All About Sweet Beans 'Habichuelas Con Dulce'

Habichuelas con Dulce is a sweet bean liquid dessert from the Dominican Republic that is especially popular around the Easter holiday. The beverage is part of the cuisine of the Dominican Republic and is traditionally garnished with "galleticas de leche," round milk cookies engraved with a cross and known as "Guarina" or with "casabe," a flatbread made of yuca flour.

Dominican Republic is a country with a variety of different races and cultures. Therefore, its music and its food have influence of their past. On this dessert, from the Taino Indians comes the sweet potato and the casabe, from the Spanish settlers the beans and the spices, and from African slaves the coconut milk.

Habichuelas con dulce is basically made with red beans, milk, sugar, spices and other ingredients. The beans are boiled and then blended to the consistency of soup.

One of the good things about Habichuelas con Dulce is that no two homes prepare it exactly the same way. Each family has its own secret ingredient. I'll tell you my own recipe that my grandmother gave me years ago as part of our dominican tradition.

Serve warm or chill overnight to serve the next day.

Time: about 5 hours

Before starting to cook: Soak the beans in water overnight

Utensils: a big pot, blender, colander, long wooden spoon

Ingredients:

4 cups of red kidney beans, boiled soft

6 cups of the water from boiling the beans

1/2 cup of white sugar or brown sugar

1 cup of coconut milk (1 can)

1 cup of evaporated milk (1 can)

1/2 cup of condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon of butter

1/2 lb of sweet potatoes (batata), boiled and cut into small cubes

1/4 cup of raisins (can be a mix of dark and light raisings)

Spices (add more or less according to taste)

1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

8 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

To garnish (may be omitted)

Cassava bread (may be omitted)

Small round milk cookies (may be omitted)

2 teaspoons of butter

Preparation:

1. Put the beans and the water through the blender. Strain the beans to get rid of the skin.

2. Put the beans, the coconut milk and half the milk in a pot and bring to a boil.

3. Add the rest of the milk, sugar and raisins and let boil at medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir regularly with a long wooden spoon to avoid sticking.

4. Add the sweet potatoes and the rest of the ingredients and boil to the desired consistency (about 3/4 of the original volume, the beans will thicken when chilled).

(Tip: Spread butter on the cassava bread, sprinkle with salt and put in the oven until it turns golden brown.)

Serve the sweet beans chilled or warm with the cassava on the side. Put cookies in the beans when you serve.