Coconut Tart (Jamaican Gizzada)

The gizzada, an open tart with a grated, spiced and sweetened coconut filling. Also known as “pinch-me-round,” for the characteristic wavy look of the edges of the shell, the gizzada came to Jamaica from Portugal, where there’s a similar pastry, called guisada.

Filling:
1 cup water
1½ cups coconut, grated
1½ cups brown sugar
¼ tsp. nutmeg, grated
1 oz butter

Pastry:
2 cups flour
ice water
1 tsp. shortening
1 Tbsp. butter
½ tsp. sea salt

Make the filling: Boil water and sugar together to make syrup (low heat).

Add the grated coconut and Nutmeg to the syrup.

Stir the ingredients so it does not thicken. Boil for 15 minutes.

Add the butter.

Stir ingredients for another 6 minutes. Be sure the butter is not visible in the filling.

Allow the filling to cool.

Make the pastry: Sift flour and salt together.

Cut the butter and shortening in to small pieces, add to the flour along with the cold water.

Make into pastry (dough).

Place the pastry into a plastic wrapping or foil wrap.

Put the pastry in the fridge for ½ an hour.

Remove the pastry from the fridge.

Use a rolling pin to roll the pastry on a cutting board to a ¼ inch thickness. (Flour the board first)

Cut circles in the pastry using an 8-oz cup/glass. (You can also use a cookie cutter)

Cut 16 circles from it.

Crimping (Pinch) each of the pastry circles to form a casing. It will be holder for the filling.

Crimp in a uniform pattern as this will give the decorated effect.

Place the casings on a greased tray and part-bake in the oven (at about 350°F for 15 minutes).

Place the pasty on a greased baking sheet. Bake the dough pieces at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and then add the filling to the baked pastry. Bake the gizzadas for another 20 minutes.

Remove them from the oven allow to cool.