly. Let cool completely on a rack before storing in an airtight container.

There will inevitably be some "waste" trimmings after cutting to squares; bake these and crumble for a salad topping.

These are good alone, and even better with Yogurt Cheese Spread.