Bollo de Plátano Costeño Afromestizo

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9-inch round clay baking dish, cazuela, or heavy cake pan
• •Box grater for piloncillo and fresh coconut
• •Small saucepan for piloncillo miel
• •Wide mixing bowl and sturdy spoon

Instructions

1. 1

   Make piloncillo miel

   Put the piloncillo, hot water, and canela stick in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the piloncillo dissolves into a dark syrup, 6 to 8 minutes. Let it bubble gently until it coats the spoon lightly. Remove the canela stick and let the miel cool until warm, not hot. Piloncillo gives this bollo its deep sugarcane flavor. White sugar makes it sweet and empty.

2. 2

   Prepare the pan

   Heat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round clay baking dish, cazuela, or heavy cake pan with manteca de cerdo. Line the bottom with parchment if using a metal pan. This is a dense coastal bollo, not a tall sponge cake. Do not expect it to rise like pan de vainilla from a bakery.

3. 3

   Mash the plantains

   Peel the plátanos machos and mash them in a wide bowl with a fork or potato masher until thick and mostly smooth, with a few small pieces left. The skins should be nearly black before you start. Yellow plantains are not ready. The fruit must smell sweet and heavy, almost fermented at the edge. That ripeness is the recipe.

4. 4

   Beat the fat

   In another bowl, beat the softened manteca de cerdo with the warm piloncillo miel until glossy and loose. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. La manteca es el sabor. It gives the bollo a tender crumb and a clean richness that vegetable oil does not give.

5. 5

   Mix the batter

   Stir the mashed plantain into the piloncillo mixture. Add the grated fresh coconut and mix again. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground canela. Fold the dry ingredients into the plantain mixture until no dry streaks remain. If the batter stands like clay and will not spread, add the milk one tablespoon at a time. It should be thick, spoonable, and heavy.

   Use fresh coconut. Desiccated coconut drinks the moisture and leaves the bollo dry. In Cuajinicuilapa, the coconut is grated from the shell, not shaken from a plastic bag.
6. 6

   Fill and top

   Scrape the batter into the greased dish and smooth the top with a wet spoon. Scatter the sesame seeds over the surface. Tap the dish once on the counter to settle the batter. Do not beat it after the flour goes in. You want a tight, tender bollo, not a tough one.

7. 7

   Bake until set

   Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is deep brown, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. The kitchen should smell of caramelized plantain, canela, and pork fat. That is Costa Chica pan dulce doing its work.

8. 8

   Rest and slice

   Let the bollo rest in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If you cut it hot, it tears. Serve thick slices at room temperature with cafe de olla or atole in jícaras. This is make-ahead food. It gets better after a night on the table, covered with a clean cloth.

Chef Tips

• •The plantains must be black-skinned. If they are yellow with a few spots, wait. A firm plantain gives you starch, not sweetness, and the bollo will taste flat.
• •Buy piloncillo cones from a Mexican market and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. If the cone is too hard, shave it with a knife. Brown sugar is a compromise, not an upgrade.
• •Use clean, fresh manteca de cerdo from a carnicería. If it smells old or fried, do not use it for dessert. Good lard smells mild and sweet.
• •Fresh coconut matters. Crack the coconut, peel off the brown skin if you want a cleaner crumb, and grate the white flesh. Pregúntale a las señoras del mercado if you do not know how to choose one.
• •This bollo is better the next day. The plantain, piloncillo, coconut, and canela settle into each other overnight. Saber cocinar es saber vivir.

Advance Preparation

• •The piloncillo miel can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Warm it gently before mixing so it blends into the manteca.
• •The bollo can be baked 1 day ahead, cooled completely, covered with a clean kitchen cloth, and held at room temperature.
• •Slices keep for 4 days in an airtight container. Warm them briefly on a comal or dry skillet if you want the edges lightly toasted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)