Fruit Salad

One of the all time favorite Filipino dessert  is the fruit salad which is made out of fruit cocktail and cream.  Aside from being delicious, it is easy to prepare and easy on the pocket.

For less than a thousand pesos, this can generously serve 30 pax (or upto 50 pax when pre-served in a small cup).

Ingredients:

6kgs (2 large cans) del monte fiesta fruit cocktail (P204 x 2)

2000ml (8 packs) nestle all purpose cream (P46.5 x 8)

450ml (1 and half can) carnation condensed milk (P48.5 x 2)

24oz (2 bottles) nata de coco (P40.75 x 2)
2 cups grated fresh coconut meat

1. Open the fruit cocktail and nata de coco.  Pour onto a coliander, to drain the syrup for about an hour.

2. In a big bowl or tupperware, place the drained fruit cocktail, nata de coco and coconut.

3. Add in the cream.

4. Add the condensed milk to desired consistency and taste. Toss the mix all ingredients.

5. Chill overnight then serve cold. 

Tips: 

If it tastes too milky, it means, there's too much condensed milk.  You may add more cream in that case.  Thus, it is best to add the condensed milk gradually to desired taste and consistency.

You may also add other ingredients like kaong and kennel corn or fresh fruits for added texture.

Avoid freezing it as it becomes watery when thawed.

Custaroons

I just came from a thai cooking class with Caro and Marie, at the end of the class, Chef Rosemarie Lim, gave us a few servings of custaroons, red velvet cupcake and chocolate decadence cupcake.  I am on dukan diet and having any form of carbohydrates is absolutely not allowed.  Well, well, well... not when these treats are right in front you.  The custaroons was so good that I finished it up before I thought of taking a picture of it.  I've tried the famous Gigi's custaroons and this one was equally good.  So here I am back in the kitchen to experiment:

Custaroons is a combination of custard (leche flan) and macaroons.  Some say it was accidentally discovered by underbaking macaroon.  I'm a fan of leche flan but not of macaroons since I don't like dessicated coconuts.  However, this combination is quite a hit for me.

Yield 12 muffin sized or 24 mini macaroon sized

Ingredients:

1 can (395g) condensed milk
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
1/4 c melted butter
1/2 c export quality fine dessicated coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Procedure:

1.  Preheat oven at 325F for 30 minutes.
2.  Prepare the muffin pan with muffin baking cups. 
3.  Prepare a heat bath called Bain Marie.  Place the muffin pan on top a larger pan that can hold water.  Fill up the larger pan with boiling water upto half way of the muffin pan.
4.  Using a whisk, in a bowl, beat eggs lightly, add and mix in the rest of the ingredients including the dessicated coconut.  Do not over mix.
5.  Fill each muffin cup upto 3/4 to the brim.  The mixture does not rise so much.  In between, mix the mixture lightly to ensure the ingredients especially the dessicated coconut is evenly distributed.
6.  Bake for 30 minutes.  The dessicated coconut will float to the top as it bakes.  Insert toothpick to check its doneness. Perfectly baked ones should show no signs of browning.
7.  Remove from the oven then cool at room temperature.  Refrigerate, best served cold.

Easy!

Homemade Baklava

I've not like baklava until I've had this!

Ingredients:

1 (16oz) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts (1:1 pistachios and walnuts or cashew)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened for brushing
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water

Procedure:

Preheat convection oven at 350•F.

1. Melt butter in very low heat, set aside.

2. In a bowl, toss the chopped nuts with cinnamon and set aside.

3. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut according to the form/size of pan.

4. Place 2 sheets of dough in pan. Brush with melted butter thoroughly. It's the butter in between that creates the flake.

5. Sprinkle a layer of chopped nuts mixture (2)

6. Layer them by repeating steps (4) and (5) upto 6 to 8 sheets layered.

7. Bake for about 50 minutes or until golden and crisp.

8. While the baklava is baking, prepare the sauce.

Sauce:
9. Combine honey, vanilla extract, sugar, water together. Let in simmer in a pan:

10. Once baklava is cooked, remove from oven, and immediately spoon the sauce over it. Let it cool at room temperature.

11. Cut into squares with a sharp knife and serve as desired.