# haitian konparet



## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

please walk through this haitian delight with me

i would like to cook some for people to help organize relief efforts for the devastated country

KONPARET

a dense but not heavy cake-like bread in which ginger, coconut and cinammon represent the distinctive ingredients. It can be served with coffee or tea or even a glass of milk. Make sure the coconut is fresh and does not taste rancid


3 cups flour
tablespoon ground cinammon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
one stick butter
half cup light brown sugar (I will use turbinado sugar from colombia, is this a good idea?)
half a cup of honey (I will use florida panhandle tupelo honey)
2 eggs
1 cup (6 oz) crystalized ginger finely chopped
one and three fourths cup fresh grated finely packed coconut!!
one teaspoon pure vanilla extract
half teaspoon pure almond extract
two to three tablespoon fresh ginger juice
two teaspoons finely grated lime zest

all ingredients room temperature

lightly grease a cookie sheet

oven to 375

cream butter, cream in sugar then mix in honey

please explain this step for me? how should it be done so that everything is optimal, temp, times etc.

in another large bowl sift flour, salt, baking powder, cinammon

lightly beat eggs and mix into butter mixture one by one,

mix in chopped ginger, zest, extracts, coconut, ginger juice

stir in flour with a strong wodden stick until a sticky dough is formed

transfer dough to lightly floured surface... with floured hands form five balls

transfer balls to prepared baking sheet, three inches apart

bake 30 minutes


should the dough rest at all?

im guess ing no since the kneading is non existant

this is like a dense cake batter that is not poured but formed into balls

so do u think the recipe as printed will yield the results i seek? (i want to knock peoples socks off)


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

up for god sake, up.

i want to maximize the delicious of this recipe type.

how do u classify this?


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

I can't find this product on the web anywhere. Where did you get the recipe?


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

it is from the excellent cookbook "fine haitian cuisine"

this book can be previewed in google books. sometimes they wil lshow you the konparet recipe, sometimes not

this recipe is only found online in that book preview.

to learn more about haitian cooking i need to meet some haitians or find some online that will talk about it in english. it has a lot of cool stuff in it


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

could i please have feedback on what style of pastry this is and how its success can be optimized?


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## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

We're hoping a person who knows Caribbean/Haitian food will know.... sometimes patience is the necessary ingredient.


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

Well we can see that this recipe starts with creaming of butter and sugar, then adding in eggs and honey

there is no milk or water, but there is ginger juice, vanilla extract and alot of grated fresh coconut.

the batter is said to be sticky, my guess it will be relatively firm, not pourable, but moldable.

so im wondering about kneading, mixing and rest tiems and temperatures.

the butter and eggs will be room temperature. what about the coconut.

is this correct?

my guess is kneading and rest times will be light and hardly there. into the oven immediately?


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## dillonsmimi (Dec 2, 2009)

I would add the flour after all your mixing is done. Fold in until absorbed, and don't work it too much or your product will most likely be tough. The rest looks good, coconut will give up a bit of moisture as you are grating a fresh one. Almost like a donut recipe? Maybe a light glaze?


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## chalkdust (Feb 18, 2009)

light glaze! great idea! thanks!


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## dillonsmimi (Dec 2, 2009)

I was looking at your recipe again. Maybe a short rest after mixing. That will give your dough a bit of time to marry flavors. IMO almond EXTRACT is a bit strong. BDL will post a mild chide, but check with your pastry provider and cage a bit of almond oil and only use a drop or two. (actually my pantry contains some emulsions from LorAnn and my almond of choice is their amaretto oil) I kinda like the recipe flavor profile. Post any problems if needed and post when you love it so much ya gotta tell someone.


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