Building dreams: One tart at a time
Published:Thursday | March 27, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Krysta Anderson, Gleaner Writer
Nothing could be sweeter than one of Jamaica's sweethearts making delicious sweet treats for a living. Amanda McCreath has pulled out all the stops in providing quality desserts with an authentic Jamaican twist.
The architect-turned-chef decided to ditch designing buildings to construct her personal dreams of culinary greatness. For this edition of our Sweet Treat series, Food went into the kitchen of the young 'foodie' enthusiast to see just what was baking in her oven.
A tantalising display awaited - traditional home-made bun, with cheese, scrumptious rum cake intoxicating glazed, as well as heart-warming plantain tarts fresh from the oven prepared in front of our eyes from start to finish. And to cool things down, there were wholesome sweetness cakes with toppings served in mason jars.
McCreath grew up watching her mother cook and bake, and quickly gravitated towards it. "Mommy used to always bake for the season, Christmas cake at Christmas time, buns during Easter, and I just loved it."
During college, she indulged her love for baking by making tarts - that was in 2010. There was hope of soaring to new heights, but with the balancing act between baking and books proving to be difficult, she fell off the food wagon to finish off architecture.
Following through with her scholastic pursuits, the 25-year-old admitted that she grew weary of the field of architecture and began seeking other options. "I always loved cooking. I loved architecture, which was the reason why I decided to study, and aimed to pursue it as a career, but over time, I lost love for it."
She rekindled her passion for food when she began working with her parents. "Working for my parents, I had more free time to do as I please. I was so depressed with wondering where my life was going, and I decided to bake to cheer myself up."
Reality Check
The reality check came last year when she believed her life was heading down a slippery road. It was then that she decided to make the pipe dream of becoming a culinary extraordinaire a reality. Friends and family members encouraged her to explore that option even further, and pretty soon Gourmet Jamaica was born.
"I didn't want to work a regular nine-to-five job building someone else's dreams; I wanted to build my very own dreams. I came up with the name and designed the logo myself, and got my food handler's permit as well," she explained. "I have put all my money into my business. My mind has actually matured, so instead of going out, I pay attention to building my brand."
YouTube and the Internet became her culinary classes. Most of her recipes come from family, as well as cookbooks and trial and error. She has grown closer to her parents, who aided her with different aspects of the business.
"Mommy helped me with the baking - took us a while to get the recipes down - while Daddy, the rational man behind the business, not only helps me with tasting, but assists with the marketing aspect of things."
With Easter bun and plantain tart already mastered, she has branched out into cocktail cakes and Mason jar desserts, with hopes of making skinny jars and breakfast jars in the near future. She also wants to start a vegan line. "I'm looking towards a store front, opening a little quaint café, with the jars. I like the rustic feel of Mason jars - jars are blank canvases, you can get so creative with them."
Her main customer right now is Ribbiz, as she told us, "They began serving my desserts after I brought them samples. They have actually helped me to grow so I'm very grateful for all they have done and continue to do for me." McCreath is now very excited about her baby. "I now get excited about work. Something that I would use to pass the time has become my drive to move forward."
Her advice to aspiring chefs, "Find a way to be different. You have to be known for one specific thing so have your signature that no one can replicate. Sit down, research, do something that you like. Take the time to build your recipe. Let your personality shine through your food. Do it the right way, too, get your food handler's permit. Just do it!"
For our trial and pleasure, she gave us the recipe for an apple bread pudding with brandy glaze.
Apple Bread Pudding with Brandy Glaze Recipe
Makes 8-10 servings.
Ingredients (Brandy Glaze)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup brandy
Bread Pudding:
1 loaf bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6-7 cups)
2 Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced
1 qt milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
1 cup raisins (soaked overnight in 1/4 cup brandy)
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
pinch of salt
Method
Brandy Glaze:
In a saucepan, melt butter; add sugar and egg, whisking to blend well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. (Do not allow to simmer, or it may curdle). Whisk in bourbon to taste. Remove from heat. Whisk before serving. The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.
Bread Pudding:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Soak the bread in milk in a large mixing bowl. Press with hands until well mixed and all the milk is absorbed. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and spices together. Gently stir into the bread mixture. Gently stir the raisins and apples into the mixture.
3. Coat the sides and bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour in the bread mix and bake at 350F for 35-45 minutes, until set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting brown and pull away from the edges of the pan. Can also make in individual ramekins.
Serve with brandy glaze on the side; pour on to taste. Best fresh and eaten the day it is made.
Goes well with vanilla ice cream.