TOP 5 FILIPINO DESSERT RECIPES YOU MUST TRY

2. LECHE FLAN

This is your usual caramel pudding. It is custard dessert which is then layered with a clear caramel sauce. This is one of the easiest recipes of dessert that can be prepared and is you will find these in many restaurants of Philippines; this is owing to the fact that they have a very long shelf life. Though you might find caramel pudding all around the world, but the leche flan of the Filipino cuisine is known to have silkiness in its texture and is very sweet.

Ingredients:

• 10 pieces eggs
• 1 can condensed milk (14 oz)
• 1 cup fresh milk or evaporated milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Using all the eggs, separate the yolk from the egg white (only egg yolks will be used).
2. Place the egg yolks in a big bowl then beat them using a fork or an egg beater
3. Add the condensed milk and mix thoroughly
4. Pour-in the fresh milk and Vanilla. Mix well
5. Put the mold (llanera) on top of the stove and heat using low fire
6. Put-in the granulated sugar on the mold and mix thoroughly until the solid sugar turns into liquid (caramel) having a light brown color. Note: Sometimes it is hard to find a Llanera (Traditional flan mold) depending on your location. I find it more convenient to use individual Round Pans in making leche flan.
7. Spread the caramel (liquid sugar) evenly on the flat side of the mold
8. Wait for 5 minutes then pour the egg yolk and milk mixture on the mold
9. Cover the top of the mold using an Aluminum foil
10. Steam the mold with egg and milk mixture for 30 to 35 minutes.
11. After steaming, let the temperature cool down then refrigerate
12. Serve for dessert. Share and Enjoy!

3. GINATAN or GINATAAN HALO HALO

A kind Filipino dessert that is best served as dessert and snacks as well. Also, it can also be served either hot/warm or cold. Guinataang halo-halo main ingredients are bananas (saging na saba), kamote (sweet potatoes), gabi (taro), sago (tapioca balls) and bilo-bilo (sticky rice balls) that is cooked in sweetened coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes kamote, diced
• 1 cup taro roots gabi, diced
• 1 1/2 cups purple yam
• 1 1/4 cup plantains saging na saba, diced
• 1 cup ripe jackfruit langka, sliced
• 2 cups small tapioca pearls cooked
• 12 to 20 pieces glutinous rice balls bilo-bilo
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 2 cups water

Instructions:

1. Pour water in a large cooking pot and apply heat. Let boil.
2. Add 1 3/4 cups of coconut milk then wait until it re-boils.
3. Put-in the sweet potatoes, purple yam, and taro roots and simmer for 8 minutes.
4. Pour-in the remaining coconut milk, sugar, and glutinous rice balls then stir. Simmer for 7 minutes.
5. Add the plantains then cook for an additional 2 minutes.
6. Put-in the jack fruit and cook for 2 minutes more.
7. Slowly slide-in the cooked tapioca pearls then stir. Simmer for 1 minute.
8. Turn off heat and transfer to a serving plate.
9. Serve either hot or cold. Share and enjoy!

4. BIKO

A native and authentic Filipino food. This is a special rice cake topped with caramel drizzles or latik. Biko is usually served during birthday parties, fiestas, Christmas, New Year and other celebrated events in Philippines. Thus, the Biko recipe is somewhat popular and very well known by most of the Filipinos.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups glutinous rice aka sticky rice or malagkit
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 cups coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Combine the sticky rice and water in a rice cooker and cook until the rice is ready (we intentionally combined lesser amount of water than the usual so that the rice will not be fully cooked)
2. While the rice is cooking, combine the coconut milk with brown sugar and salt in a separate pot and cook in low heat until the texture becomes thick. Stir constantly.
3. Once the rice is cooked and the coconut milk-sugar mixture is thick enough, add the cooked rice in the coconut milk and sugar mixture then mix well. Continue cooking until all the liquid evaporates (but do not overcook).
4. Scoop the cooked biko and place it in a serving plate then flatten the surface.
5. Share and Enjoy!

5. SUMAN

It is a form of a rice cake. The contents of Suman include glutinous rice which is cooked in coconut milk. This entire preparation is wrapped in a banana leaves and left for steaming. It is served with a side of sugar but often coconut caramel sauce is used in place of sugar. Suman has a lot of varieties. If you visit many towns in Philippines, you will get to have different type of Suman’s, with each Suman having its own speciality. The wrapping of Suman is often considered an art owing to the different styles in which it is done.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Glutinous rice (Malagkit)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups fresh or 1 canned coconut milk (400 ml)
• banana leaves for wrapping
• water for boiling
• 1 cup sugar (brown or white)

Instructions:

1. Soak the glutinous rice (malagkit) in water for 2 to 3 hrs and then drain well
2. Meanwhile, prepare banana leaves by cutting it into 10 by 10 (inches) sheets and trim stiff ends.
3. Briefly pass the leaves over flames for 10 to 20 seconds. Set aside.
4. In a pot, mix coconut milk, salt, and sugar on medium heat and stir well. Add glutinous rice and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Put 2 tablespoons on banana leaf.
6. Roll leaves tightly. Leave 1 inch on top and bottom side. Fold edges to seal and tie with a string.
7. In a steamer, stack the suman and steam for around 30 minutes to one hour over boiling water. Make sure they are tender before removing them from the steamer.
8. Allow it to cool before unwrapping so that it will firm up.
9. Serve with sugar, sweetened grated coconut, latik or ripe mango. Share & enjoy!