Pastillas de Leche Recipe

 

Pastillas de Leche Recipe

 

When I was growing up, pastillas was a given candy in my house.  Especially when someone came back from Philippines.  It was so sweet, soft but a little hard at the same time.  Let's not forgot the crunchy texture due to the sugar coating.  We loved the stuff growing up.  I was on the hunt for some Filipino food recipes, until recently, I generally didn't make those types of recipes, I would make pasta, meats, potatoes, any thing that required a microwave.  I stumbled on this recipe and it was so simple, I figured I could try it out.  The first time I tried it, I didn't shift the powder milk so it was a bit chunky.  The texture needs to be smooth.  Like all recipes, there is multiple versions but I always opted for the simple but fresh and good ingredients.  I hope you like it.

 

Ingredients

1 Can of Condense Milk

4 Cups of Powder Milk

Sugar to Coat

 

Directions

1. Pour the can of condense milk into a bowl.

2. Shift in the powder milk.  Make sure there is no chucks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Mix until it is well incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Roll out into a rope or just take small pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

  

5. Cut into pieces or shape into short but pudgy (yes, I use pudgy instead of fat) ropes

6. Roll in sugar

7. Wrap in cellophane

 

See Simple!  Unfortunately with my little one, she loves getting into the sugar so I had to bribe her with the end so she would just go watch tv.   

 

Mocha Mamon

Mocha Mamon

 

I didn't grow up eating regular cake but I ate mamon instead.  This light fluffy cake could be eaten with frosting or just plain.  I generally would eat this with coffee...breakfast of champions.   Normally mamon is normally shorter and wider in shape but unfortunately I didn't have the linings needed to make the true shape so instead I used large cupcake linings and pans.  The key to whip the egg whites first and than gently fold the rest of the mixture into the egg whites.

I made a some mocha buttercream to eat with the mamon.  I wish I had more.

 

Homemade Oreos

Yield: About 3 dozen sandwich cookies (I wish I knew but my brother ates most of them before I was able to count)
For the Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used hersey)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

For the Filling:
½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Garnish: Decorative sugar (optional)

 

1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, then beat in yolk and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches just until a dough forms. Divide dough in half and form each piece into a 6-inch square, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, 2 to 3 hour or overnight.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
4. Roll out 1 piece of dough between sheets of parchment paper or saran wrap  into a 14×10-inch rectangle (1/8-inch thick). Place the dough into the freezer until dough is firm, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.

 

5. Cut out as many rounds as possible from first chilled square with a 2-inch fluted or round cutter, reserving and chilling scraps, then quickly transfer cookies to a buttered baking sheet, arranging them ½ inch apart. (If dough becomes too soft, return to freezer until firm.)

 

6. Sprinkle half of cookies with decorative sugar (if using), then bake cookies until baked through and slightly puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on sheet on rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely (cookies will crisp as they cool).

7. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (re-roll only once).
8. To make the filling, beat the butter and shortening together at medium speed until combined and smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the filling is light and fluffy.
9. To assemble the cookies, pipe a heaping teaspoon of filling onto the flat side of the plain cookies. Top with the sugared cookies to make sandwiches. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

 

Comfort food - Chicken Tinola

I grow up mainly eating chicken and very little meat.  My favorite dish was Chicken Tinola but as a child I called it chicken with cayote.  I just found out recently what the real name is.  I generally make a rice soaked in the chicken broth.


Ingredients
Whole Chicken
Garlic
Onions
Ginger
Salt, pepper, patis to taste


Chopped the onions and garlic and than saute the onions and garlic in a deep stock pot.  Once the onions and garlic is tender, place the whole chicken into the pot. 

Sear all sides of the chicken.  While the chicken is cooking.  Peel and cube up the chayote (keep in mind, there might be a film of the juice on your hand  so be careful).  Once the chicken is all sides is cooked, pour enough water to rise about an inch over the chicken.  Bring the water to a boil, add the chopped up chayote and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until the chayote is tender.  This may take from 15-20 minutes.  Serve over rice, I serve chicken rice.  The recipe is below.

Chicken Rice

Ingredients

Rice

Chicken Broth from the chicken tinola

Wash the rice like normal but instead of using water to cook the rice, subsitute the water for the chicken broth.  Cook like normal.