St. Croix Tamarind Balls

I was fortunate enough to visit a friend who lived on St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands some years ago. I tasted a tamarind ball and loved it. I recently came across this recipe (although at the time of writing I haven't actually made my own candies yet). Note that some people also add garlic, black pepper or cayenne pepper for flavoring. The time estimate is based on using tamarind paste.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Yields: 24 candies

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup tamarind pulp
• 1  cup white sugar or 1  cup brown sugar
•  garlic powder (optional)
•  black pepper (optional)
•  cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Remove tamarind flesh from the seeds, by scraping with a knife or by rubbing the seeds and sugar against the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon. (Or, much easier, use tamarind paste!).
2. Mix the tamarind flesh with the sugar, and roll into a smooth ball, about 3/4 inch in diameter, with a tamarind seed in the center.
3. Roll the ball in granulated sugar, and store in an airtight container.