Rachel

mlveynar

Do you know of any Kenyan baked goods/desserts?  I'm putting together recipes to do a "baking around the world" thing for my blog, and I thought something non-European would be fun!  Got any ideas?

justrachet

The only dessert I had there was our wedding cake, which was like banana bread and not really traditional. I can't think of any actual baked goods besides that - everyone cooks on a propane burner or open fire. They do have some very yummy sweet fried rolls - mahamri and mandazi. They are almost the same but mahamri uses yeast and mandazi uses baking powder. Mahamri usually puffs up so that there is a big air pocket in the middle of the roll. Rodgers' mandazi usually ends up solid. I think mahamri is probably more traditional, but we usually do mandazi because it's faster!

Mahamri
(adapted from online recipe that's found many places, including: http://sethhaberkorn.info/kenyan-mahamri-recipe)

1 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup warm coconut milk
3 cups flour
oil for frying

Dilute yeast in water and let stand at room temperature for 3 hours

Mix cardamom, sugar, salt, and eggs; add coconut milk and yeast, mix thoroughly 

Add flour and knead dough until smooth

Roll dough out on floured surface, 1/4" thick; cut into 1.5-2" triangles

Let dough stand at room temperature for 2 hours

Heat oil in pan; fry mahamri on both sides until golden brown

 

Mandazi 
(Don't know where Rodgers got this recipe, it's in his handwriting, not printed from the internet)

1 egg
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder 

Mix all ingredients together, add more flour if necessary, dough should be soft, but not sticky

Roll the dough on light floured board until about 1/4" thick; cut into 1.5-2" triangles; fry in hot oil on both sides until golden brown