Technorati Tags: desserts, Filipino Dessert, Philippine cuisine, Philippine food, Quick Desserts

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

Ingredients

Filling
5 cups milk
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 egg yolks
1/4 cup toasted and finely ground
cashew nuts

Directions:
1. Simmer milk over low heat in a sauce pan. Let mixture boil until reduced to 2 cups.
2. Add sugar, butter and vanilla extract, stirring all the while. Remove from heat.
3. Beat egg yolks in mixing bowl. To egg yolks, gradually add milk mixture by spoonfuls, beating all the while. Stir well to avoid curdling.
4. Add cashew nuts and continue cooking entire mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has consistency of a paste. Set aside.

Ingredients

Meringue
10 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Beat egg whites until stiff.
2. Gradually add 1 cup sugar while beating the mixture continuously. Stir in vanilla.
3. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper greased with butter and spread meringue on top.
4. Bake until brown. Spread filling evenly on top of meringue and roll into a log.
5. Brush with butter and brown again in oven.

Technorati Tags: brazo mercedes, creme filled log cake

The staff of Filipino Desserts blog wishes all readers Yuletide greetings. May your Christmas be made even sweeter with luscious desserts on your Christmas feast table.

Technorati Tags: christmas greetings

Filipinos find joy in decorating their homes with star lanterns or “parol” along with all sorts of colorful Christmas decors. Filipinos often choose wreaths and other decors made out of local native materials as opposed to those decors of Western designs. Brightly colored streamers are hung inside and out of homes. Christmas cards show scenes Filipino culture-inspired. These cards are then displayed in the living room for all to see and enjoy. Multi-colored Christmas lights beam in each homes and shops. It never seems to be a surprise to see decorated homes and shops for the Christmas holidays as early as September.

Filipinos adorn their homes with “parol” or Christmas lanterns. It is made of bamboo and thin sheets of paper. Parol stands as a symbol of Christmas in the Philippines. It represents the guiding light or star of Bethlehem. They are usually lighten up at night to emit an unparalleled warmth among decorations uniquely Filipino. Modern parols are innovated with capiz or seashells with attached dancing lights originating from Pampanga. Some modern parols also utilize recycled materials such as used newspapers made colorful with dyes, colored plastic and foils.

Christmas trees is considered a regular Christmas decoration adapted from Western culture.  They can be as tall such as those normally found in malls.  Modestly large Christmas trees are displayed in average Filipino homes. Recycling never goes out of style in the Filipino culture that even Christmas trees can be made of uniformly colored bottles piled together as to make it a tall and elegant looking trees.

The “Belen” or nativity scene is shown as miniatures to commemorate the day when Mother Mary bore baby Jesus to the world. It is either cut from cardboards or made of ceramics. Other versions of Belen can be as big as a life-sized decoration complete with colorful lights of red, green or yellow.

Christmas in Philippines is made alive with brilliant and flamboyant thanks to unique Filipino decorations. The Christmas decors represent a time to celebrate life itself and to gather hopes for a new beginning. Most of all, it symbolizes the birth of our Savior and how wonderful life is as a gift given to us, having greater joy and meaning when Christmas is spent with families and friends bounded by love.

Technorati Tags: food Filipino culture Philippines Christmas Decorations

Simbang Gabi and its Meaning

Simbang Gabi when translated to English means Mass at Dawn. Simbang Gabi goes by another term made famous by its famous Spanish name as the Misa de Gallo or “mass of the rooster”. It holds a special place in the observance of a Filipino Christmas. The tradition of Simbang Gabi is to complete the series of nine-day novena to the Blessed Mary. The annual novena begins at the dawn of 16th of December and continues until Christmas Eve.

Simbang Gabi is part of the Filipino tradition when observing the season of Christmas. It is one of the longest and most popular traditions in the Philippines. This is a time when Catholic churches across the country open the door shortly before the break of dawn to ushers in the faithful to the Simbang Gabi mass. It is symbolical to Catholics since it commemorates the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is quite traditional to see the “panuluyan” reenacted during the mass as an effort to show how Joseph and Mary found a birthplace.

Origin

Simbang Gabi was started following its roots in Mexico way back 1587. In 1587, the Pope granted the petition of Fray Diego de Soria, before the covenant of San Agustin Acolman, to hold Mass outdoors during Christmas. The Church then could not accommodate the large number of people who attended the evening mass. During the old times, the pre-dawn mass is usually announced by the ringing of the church bells. In some rural areas, a brass band would play loud Christmas music loud enough to be heard all across town. It also was believed parish priests would go house to house to knock doors to wake and call all people to attend Misa de Gallo. The large number of people in attendance consists mostly of fishermen who pray for a good harvest when they hear mass before going out to the sea to fish.

The Modern Simbang Gabi

Up to this modern time, Simbang Gabi continues to live on in Catholic churches in the Philippines. It is a tradition upholded and celebrated in many ways. Christmas is felt everywhere even at churches where lanterns or parols with colorful lights fill every streets and every window. Christmas songs are played everywhere to warm the hearts. Families, friends, lovers and relatives frequent to the nearest local church to attend the nine day novena of Simbang Gabi.

Simbang Gabi has a strong association to the Filipino’s love of food. Shortly after the mass, traditional delicacies winds its way and are sold in stalls outside the church. It is usual to see Filipino favorites like bibingka (rice cake), puto bungbong, suman sa pasko, suman sa ibos served with tea or coffee. Breakfast roll or hot pandesal are also a popular breakfast food among Filipinos.  Filipino often hurry home to spend time with their family when the last Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi has ended. The usual yet special Filipino food and Filipino desserts often served during noche buena are queso de bola or edam cheese, tsokolate or hot native chocolate drink jamon en dulce or ham, pancit, barbeque, lechon or suckling pig, Western and native cakes, lumpia, rice among many others.

The Message of Simbang Gabi

Simbang Gabi is more than an old tradition that needs to be observed and celebrated because we need to do so. Simbang Gabi continues to be a significant moment where it strengthens the relationships among family members and a time to restrengthen our faith in God. This is a special time when we feel the loving presence of our Lord and a spiritual preparation for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Most Filipinos believe a sincere wish is granted after completing the nine series of masses. It does not matter, however, when one fails to attend the Simbang Gabi from December 16 up to Christmas Eve or the total of nine dawn masses. The blessings given by the Lord does not depend on the number of masses attended. What really matters is what lies inside the heart and the sincerity and morale to the person who receives the Lord’s blessing.

Technorati Tags: Christmas mass, misa de gallo, noche buena, Philippine Christmas, simbang gabi

Technorati Tags: Christmas dessert, Fruit cake recipe video

Ingredients:

1 cup butter at room temperature
1 ½ cup brown sugar
4 large eggs or 5 medium eggs
3 cups all purpose four
1/2 cup flour (to dredge fruits and nuts)
1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
5 tablespoon prune juice
3 tablespoons Molasses
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (mix in molasses)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamom
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 cups nuts or combination of walnuts, pecan, cashew, pili)
1 1/2 cups dates
1 1/2 cups fruit glaze
1/2 cup cherry brandy
Extra Cherries, fruit glaze,nuts for decorating on top of cake
Cherry brandy to brush top of the cake

Directions:

Fruit Mix
1. Soak fruits in 1/2 cup cherry brandy overnight.
2. Drain the fruits for one hour.

Preparing the Baking pan
1. Don’t use waxpaper. Use thick cellphane (1 piece only). Use enough to cover the cake after baking.
3. You can also use aluminum. It could be more messy but more sure.

Batter
1. Heat oven to slow.
2. Cream shortening. Add sugar slowly until fluffy.
3. Beat in egg one at a time, beating after each addition until light.
4. Blend flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg.
5. Stir in alternately with milk, molasses, juices and vanilla beginning and ending with flour.
6. Add half cup of flour to fruit mixture.
7. The batter is then mixed to the fruits. Add the nuts on top of the batter.
8. Put batter in cellophane lined or 4 aluminum lined pans.
9. Bake for one hour at 300 F. Check the temperature based on the pan you use. Baking time can be as short as 45 minutes to 1 hour at 325 F.
10. At 45 minutes baking time, remove pans from oven and decorate top with cherries, buts and fruits.
11. Cover pan with overlapping aluminum foil to prevent burning.
12. Return pans into the oven and bake 15 more minutes until done.

After Baking
1. Keep cellophane or aluminum intact with the cake
2. Brush the top of the cake with cherry brandy after baking and the cake has cooled down
3. Wrap the whole cake with the overlapping cellophane or aluminum , then more aluminum foil to cover the whole cake ending with colored cellophane.

Tips
1. It’s important to drain the fruit mix for 1 hour. This drain the alcohol which can destroy the cake batter.
2. Never use peanuts but do use pili, cashew, walnuts, or black walnuts.
3. The batter is mixed to the fruits so that the emulsion in the batter is not destroyed.

Technorati Tags: cake recipe, fruitcake chrismas recipe

What would happen to a festive Christmas celebration without any food served on your dining table?  Food is an integral part of Christmas in the Philippines and anywhere in the world.  Filipinos have long accepted the Christmas tradition of celebrative elements meshed together. It is a product of adapted elements from other cultures: the food and fire crackers from Chinese culture; Christmas ideas from Spain and Christianity hence “Belen” and Novena Masses at the break of dawn; the American concept of Christmas tree , Santa Claus, greeting cards and sunny wrapped presents.  Let’s discover how these are elements blends perfectly accompanied by a unique and sweet flavor of Christmas food in Filipino-style.

What can you usually find on a midnight table during Christmas in the Philippines?  Christmas is often spent with Filipino food whatever the family loves and whatever they can afford. The spirit of Christmas is often unaffected whether they can afford delectable dishes or an average line of Filipino food and dishes.  A night of delicious goodness known as Noche Buena is a midnight meal commonly shared by the nuclear family, not commonly shared with guests after the midnight Mass.  A typical yet special Christmas in the Philippines is nothing without the usual fare of the sticky sweet rice derived Filipino desserts and so many more.  It is definitely from the indigenous tradition having many rice cakes in the forms of biko, suman, puto maya, putong lusong, tupig patupat, linapet.  It is no surprise to taste assorted kinds of rice cakes since the harvest was celebrated with rice.

Simbang Gabi Sweet Treats

Out of the many Filipino desserts, there are two rice-based delicacies that remain closely associated with Christmas - bibingka and puto bumbong.  Once you see them cooked and sold on the streets in the crisp cold night breeze, it signals that the yuletide season is near.  Back in the old days, these delicacies are commonly sold near church gates for mass goers to take home when the simbang gabi is concluded.  At the present time, these Filipino snacks are readily sold in every street corner at around September and could be the whole year round in some places.  For us Filipinos, nothing beats having bibingka and puto bumbong with native hot chocolate or coffee on the break of morning after Simbang Gabi or midnight mass.

Modern Filipino desserts

Christmas season especially in the urban areas is often compromised much more in families where wives are also career woman who juggles her time between work and family.  This sprouted the availability of delicacies as staples of Spanish bakeshops like Dulcinea, giant ensaymadas as house specialty of Hizon’s, one of the oldest surviving bakeshops in Manila, ensaymadas of mall-established Goldilocks and in other local bakeshops.  The native rice cakes can be found in markets, bakeshops, hotel cake shops and restaurants.  Fruitcakes are also made and sold in bake shops, coffee shops and restaurants usually packaged in nice and fancy boxes given as gifts or served during the noche buena.  Some shops are especially busy during the Christmas as makers of sweets - pastilles de leche, turrones - who secures sufficient stocks for feasting and gift-giving.

The essence of Christmas is family time along with the food shared in noche buena, a part of Filipino traditions.  The sweet and rich Christmas delicacies have been integrated into the menu of hotels and restaurants during Christmas Eve dinners or Christmas lunches.  Guests and visitors who happen to be in the Philippines in Christmas time can taste and savor these delicious Filipino desserts.    Traveling and visiting another foreign country are all about experiencing how the locals lead their lifestyles and traditions.  Christmas being one of those traditions and markings as one of the Filipino’s most precious statements as what they genuinely are.

Technorati Tags: bibingka puto bumbong, Filipino Christmas, Filipino Desserts, filipino food, Filipino snacks, Filipino tradition, philippines, simbang gabi