Bonbon siwo

Ingredients

Dry

• 500 gplain flour
• 2 teaspoonsbaking powder
• 1 teaspoonbicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoonsground ginger
• 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoongrated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoonground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt

Wet

• 300 mlsirop batterie, Haitian cane syrup
• or 300 ml molasses
• 150 gbutter or shortening, melted
• 1egg
• 3cm fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoonvanilla
• the zest of 1 lime

Sometimes added

• 1star anise, ground
• 2 tablespoonsdark rum

Directions

1. Sift the flour with the raising agents and spices. Add the salt and whisk it all together. Warm the syrup slightly if it is very stiff. Put the syrup in a large bowl.
2. Add the melted butter and beat them together. Beat in the egg until it is fully incorporated. Add the grated fresh ginger, vanilla and lime zest.
3. Add the rum if you are using it. Combining them needs a light hand. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir it together with a wooden spoon. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it. Give it at least two hours to firm up. Warm dough is impossible to shape. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Roll pieces into balls between your palms. Aim for balls about the size of a walnut.
5. Flour your hands if it sticks. Set them on lined baking trays. Leave good space between them. Flatten each one slightly with your palm. Baking them is quick and needs watching.
6. Heat the oven to 180C before shaping. Bake them for about twelve minutes. They should be set at the edges. Take them out while they still look underdone. Leave them on the tray for five minutes.
7. Let them cool completely on the rack. Test one once it is completely cold. Put the cold cookies into an airtight tin. They keep for two weeks or more that way.

Technique

• Sirop batterie is Haitian unrefined cane syrup, boiled from cane juice, and is used in a number of Haitian sweets and drinks.
• The cookies keep well because of the syrup, which is part of why they are made in quantity.

Substitutions

• Molasses or dark treacle both stand in for sirop batterie.
• Shortening in place of butter gives a slightly chewier cookie.

Variations

• Some bakers roll the dough and cut it into shapes.
• A version with star anise ground into the spice mix is made in some households.
• Adding a splash of rum is common.

History

A Haitian bakery and market cookie made with cane syrup rather than refined sugar.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bonbon siwo?

Bonbon siwo is a dessert from Haiti: dense molasses and ginger cookies, spiced and chewy. A Haitian bakery and market cookie made with cane syrup rather than refined sugar.

How long does Bonbon siwo take to make?

Bonbon siwo takes 30 minutes plus resting of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 cookies. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bonbon siwo?

Yes, within limits. Molasses or dark treacle both stand in for sirop batterie. Shortening in place of butter gives a slightly chewier cookie.