Koqulei Duff & Sauce

D and C Catering's Note:

This is a variant of my Grandma Rita’s special Bahamain Guava Duff. As a child when I spent my summers with my grandma, when she made Guava Duff; it was like a religious ceremony and brain surgery rolled up into one. However; what made her True Guava Duff so potently delicious was that it was an adult recipe; however she would reserve some of the creamy sauce especially for me in a virgin style; of course I was no more than 9 years old and the real kick in Grandma’s Guava Duff was her spiked creamy sauce that went over each slice of the duff, the spiked came from a delicate mixture of cognac and very old brandy and Scotch whiskey. Below is my very own special variant of my Grandma’s Guava Duff, specially named “KOQULEI DUFF & SAUCE”; and here it is straight from the Cook Book - Title: Caribbean Cuisine with Charles Coakley. "The Sweet Smell of What's Cooking". (ISBN#: 978-1-105-2500-7 90000) with permission to publish.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 55 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 1⁄8; teaspoon nutmeg (Grounded)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (Grounded)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup Crisco shortening
• 4 eggs , Yolks Separate the yolk from the whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ginger , Sliced thinly (whole, 8 slices)
• 6 whole allspice (Placed in boiling water.)
• 1 peppermint tea bag (Lipton Tea Teabag placed in the water to boil the duff.)
• 9 guava (Red Flesh Guava Varieties -- 1x Beaumont Variety, used in the Duff, 1x Hong Kong Pink Variety, used )
• 10 guava (White Flesh Guava Varieties -- 5x Mexican Cream Variety, - used for making the Sauce, 1x Sweet White)
• 1 ounce raisins (Dark )
• ¼ ounce walnuts , and Almond (crushed, chopped)
• ¼ ounce banana chips (Dried)
• ¼ ounce pineapple chunk (Dried)
• 1 ounce raisins (Sultans)
• 2 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• 8 ounces Nestle sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup margarine
• 1 banana (Ripe )
• 4 tablespoons cherry brandy (1 tablespoon is added to the sauce, whereas the other 3 tablespoons are used to soak the dark raisin)
• 1 tablespoon cognac
• ½ tablespoon gin

Directions:

1. *Duff Making: Skin, peel and core the guavas. GUAVA SKINS: Discard the guava skins. GUAVA CORES: Add the cores of the both types of guavas to the blender and puree the guava cores for a few seconds, then sieve the puree to remove any seed sediments. GUAVA MEAT: Cut the guava meat in variable sizes and add the brown sugar and a pinch of the nutmeg and cinnamon to the guava meat also and mix thoroughly to completely cover the sliced and cut guava meats.
2. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place the egg yolks and the vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and turn the mixer on high for a few seconds then slowly add in the sugar and turn the mixer speed to medium. Meanwhile, in another bowl beat the soften butter and lard together and then pour in the egg yolk/sugar mixture.
3. Add the baking powder, salt, flour, the remainders of the spices: nutmeg and cinnamon; altogether and mix evenly.
4. In a bread mixer; add the dry mixture into the mixing bowl and then add the egg yolk/sugar mixture and after about 2 minutes of mixing and the dough is well form; turn off the mixer and divide in half, then wrap in Reynolds plastic and refrigerate for about ½ hour.
5. **Filling the Duff: Clean an even large surface area and spread a very scant coverage of flour over the surface where the dough will now be spread out to a few centimeters thick and in a rectangular shape form. Roll in the Dried Pineapple Chunks, Dried Banana Chips, Sultan Raisins and Sweetened Coconut Flakes into the dough.
6. Soak the dark raisin in the brandy for at least 12 hours in advance.
7. Arranging the dough at its widest form, the Koqulei Duff filling is spread over the dough in repeated strip sections of: Sweetened Red Guava meat - Brandy soaked dark Raisins - Crushed Walnut and Chopped Almond pieces parallel to the widest portion of the dough.
8. Starting at one end, fold the dough parallel to strip section filling spread.
9. ***Cooking the Duff: In a large pot add the water to about ½ full and bring to a rolling boil with the cloves and then add the chopped up ginger roots after boiling begins. When the uncooked duff is added to the boiling water mixture the teabag is added at the same time. In addition fill a tea kettle and bring the water to boil as well, this will be used as reservoir of hot water to fill the pot after the duff has been added; as well as to refill the boiling water mixture if the level gets to low.
10. Place the uncooked duff in a baking bag and draw tight to close the bag, then place in the boiling mixture on high stove setting for 45 to 65 minutes boiling everything.
11. ****Sauce making: Cut the banana in sections and place in a blender and add the gin, then puree.
12. Add the margarine to a large sauce pan on low heat and after it has melted, immediately add the banana/gin mixture followed by adding the guava puree an aliquot at a time, meanwhile constantly stirring the mixture. after all the guava puree has been added immediately add the sweetened condensed cream. After all the sweetened condensed cream has been added and the mixture warm remove the sauce pan from the heat and add the remaining liquor of the brandy and cognac meanwhile constantly stirring the sauce.
13. After the Koqulei Duff is done and is carefully removed from its casing, it should be allowed to cool before slicing it and pouring the Koqulei Duff Sauce over it lavishly and then eat all you want abundantly.