Filipino Desserts

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Add variety to your favorite bilo bilo stuffed with mongo mixture.  Bilo-bilo stuffed with mongo mixture, poured with coconut sauce and then baked.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mongo, boiled and mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups ground pure malagkit or glutinous rice soaked in water
refined white sugar

Sauce:
3 cup coconut milk
3 /4 - 1 cup white sugar divided
1-1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup coconut cream
dry banana leaves

Procedure:
1. Combine mongo and sugar. Cook with constant stirring until thick. Set aside.
2. Place ground malagkit in a cheese cloth. squeeze out water.
3. Transfer to a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Form 1 tablespoon of the mixture into balls.
4. Fill the center with sweetened mongo. Do the same with the rest of the mixture.
5. Grease a square pan and line with banana leaves. Arrange the balls on the pan. Set aside.
6. Combine coconut milk and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Cook over moderate heat for 10 minutes while continuously stirring.
7. Pour into balls in the pan. Cover with banana leaves. Bake at 350 deg F for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked.
8. Meanwhile, dissolve cornstarch in 1 cup coconut creamed the remaining sugar.
9. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.
10. Pour over the malagkit balls to thicken the sauce.
11. Bake for 5-10 more minutes

Technorati Tags: bilo bilo baked recipe, coconut milk dessert, Filipino Dessert, food, ginataang bilo bilo, native kakanin recipe, philippines

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Christmas in the Philippines is no exception getting into the season of giving. The tradition of giving is best illustrated in “monito, monita” as Filipino’s own version of kris kringle or gift exchanging. It is usually done among group of friends, classmates, or officemates.

The mechanics of “monito, monita” is fairly simple as asking participants to bring a gift, at an agreed amount, which is later raffled off to the participants during Christmas party.

Kris kringle usually starts several weeks ahead of Christmas party. All participants name are placed in a box where each member will pick a name from the box. The name picked is your monito (male) or monita (female). Thus, your lucky monito or monita will receive the series of gifts given. It is a big no-no to reveal your monito or monita. It is saved for revelation on the day of the Christmas party.

How it works
Here is what you should do: You have to give your monito or monita a small gift every day or every week. The frequency depends on the rules set by the group.

Here is a list of suggested themes you can set with your group:
1. something round
2. something sweet
3. something soft
4. something long and hard
5. something yellow
6. something smooth

There are cases that all participants post their “wish list” on their ideal gifts they want to receive. It gives the giver an easier time to decide what to give to their monito or monita.

Just a friendly reminder
Don’t trade the names you picked with anyone. Maybe you got nervous after picking out the name of your boss. Maybe you don’t know the person you picked that you just want to trade it. No matter what your reason is, never ask anyone to trade names with you. It may offend the person whose name you traded. If your monito or monita is somebody you are not close to or have ill feelings, Christmas is the perfect time to forget your differences and move on to better relationships.

Read about Christmas Traditions in the Philippines here.

Read about sweet and unique style of Noche buena in the Philippines.

Read about Simbang Gabi as a Filipino Christmas tradition.

Read about unique Christmas decorations of Filipinos.

Technorati Tags: christmas party, exchange gifts, filipino traditions, kris kringle, philippines

(2 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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Ingredients:
250 grams butter, softened
230 grams castor sugar
4 whole eggs
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
½ cup milk, or as needed
1 cup durian pulp

Directions:
1. Combine softened butter and castor sugar in mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one by one to butter-sugar mixture.
3. Add sifted flour.
4. Add vanilla and milk. Blend well.
5. Add more milk as need if the mixture is so hard. The batter should be more of a liquid in consistency.
6. Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
7. Line the cake tin with oil then flour or line with aluminum foil.
8. Pour batter to half of the level of the height of the tin.
9. Bake for 45 minutes.

Technorati Tags: cake recipe, durian butter cake, Filipino Dessert, philippines

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Espasol is a cylinder-shaped Filipino rice cake originating from the province of Laguna. It is made from rice flour cooked in coconut milk and sweetened coconut strips, dusted with toasted rice flour.

Ingredients:
4 cups malagkit (sticky rice)
3 cups coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp iodized salt

Directions:
1. Toast malagkit until golden brown. Allow to cool, then pound or grind into powder form.
2. Set aside 1/2 cup of the the powder.
3. Combine coconut milk, vanilla, and sugar in a pan or double broiler. Over low heat, cook and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. When the mixture becomes oily, remove the pan from heat.
4. Spread the mixture on a board sprinkled with flour. Use a 1/4 inch thick rolling pin to roll out the mixture.
5. Cut into strips using a greased knife or cutter.
6. Take the powder that was set aside earlier. Roll the sliced malagkit on it, then wrap each piece in wax paper.

Technorati Tags: desserts, espasol recipe, filipino delicacy, food, laguna, philippines, rice cake

(1 votes, average: 1 out of 5)

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One of the delicacies found in Dagami, Leyte is Binagol. It is a sweetened taro pudding with nuts. is a recipe proudly from Philippines. This popular Filipino delicacy is made from talyan - a root crop species like gabi that grows and is imported from Palapag, Northern Samar. Binagol is mixed with eggs, coconut milk, sugar, butter, nuts and chocolate. It is packaged and steamed using banana leaves and polished coconut shells called “bagol,” hence the name “binagol.” It’s sweet and delicious.

Ingredients:
3/4 cups shredded raw gabi (Taro root)
1 cup rich coconut milk (2 medium coconuts)
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 clean medium coconut shells (4-1/2″ diameter and 2″ high)
1/2 can (1 oz) full cream condensed milk
4 egg yolks
Wilted banana leaves
String for tying

Directions:
1. Mix first three ingredients and cook over moderate heat for 6 minutes. Constantly stirring. Lower heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes.
2. Add condensed milk and cook over low heat 20 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Fill each coconut shell with mixture. Make a well in center and drop raw egg yolk.
3. Cover top with tuber mixture and spread until smooth, very close to brim or shell. Cover whole shell with two layers banana leaves and tie securely with strings.
4. Steam half an hour. Makes 12 servings.

Technorati Tags: binagol Tacloban leyte, filipino delicacy, philippines, recipes, sweets

(5 votes, average: 2.2 out of 5)

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Ingredients:
2 cups sweet rice (malagkit)
1 1/2 cup grated fresh mature coconut or dessicated coconut
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/4 cups water
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Wash and rinse the sweet rice at least twice.
2. Add water and bring to a boil.
3. When the water has evaporated, lower the heat of the stove. Cook it for another 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Let it cool. Mix 3/4 cup of white sugar and butter to the sweet rice mixture.
5. Shape the sweet rice mixture into small balls of around 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
6. Roll the puto maya balls in the remaining sugar and then on grated or dessicated coconut.

Technorati Tags: Filipino Dessert, philippines, puto maya recipe, rice, snacks, sweets

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Ingredients:

2 pounds grated cassava
One 16 ounce can less 6 tablespoons coconut cream
½ cup sugar
6 tablespoons coconut cream
One 14-ounce can condensed milk
2 cups coconut milk
5 whole eggs
6 tablespoons condensed milk
One 13-ounce can evaporated milk
Grated coconut

Toppings
2 egg yolks, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, In a mixing bowl, combine pudding ingredients. Save 6 tablespoons coconut cream for topping.
2. Mix well. Pour mixture into a buttered 11-3/4 inch shallow rectangular cake pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
3. Mix the topping ingredients well and spread evenly on top of pudding and continue baking for another 25 minutes.

Technorati Tags: cassava baking, delicacy, Filipino dessert recipe, Filipino Desserts, philippines

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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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

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Welcome to our Christmas special where we will feature Filipino dessert recipes and interesting facts about Christmas in the Philippines. Read our first article here on www.filipinodesserts.net.

It is especially true and proudly proclaimed that Filipinos is the “Land of Fiestas”. Christmas season is the most well-known festive fiesta in the Philippines. This country has by far the longest and merriest Christmas season complete with Christmas carols heard as early as September and lovely, colorful Christmas decorations hung up on display whether at homes or at stores. The Christmas season officially starts on December 16 with the attendance at the first of nine pre-dawn masses and continues until the first Sunday of January, Feast of the Three Kings.

The Philippines is the only Asian country to be predominated by Christians which makes Roman Catholic as a religion followed by majority of its people. Christmas day, therefore, is a special and important family affair for most Filipinos as a Christmas tradition. It is a time for family, for sharing and giving and a time for food, fun and fellowship. Christmas Eve is a night without sleep and continuous celebration which Filipino families anticipate for the clock to strike 12 midnight. In some regions where fireworks are allowed, most families greet Christmas at the strike of 12 midnight with sparks and blasts of colorful and lively fireworks.

Noche Buena

The Noche Buena is a tradition inherited form Spanish ancestors where multitude Filipino culinary delight adds rich aroma and appetizing flavor in a Filipino home. Noche Buena is a sumptuous Filipino meal usually partaken by twelve midnight. This feast usually follows after the entire family has attended a late evening church service or Misa de Aguinaldo about an hour or so before midnight. Misa de Aguinaldo or a Holy Mass is being celebrated to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A typical noche buena prepared on the table consists of a main course of Filipino food and Filipino desserts. The entrees of Filipino foods are lechon (roasted suckling pig), fried chicken, lumpia, chicken or pork adobo, rice among many others. Filipino desserts include halo-halo, rice cakes, pastries, cakes and so much more. After all, Filipinos are known for their love of sweets regardless of how old or young they may be. Typical drinks for all ages are soda, fruit punch and juice. Also included in the list of drinks are wine and beer for those who look forward to an intoxicating Christmas!

The Noche Buena could last until four o’clock in the morning noon Christmas day. Most Filipino families will again attend mass or church service during the morning. It is during Christmas day that some godchildren (inaanak) visit their godfather (ninong) and godmother or (ninang). Christmas day is also a perfect time to hold grand reunions of extended family clan members such as grandparents, grandchildren, cousins, uncles and aunts. It is an opportunity for families to get together, open Christmas gifts, singing Christmas carols and story-telling. In some charitable homes, it is also a way to welcome the less fortunate such as orphans or poor people to join the Christmas celebration. Christmas carolers often visit house to house to raise funds for civic organizations and are given donations in cash or kind.

Christmas is a day of family closeness and everyone in the family and clan wishes good cheer and glad tidings to one another. The Christmas spirit of generosity prevails and the love for family and God is emphasized all because of the Christmas traditions that Filipinos adheres to. All of these traditions and beliefs make up Philippines’ longest yet merriest Christmas season known in the world.

Technorati Tags: christmas spirit, christmas tradition, filipino food, misa de aguinaldo, noche buena, philippines