Gizzada

January 9
Originally uploaded by mufopho

Gizzada is a coconut filled tart. I use to overdose on these. I love coconut, so anything with coconut is right up my alley. This is a favorite snack for many school children.


Ingredients for filling:

1 cup Water

1 ½ cups Grated Coconut

1 ½ lb. Brown Sugar

¼ tsp. Grated Nutmeg

1 oz. Butter

Method:

Boil water and sugar together on low heat to make syrup. Add the grated coconut and other ingredients, except butter, to the syrup and allow boiling for 15 minutes. Stir the ingredients with a fork every now and then.

Add butter and stir ingredients to cook for another 6 minutes or until butter is not visible in the filling. Allow the filling to cool.

Ingredients for pastry:

2 cups Flour

Ice water

1 tsp. Shortening

1 tbsp. Butter

½ tsp. Salt

Sift flour and salt together. Cut in butter and shortening and add water to make dough. After making dough, place it in a plastic wrapping and keep the dough in the fridge for half an hour.

Remove the dough from the fridge and use a rolling pin to roll dough on a cutting board to a ¼ inch thickness. Flour the board first.

Using an 8-oz drinking glass, you can cut circles in the dough. Or use a cookie cutter to make the size of the pieces you desire. Pinch around the circled pieces of dough in a uniform pattern; this will give the decorated effect. You pinch the dough to make a holder for the filling.

Remove the dough pieces for the filling and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake the dough pieces at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. And then add the filling to the baked dough. Bake the gizzadas for another 20 minutes.

Allow to cool, and Presto!

Here is a way to cheat on this treat. (I have done this before)

Buy the small pie shells (2” or 3”) from the grocery store…and just add the coconut filling to the shells and bake them for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F. And Voila! As the French would say…Gizzadas are ready.