Sweet Beans Dominican Style

Sweet Beans Dominican Style

Habichuelas con Dulce

Sweet beans (Habichuelas con Dulce), is a typical Dominican dessert eaten more often during Lent. The beans are seasoned with sugar, coconut and spices.

Simmering Sweet BeansSweet Potatoes not to be confused with Yams

Sweet beans are not eaten with rice. It is eaten as a dessert. I do not really know how it originated but I just know that we Dominicans love this dessert a whole lot. My mother always used to make it where we were growing up, but now she is older and she no longer cooks. A good friend reminded me how to make the recipe since I had not cooked it in a long time.

Sweet Beans are cooked in many different ways. Some people make the dessert, leaving the grain intact. Others, like me, like to puree and strain the beans and keep only the cream.

If you prefer to keep the grains intact, skip steps 3 and 4 of the instructions.

This is the recipe from my friend Silvia.

Ingredients

Dulce de leche cookies (optional) These are small cookies that you would find in the Spanish store (bodega)

Instructions

Boil the beans according to the instructions on the package, with three or four sticks of cinnamon until beans are tender.

Add coconut milk and let it boil for a short while longer. Remove from heat.

Remove the four sticks of cinnamon and puree in a blender.

Strain the pureed beans into a larger pot. Now there is only cream left.

Bring to a simmering.

Add sugar, salt and two or three more cinnamon sticks.

Add evaporated milk and butter.

Add raisins.

Meanwhile, peel and chop sweet potatoes into small pieces.

Ten minutes before removing the cream, and when slightly thickened, add the sweet potatoes and let the sweet potato cook until tender.

Remove from heat.

Top with the small milk cookies when serving.