Trinidadian Sweet Potato Pone
The sweet potato version of Trinidad's classic cassava pone: raw grated sweet potato, coconut, and freshly grated nutmeg baked into dense, sticky, chewy squares.
Servings 12 squares
Ingredients
For the Pone
- 3 cups sweet potato peeled and finely grated raw, about 2 pounds whole
- 1 cup grated coconut fresh or frozen grated, or unsweetened desiccated
- 1 ¼ cups full fat coconut milk canned, well shaken
- 1 cup dark brown or demerara sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus more for the pan
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon mixed essence or ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated, optional
- ½ cup raisins optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Grate and Mix
- Heat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8 by 8 inch baking pan well, including the corners, or line it with a parchment sling.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and grate them on the fine side of a box grater into a large bowl, keeping all the liquid that comes off with them.
- Add the grated coconut, coconut milk, sugar, melted butter, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, mixed essence, ginger, raisins, and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is a loose, wet, evenly speckled orange batter that pours slowly off the spoon.
Bake and Cool
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 55 to 70 minutes, until the top is deep brown and glossy, the edges pull away from the pan, and the center is firm to a light press.
- Test with a skewer. It should come out with moist crumbs and no wet batter.
- Cool completely in the pan on a rack, at least 2 hours, then cut into 12 squares with a thin knife, wiping the blade between cuts.
Notes
- Grate raw, never mashed: the raw starch is what sets into the chewy crumb that makes this pone.
- Use the fine side of the grater: coarse shreds stay separate and the texture never comes together.
- Freshly grated nutmeg: the biggest single flavor difference in the whole recipe.
- Cool completely: cutting warm pone gives you a smear instead of squares.
- Storage: 2 days covered at room temperature, 1 week refrigerated, 3 months frozen in wrapped squares.