Pone

Alica’s cassava pone is a dense, sticky Guyanese sweet bake with coconut, brown sugar, spices and milk. This version uses fresh cassava and coconut, almond extract and evaporated milk, with butter in the mixture and a separate portion coating the pan.

A glass baking pan is coated with butter. The fresh cassava is cut into smaller pieces and peeled with a knife; its cores are removed before fine grating. Fresh coconut is peeled and grated, and both ingredients are set in a large mixing bowl.

Brown sugar, softened butter, ground cinnamon, supplied freshly grated nutmeg, black pepper, vanilla extract and almond extract are added. The selected wooden spoon mixes everything until evenly combined.

Evaporated milk is poured in and mixed gently through the cassava mixture. The batter is transferred into the buttered pan and baked until a tester comes out mostly clean and the top is golden brown. A brief optional broil can deepen the surface colour.

Alica describes a gooey, sticky centre and caramelised, chewy edges. For her optional gathering presentation, the pone is cut into small squares and each piece is placed in a mini cupcake liner.