Filipino Desserts

photo credits to Framboise

Buko Pandan is one dessert that Filipinos can’t do without. Buko pandan is a mixture of the goodness of coconut, soft gelatin, sweet milk and soothing pandan. Try this fool-proof recipe at home and for parties. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
8 cups of water
Pandan leaves
Green gelatin powder
2 cans of evaporated milk
2 cans of condensed milk
1 can or pack of all-purpose cream
1 cup shredded young coconut meat
1/2 cup small sago
1 scoop fo vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions:
1. Boil about 8 cups of water
2. Wash pandan leaves and tie it into a knot.
3. Add pandan leaves to boiling water.
4. Dissolve 3 boxes of green gelatin powder in a cup of cold water then add to the boiling water.
5. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Strain the pandan leaves and put the simmered gelatin in a container.
7. Let it cool “room temperature” then put in fridge.
8. In a bowl, mix 2 cans of evaporated milk with 2 cans of condensed milk and a cup of all-purpose cream.
9. Add fresh or frozen shredded coconut in a bowl.
10. Mix it well.
11. Best served chilled.

Technorati Tags: buko pandan recipe, chilled dessert, food, recipe video, snacks

Kwek kwek (or Tokneneng) isn’t spared from the belief that eggs should be avoided due to its link to cardiovascular diseases. Anti-aging research says consumption of an egg daily is part of a complete anti-aging diet. Research and long term studies have shown that eggs are a great dietary source of calories (75 calories), cholesterol (213 mg), protein (6.25 gm), and a variety of important nutrients for the body.

Many Filipinos mistakenly call Tokneneng as Kwek Kwek or vice versa. Tokneneng are actually made up of chicken eggs while Kwek kwek are of quail eggs. Both are cooked the same way just the source of eggs differs.

I personally love to eat kwek-kwek as afternoon snacks.   I’m guilty of calling Tokneneng as Kwek Kwek simply because Kwek Kwek sounds fancier.  Foods such as eggs consumed everyday are healthy as long as they are eaten in moderation.

Here is a recipe of kwek kwek you can personally cook. Kwek kwek taste the best when eaten freshly cooked and hot.

Ingredients:
1 dozen peeled hard boiled quail eggs (or chicken eggs)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup water
few drops of food coloring (orange)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil

Directions:
1. Place the boiled quail or chicken eggs and ¼ cup of flour in a clean plastic bag oor with zip lock
2. Seal the bag by tying and shake them until eggs are evenly coated with flour.
3. Mix all remaining ingredients except cooking oil.
4. With a fork, mix it to a smooth batter.
5. Dump those little eggs to the batter.
6. Heat enough cooking oil for deep frying in a deep, frying pan.
7. Spoon out those eggs from the batter and chuck it in the hot cooking oil.
8. Wait until the coating turns crispy for about a minute or so.
9. Served best with vinegar with chili and sliced cucumber and seaweed.

Read our article “Street Eats: Pinoy Street Food”.

Technorati Tags: cardiovascular diseases eggs, egg recipe, filipino merienda snacks, street food. tokneneng kwek kwek recipe

Everywhere you look in Philippines, it is common to find people crowding make shift or portable stalls in the streets. Street foods are easy to find outside school gates, churches, parks and even in malls where they offer most exotic delicacies.

Filipinos are known to enjoy the average three meals a day plus desserts or “merienda” as most Filipinos call it. One of the qualities that Filipinos possess is their ingenuity to make up almost anything into something new, creative yet cost-sufficient, including food. People of other countries may prefer dining and eating pizzas when hunger pangs strikes. Filipinos on the other hand race to the streets to satisfy their hunger for favorite local street food for a few pesos. Let’s take a trip to the streets of Philippines and be introduced to Pinoy street food.

Balut or Boiled Pre-hatched Eggs
It is no surprise to hear somebody shouting the word balut in the middle of the night. It is a common and everyday food in some countries such as Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is a fertilized duck or chicken egg with a nearly developed embryo inside, boiled and eaten in its shells. Balut is rich in protein, hearty snack and believed to be an aphrodisiac. This chicken egg can be bought usually from balut vendors who roam around the city at night.

Adidas or Grilled Chicken Feet
When someone hands you Adidas as a food, don’t be surprise to see sticks of chicken feet. Chicken feet or oddly called Adidas are a common delicacy of Filipinos. After the claws and tips of the toes are sliced off, the feet are washed in hot water and tough layer of the skin is scraped off.

(Photo Credits: Sidney Snoeck)

Tokneneng and Kwek-kwek
Here’s an inexpensive yet delicious snack. Tokneneng is a boiled chicken egg, dipped in orange colored dough and fried in deep oil. It tastes best when paired with sliced cucumber and vinegar with chili. Kwek kwek is almost the same street food compared to Tokneneng but quail eggs are used instead of chicken eggs.

(Photo Credits: Sidney Snoeck)

Isaw or Grilled Chicken Intestines
Who says intestines of chickens should be thrown away? Isaw or grilled chicken intestines can serve as a dessert or a good meal with rice in Philippines. The intestines are prepared with repeated process of being turned inside out and cleaned again and again until it is clear from anything inside it. They are then either boiled then grilled or immediately grilled in barbeque sticks.

(Photo Credits: Sidney Snoeck)

Betamax or Dried Chicken Blood
Chicken blood is not spared to be an addition to the list of street foods of Filipinos. Betamax is made from dried chicken blood served and cut into small cubes resembling the aged Betamax tape. Betamax is served in barbeque sticks which are grilled until cooked.

(Photo Credits: Sidney Snoeck)

Walkman or Grilled Pork Ears
Pork ears are so tender that Filipinos made it a street food to hit the local eating scene, in streets. It is dubbed as Walkman as it means ears of the pig. These tender ears are cleaned, seasoned then grilled in bamboo sticks.

Ukoy
Ukoy pronounced as Okoy is a batter-based, deep-fried street food in the Philippines. It normally includes bean sprouts and very small shrimps shells and all in the batter. It is commonly dipped in a combination of vinegar and chili.

Fried Squid Balls, Fish Balls and Kikiam
Processed deep fried snacks are also part of the line of Pinoy street food known as squid balls, fish balls and kikiam. They are skewered on bamboo sticks then dipped in a sweet or tasty sauce. These processed snacks are usually sold frozen in markets and peddled by street vendors.

(Photo Credits: Sidney Snoeck)

Helmet or Grilled Chicken Head
Chicken heads can be made into street food too. These tiny heads of chickens are grilled to perfection and are widely savored by Filipinos.

(Photo Credits: Sidney Snoeck)

One Day Old Chicks
Poultry farms reject one day old male chicks because they only pick female chicks for egg production. One day old male chicks wind its way to streets as one day old chick street food. The baby birds are eaten batter-fried. You eat the whole chick because the bones are so soft. These chicks are usually dipped in vinegar and/or red chili sauce. One-Day Old Chicks are also a popular pulutan (finger food) while drinking Red Horse Extra Strong or San Miguel beer.

(Photo Credits: Sidney Snoeck)

Sweet Potato Fries
Pinoy fries calls for cheaper ingredients as Idaho potatoes can cost more. These are fries made from sweet potatoes or kamote (in Tagalog) having the similar tenderness of French fries yet rounder in presentation in contrast to the stringy look of French fries.

The repertoire of street food in Philippines is as lengthy as it gets yet fun to try and see which street food you like the best, or hate the most. I strongly recommend Filipino street food to the daring at heart to try Filipino street food. Who knows you might end up loving it.

Watch out for more recipes of Philippine street food.

Technorati Tags: adidas, chicken, filipino pinoy street food, fish ball, helmet, kwek kwek, philippine exotic cuisine

Guinomis is a one of a kind refreshing drink truly Filipino-made. It is easy to prepare using store-bought ingredients. I personally think Guinomis is a milder version of Halo Halo for those people who love to drink shakes and other coolers during hot season. Try our easy-to-make recipe and savor the coolness of Guinomis .  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pack of small sago or tapioca pearls
3 teaspoons ready made cubed red gulaman or gelatin
1 tablespoon of sugar syrup
¼ cup instant coconut milk in ¼ cup of water
1 cup crushed ice
1 teaspoon toasted pinipig

Directions:
1. In a tall dessert glass, put the small sago or tapioca in the bottom of the glass.
2. Add the sugar syrup and coconut milk diluted with water.
3. Add one cup of crushed cup or so depending on the size of the glass.
4. Top with toasted pinipig then serve at once.

Technorati Tags: dessert, filipino, gelatin gulaman recipe, guinomis, shake coolers

The staff of Filipino Desserts blog wants to say thanks for making 2008 a spectacular year for us. May all the dreams in your eyes, all the desires in your heart and all the hopes in your life blend together, to give you the most spectacular New Year ever. Here is to a delicious and sweet year ahead of us!

Technorati Tags: happy new year