Dulce de Frijol
I know you’re probably thinking, bean candy? That doesn’t sound too good. I was doubtful, too, but I was pleasantly surprised and excited about this wonderful recipe. I am deeply grateful to our dear family friend Amado for getting this recipe that came from his friend. The beans are cooked with cinnamon, puréed, and cooked again with orange juice and sugar. After awhile of stirring, the flavors begin to come together and a wonderful chest nutlike texture is achieved. The paste is then formed into balls and rolled in sugar. I love giving it to people to try and guess what the main ingredient is. Although only one person out of about thirty is able to guess, they all really like it. The original recipe is made with dark raisins, but I prefer to use currants.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 dozen
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Cover the beans with abundant cold water and soak overnight. Drain and put the beans in a medium pot with the water and canela. Bring to a boil and adjust the heat so it’s at a constant soft simmer; cook until tender, 60 to 75 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Add the salt and remove from the heat. Let cool, then purée in a food processor together with any remaining liquid (no more than 1 cup).
Step 2
Combine the sugar, orange juice, and zest in a medium pot and cook until slightly syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the puréed beans and cook, stirring continuously, over medium-low heat, until there is no more liquid and you can see the bottom of the pot when you stir, 30 to 45 minutes. The mixture will be thick and will hold onto a spoon when you lift it. Stir in the currants and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Step 3
Using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture, roll into gumball-size balls, and then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Let cool completely before serving.
