Buko PandanAuthor:Vanjo Merano Serves:2 Serving size:2Prep time:10 minsCook time:10 minsTotal time:20 minsPrint

Ingredients 1 cup young coconut strips (Buko) 5 ounces condensed milk 8 ounces Table cream or all-purpose cream 3 ounces powdered gelatin 1 cups water 6 drops Buko Pandan flavoring 2 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional) cup small tapioca pearls, cooked (optional)Instructions1. Combine water and powdered gelatin then stir using a spoon.2. Add Buko Pandan flavoring then stir until everything is evenly distributed.3. Heat a saucepan and pour-in the mixture. Bring to a boil while continuously stirring.4. Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a mold. Allow the temperature to cool. The texture of the mixture should be firm once cooled. You may also place this inside the refrigerator for faster results (allow the temperature to go down before putting-in the refrigerator).5. Combine condensed milk, table cream, tapioca pearls, and young coconut then mix well. Allow the texture to thicken by chilling in the refrigerator or freezer for a few hours.6. Slice the firm gelatin into 1 inch cubes then combine with the condensed milk-cream-young coconut-tapioca mixture.7. Transfer to individual serving platters or cups then top with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.8. Serve for dessert. Share and enjoy!

Buko Pandan Salad

INGREDIENTS:

32 oz or 2 packages of frozen shredded coconut 1 can (12.8 oz) of table cream 1 can (14 oz) condensed milk 1 1/2 cups coconut gel (nata de coco) 2 cans green gulaman jelly, sliced in cubes (I use ready made gulaman in a can which is way better) or use 1 box green gulaman jelly 1 tsp pandan essence 1/2 cup small sago (optional)

HOW TO PREPARE BUCO PANDAN SALAD:

Cook small sago as instructed in the package. Set aside. Combine all ingredients in a bowl starting from shredded coconut (make sure to add the buko juice that comes in the package), gulaman, nata de coco, table cream, condensed milk & sago. Mix well. Refrigerate. Serve cold & Enjoy!

**NOTE: if using fresh shredded coconut instead of the packaged frozen shredded coconut, add 1/2 to 3/4 cups of buko juice.

Cassava Cake

INGREDIENTS:

2 packs (16 oz) grated cassava 1 can ( 14oz) condensed milk 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk 1 bottle (12 oz) macapuno strings (use only 1/2 bottle, the other 1/2 for topping)

FOR TOPPING:

1/2 can condensed milk 1/2 can evaporated milk or 1/2 can coconut milk 1 egg yolk 1/2 bottle macapuno strings

PROCEDURE:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a baking pan and grease with butter. Set aside. Combine all ingredients in a deep bowl. Make sure every ingredients are well combined. Transfer to the greased baking tray. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Combine the topping ingredients. Pour-in over to the top of the baked cassava. Bake for another 15-25 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Buko Pandan SaladBuko Pandan Salad is my favorite filipino dessert served during any kind of party and special occasions in thePhilippines.I remember my Papa to put some pandan leaves in cooking our rice. He said that the pandan will adds aroma to the cooked rice. Aside from its aroma, pandan leaves or the plant has medicinal properties and it is good repellent for pests such as cockroaches which isabundantin our place. So, just place the pandan leaves or plant where cockroaches lurk around, youll see its effect.Now, pandan leaf is widely used in flavouring for drinks, desserts, bakery products and otherfood products.Ingredients: 3 boxes unflavored green gulaman 5 cups water 4-5 pcs. pandan leaves 2 cans thick cream 1/2-3/4 can condensed milk (adjust to your taste preference) 2 eggyolks 1 small bottle macapuno (drained) or 3-5 cups grated freshbuko(young coconut meat) 2 cups nata de coco (drained)(Food Measurement)

Cooking Procedures :1. Boil water together with the pandan leaves (twisted to expose the juice). Simmer for a few minutes. Dissolve gulaman in water. Simmer until gulaman dissolves. Remove pandan leaves. Transfer into pan trays and let it cool and hardens. Chill in refrigerator.2. In asaucepan, put thick cream, condensed milk and eggyolks. Stir until mixture is smooth. Cook in a double boiler (a cooking utensil consisting of two nested pans, designed to allow slow, even cooking of food in the upper pan by the action of water boiling in the lower pan). Stir occasionally until thickened a bit (not too thick). Remove from heat and let it cool completely.3. Take out chill gulaman and cut into 1 cm. cubes.4. In a large bowl, combine the macapuno, cubes green gulaman, nata de coco, and the cooled cream mixture. Blend well.5. Chill before serving or preferably overnight. Make this dessert a day ahead to let the cream mixture absorbed the pandan flavor. Yummy! Enjoy!

Kutsinta (Brown Rice Cake)

Ingredients: 1-1/4 cups water 3/4cup brown sugar 1 cup flour 1 tsp. lye (lihiya) water, for cooking grated fresh coconut(Cooking Measurements)

Cooking Procedures :1. Bring water and sugar to a boil. Let cool. Add to flour, stir until smooth. Addlye water(lihiya) and mix well.2. Boil some water in the steamer. Stir flour mixture to recombine.3. Fill greased small muffin pans 3/4 full with mixture. Steam for 25 minutes or untiltoothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool before removing from pans.4. Before refilling molds for a second batch, stir batter very well because the flour tends to settle at the bottom and may cause thekutsintato be too soft or soggy on top. Do this before refilling each batch of molds.5. Loosen sides of molds with spatula before unmoldingkutsintaonto plate. Serve with grated fresh coconut sprinkled on top. Do not substitute packaged coconut flakes for freshly grated coconut for thisrecipe.6. This recipe may also be steamed in an 8 square casserole for 30-45 minutes, unmold onto serving plate and cut into squares or diamond shapes.7. Makes 10pcs ofKutsinta.Colorlesslye waterfor cooking (lihiya) is sold in small bottles in Asianfood stores. It is used insuman sa lihiyawhich are usually wrapped in banana leaves and insapin-sapin, the multi-layered and muti-colored rice cake. Frozen banana leaves and even fresh ones are now available in Filipinofood stores.

Maruya I (Banana Fritters)

This version ofMaruyais one that I usually buy for my merienda when I was in the Philippines. I sometimes buy them in a bamboo stick or in a hand fan shape coated with sugar. But their where times that after siesta, my mom will cook us maruya in our merienda before playing outside during summer time.Ingredients : 1/2 cup flour 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 1 egg 1 cup milk 3 ripesaba(banana plantain), peeled and sliced lengthwise 2 cups vegetable oil flour, for dredging sugar(Cooking Measurements)

Cooking Procedures :1. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk and egg, beat until smooth.2. Heatoil in a frying pan (or a large saucepan) over medium heat.3. In batches, roll banana slices in flour and then dip in batter. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.4. Drain on paper towels. Roll in sugar. Place in aservingdish and serve.VARIATIONS:Maruyang CamoteUse sweet potato slices in place of bananas. About 2 medium sweet potatoes sliced 1/4 thick.

Gulaman (Gelatin in Coconut Milk)Ingredients : 1 bargulaman(unflavoured gelatin), red or green 3 cups water 1/2 cup sugar 1 medium coconut, grated 1/2 cup pinipig, toasted(Cooking Measurements)

Cooking Procedures :1. Gulaman, the local gelatin made from seaweeds, is usually sold in long dried bars of red, green, or clear, unflavoured. Rinsegulamanin cold water. Drain and shredgulamanto pieces.2. Bring 3 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil. Add shreddedgulamanand stir until dissolved. Strain gelatin mixture through a fine sieve into a shallow dish to remove impurities, if any. Several layers of cheese cloth may also be used to strain the gelatin mixture. Chill mixture in the refrigerator until set.3. Do not use canned coconut milk for thisrecipe. Grate coconut and extract milk, diluting it with water to get 6 cups thin coconut milk. Chill coconut milk.4. When ready to serve, chopgulamancoarse. Put 4 heaping tablespoon ofgulamanin a glass, fill with chilled coconut milk and sweeten with sugar to taste.5. Sprinkle some toastedpinipigon top just before serving sopinipigwont get soggy. Or add a tablespoon of cookedsago(tapioca) to each glass instead of toastedpinipig.6. Serves 6 to 8.