Earlier this summer, yes summer is still in full swing in Austin even though school is back, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Antigua with the tourism board. I went to learn about the Mango Festival and the culinary scene in Antigua. I got to visit a mango farm, eat at some wonderful restaurants and course sneak in some beach time and cocktails.
One of the most memorable parts of the trip for me was the cooking class we took at Nicole’s Table. Nicole was born and raised on a neighboring island but spent a lot of her formative years on the East Coast where she met her husband and had two girls. They moved back to Antigua a few years ago and Nicole started a cooking business out their kitchen. This kitchen has sweeping views of the island and the sea. I kept saying to myself that I can’t believe someone actually gets to live here! It was truly a lovely experience and Nicole was so gracious in sharing her home with us.
All the food we made that day was delicious, but of course dessert is what stuck in my mind. The best part was that the recipe was so simple I almost had it memorized after the first time trying it. I love recipes like that, the ones that are so simple and truly just let the ingredients shine! These coconut tarts were delicious and light enough to best served when it’s still hot outside and sweet enough to be great anytime of year. I can totally see myself doing a take on these for holiday parties this year. Maybe even making tiny ones and putting them with gifts or serving at the end of a big meal when all you need is just something a little sweet. I brought these over to a friend’s house for dinner this week and they went perfectly with her homemade vanilla bean ice cream! Another bonus, these can be made ahead of time, because we all know that trick can come in handy this fall!
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