Huwebes, Setyembre 29, 2011

Favorite Filipino Desserts


LECHE FLAN

                                                     google images

Flan is the Sean “Puffy” Combs of the dessert world – it’s rich, decadent, and goes by a few different aliases: Crème Caramel, Caramel Custard, Flan de Leche, and Leche Flan. 
Despite its multiple monikers, Flan is more or less a caramel-topped, custard-based dessert that is prepared using the same simple ingredients of eggs, milk, and sugar.  Why all the different names for the same dessert?  Well, with Flan, it ain’t where you from, it’s where you at. 

Leche Flan is one of the many legacies of Spanish colonialism in the Philippines.  And in the Philippines, Leche Flan is usually prepared using either Carabao’s (water buffalo) milk, or a combination of canned condensed milk and canned evaporated milk.  Canned milk is used out of convenience, but because of the tropical climate in the Philippines, it is also used because it doesn’t spoil as readily as fresh milk.
Pieces of leche flan are sometimes added to halu-halo.
The ingredients are mixed and poured in an oval or round pan which is then placed in a larger pan of water and cooked on a stove or in an oven. The dessert, once firm, is chilled before serving. The sugar, after cooking, turns into a caramel syrup that coats the custard.

Leche Flan

Yields 8 servings (using 8 1-cup ramekins)
For the caramel:
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup water
For the Custard:
3 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup sugar, divided
1 pinch salt
4 large eggs
6 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Before making the caramel, be sure your ramekins are arranged and ready so that you can quickly pour the caramel into them as soon as the caramel comes together.
To make the caramel, place the ¾ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Pour the water over the sugar and quickly stir just to incorporate.  Continue to heat the sugar and water, swirling the pan every so often, until a clear syrup forms, about 4-5 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sugar to a boil.  Continue to cook until the sugar reaches an amber color.  Remove from heat.  Quickly pour equal amounts of the caramel into each of the ramekins, turning the ramekins so that they are evenly coated.  The caramel will harden in the ramekins, this is OK.  Set aside while preparing the custard.
Place the milk, half-and-half, and a half-cup of sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  When the milk mixture reaches a simmer, lower heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Whisk the eggs and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl.  Slowly add the last half-cup of sugar to the eggs while whisking.  Continue to whisk eggs until sugar is incorporated and eggs lighten in color. 
When the milk mixture has cooled to warm, temper the eggs with the milk by slowly adding, one ladle at a time, the milk mixture to the eggs, whisking continuously.  After all of the milk has been incorporated into the eggs, stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl (preferably a bowl with a spout).
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Fold a clean kitchen towel and place in the bottom of a large roasting pan (this will keep the ramekins from sliding in the pan. If you have a Silpat pad, that works even better than the towel).  Place the ramekins onto the kitchen towel in the large roasting pan, there should be at least an inch of space between the ramekins.  Pour equal amounts of the custard mixture into each ramekin.
Open the oven and place the roasting pan on the oven door.  Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until the water level reaches at least 1 ½ inches deep.  Place the roasting pan into the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the custards barely wobble in the center of the ramekins when the pan is jiggled.  You can also check doneness by inserting a paring knife halfway between the center of the custard and the edge of the ramekin; if the knife comes out clean, the Leche Flan is done.
Remove the Leche Flan from the roasting pan and allow to cool to room temperature.  Then cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
To serve, run a paring knife around the Leche Flans and place the ramekin in a shallow dish of hot water for 1 minute.  Unmold the Leche Flan by inverting it onto a serving dish.

KUTSINTA
                                                                       google images

Puto at Kutsinta is a native rice delicacies and one of the most popular Filipino merienda, (snack).
  • Puto is light, white steamed rice cake.
  • Kutsinta is brown, sticky and glutinous.
Both are made of rice flour and served with grated coconut. A favourite for morning or afternoon snack. (Note: if rice flour is not available you can use self-raising flour).    




GULAMAN AT SAGO


     Sago't Gulaman is a very popular refreshment. In restaurants it is served in a tall, footed glass, in neighborhood stores it is ladled into plastic cups and in street stands it is simply poured into plastic bags and provided with straw. It can be taken as an after-meal beverage-dessert, a snack or a drink to accompany another merienda item. Sago itself is also seen in Tahu, Ginataan and Ginumis while gulaman which is made from seaweed called agar-agar can be eaten as a gelatin dessert with or without fruits.
Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
boiled sago
cooked gulaman, cubed
crushed ice
>> Caramelized sugar in a saucepan. When melted, pour in the water. Continue cooking until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cool completely. Add some of the cooled arnibal or syrup to the sago to sweeten it.
>> In a glass, put some sago and gulaman. Add enough arnibal to sweeten. Fill with ice or add ice-cold water.


>> To Cook sago: Boil water in a saucepan. Add in uncooked sago. Stir to prevent sticking. Cook until transparent. Drain then rinse.






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