When African plantation slaves were underfed and hungry in Jamaica, they created the first version of what has become a staple desert in many homes: Jamaican toto. In those days, toto was made with three simple ingredients; coconut shavings, molasses, and flour.
Jamaican toto is a coconut-based dessert that is easy to make and usually served as a compliment to a larger family meal. Over time, Jamaican toto has accumulated more ingredients and has become a staple at Sunday night dinner tables of Jamaicans at home and in the diaspora.
Jamaican Toto’s Original Baking Method
From a culinary perspective, one of the reasons Jamaican toto is interesting is because of the original technique used to bake it. Toto was made using a traditional coal oven. This consisted of a covered baking apparatus, be it at the time of construction or a pot or makeshift metal container, with a fire underneath, and coal piled over the covering of the said baking tin.
Jamaican toto has also influenced the lexicon of the Jamaican culture. According to Grace ‘Grandma’ Reynolds, who has written several homemade Jamaican recipes on the website Jamaicans.com, this unique coal stove and technique of baking has fostered the phrases “fiyah a tap an fiyah a battam,” and “hell a tap an hell a battam.” In loose translation, this means “Fire on top, and fire on bottom,” and “Hell on top and hell on bottom.”
Homemade Jamaican Toto Recipes
This recipe falls into the category of a quick bread, similar to a muffin or banana bread. Therefore the basics should be observed. Each cup of flour gets about one teaspoon of baking powder and or baking soda, a quarter cup of butter and half a cup of sugar. Then the main flavoring, coconut, along with other additions.
The quickest, most efficient way to be successful with this recipe is to combine the dry ingredients first, then add wet ingredients, then bake for about 30 minutes.
The additions mostly used include dried fruits such as raisins, sweet wine, rum, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. Jamaican toto can be eaten alone, hot or cold, or paired with ice cream.
Recipe #1 – Basic Jamaican Toto Recipe
Ingredients
(Makes about 6 servings in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder.
- 1 cup white or brown sugar.
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon nutmeg.
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
- ¼ teaspoon salt.
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon grated lemon or lime rind (optional).
- 1 cup grated or desiccated coconut meat.
- 1 egg.
- ½ cup regular or evaporated milk.
- ½ cup butter or margarine (room temperature).
- 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare your baking pan by greasing and flouring it. Set aside.
First the dry ingredients: Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and lemon/lime rind. Set aside.
Then wet ingredients: Add milk, eggs, soft butter or margarine and vanilla and mix until smooth and creamy in consistency. This mixture should look like a thick custard or yogurt.
Have coconut ready in a bowl or large cup.
Gently fold ingredients together. First dry ingredients, then add wet mix, then grated/desiccated coconut.
Mix with paddle or mixer for about five to ten minutes, until the batter is smooth in consistency.
Pour the Jamaican toto batter into the greased pan, and place into oven for about 30 minutes.
This cake / quick bread is ready when a pierced knife, into the center, comes out dry.
Recipe #2 – More Complex Jamaican Toto Recipe
This toto variation is for a larger batch and includes popular additions such as raisins and spiced rum. Note the increase of the oven temperature from the basic recipe above.
(Makes about 10-12 servings in a 8 x 12-inch baking pan)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour.
- 3 teaspoons baking powder.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- ¼ to ¾ teaspoon nutmeg.
- 1 to 1½ cup white or brown sugar.
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt.
- ½ teaspoon grated lemon or lime rind (optional).
- 2 cups grated or desiccated coconut meat.
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon cinnamon.
- 2 eggs.
- 1 cup regular or evaporated milk.
- ½ to ¾ cup of butter or margarine (room temperature).
- 1 tablespoon vanilla.
- ½ cup raisins and / or dried fruit such as dates, currants and mixed fruit (optional).
- 1 to 4 tablespoons liquor such as rum or spiced wine (optional).
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare your baking pan by greasing and flouring it. Set aside.
First the dry ingredients: Combine flour, dried fruit, baking powder, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and lemon/lime rind. Set aside.
Then wet ingredients: Add milk, eggs, soft butter or margarine, vanilla and liquor and mix until smooth and creamy in consistency. This mixture should look like a thick custard or yogurt.
Have coconut ready in a bowl or large cup.
Gently fold ingredients together. First dry ingredients, then add wet mix, then grated/desiccated coconut.
Mix with paddle or mixer for about ten minutes, until the batter is smooth in consistency.
Pour the Jamaican toto batter into the greased pan, and place into oven for about 30 minutes.
This cake / quick bread is ready when a pierced knife, into the center, comes out dry.
Where to Find Jamaican Toto
This desert is such a staple at weekly family dinners across the Jamaican diaspora that locating it in a restaurant could be a challenge. It is such a commonplace desert that may not quite make it into an exclusive menu, akin to a pound cake or banana bread not typically offered at most fine restaurants.
As Jamaican toto is directly related to slavery, on Emancipation Day in Jamaica, toto is sold widely at festivals and street carnivals.
We located few restaurants that offer this delectable desert:
In the U.S
Caribbean American Bakery
1539 W. Howard St.
Chicago, IL 60626
In Jamaica
Totally Delicious Bakery
Call +1 876-931-4332
No. 141 Constant Spring Road, Kingston Jamaica
Is Jamaican toto a staple at some of your tables? Many Jamaicans in the diaspora have memories of grating coconut for this desert. Do you have a similar experience? Have you tried our recipe? Sound off and leave feedback below.