Pastillas de Ube - Purple Yam Milk Candy
Pastillas de Ube are rich, thick, chewy dessert treats, and a popular Filipino milk candy made with ube, a sweet purple-colored yam. Ube (purple yam) grows in the Philippines and is in season there in the late months of the year. For these pastillas, I used frozen boiled ube, rice flour, flavorings, and ube-flavored sweetened condensed milk. These delightful, soft ube milk candies are wonderful for desserts or snacks. This recipe makes about 20 pieces. This is a recipe for The Quirino Kitchen by Elizabeth Ann Quirino.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- Two-layered Steamer
- round baking pan - 9-inches diameter; must fit into steamer
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 16 ounces frozen boiled ube, thawed at room temperature
- 1 can (13.4 ounces) Ube-flavored condensed milk; like Sweet Cow Sweetened Condensed Creamer, Ube-Purple Yam flavored
- 1 cup Mochiko sweet rice flour
- 2 teaspoons McCormick Ube flavoring
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for coating the pastillas
For wrappers:
- 20 pieces clear cellophane wrappers, 6 x 6 inches
Instructions
- Make sure the frozen boiled ube (purple yam) is thawed at room temperature. Do not thaw in the microwave.In a large mixing bowl, combine the ube, the ube-flavored condensed milk, rice flour and ube flavoring. Mix well with a large wooden spoon, till liquid is smooth and there are no lumps. Set aside.
- Prepare the steamer. Pour water in the bottom pot, till it is 3/4 full. Cover and over medium-high heat let the water come to a rolling boil.
- Pre-grease with cooking spray the round baking pan in the bottom and sides. Pour the ube mixture into the pan.Place the ube-filled pan inside the second layer of the steamer, and put this on top of the bottom pot with boiling water.Cover and steam the ube mixture for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, uncover and test for doneness with the tip of a sharp knife by piercing it into the middle of the ube. If knife comes nearly clean, and is firm to the touch, the ube mixture is ready.Remove the round pan from the steamer. After it has cooled on the counter for around 30 minutes, cover and refrigerate to firm up and become manageable enough to form into balls.
To prepare and wrap the Pastillas de Ube
- Take the cooked ube mixture from the refrigerator. Using a spoon, and your (pre-greased) hands, shape the ube balls into 1-inch diameter soft candies.Roll each ball on granulated sugar. Make sure the sugar coats the pastillas evenly.If desired, wrap each ube pastillas with clear cellophane wrappers. Twist the ends of the wrapper tightly, to seal the pastillas.
- Store the ube pastillas in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.
Cook's comment:
- If there's no time to roll and wrap the Pastillas de Ube, put the ube mixture into clean, sterilized mason jars, for a spoonable dessert to give as gifts or to enjoy at home. For this recipe, you will need two mason jars, at 8 ounces each.
Nutrition
Serving: 100grams