Ginataang Mais (Sweet Corn and Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk)

We've had some crazy weather here in my corner of the world.  It's been unseasonably cool all summer long and just as we're heading towards October, we get record dry heat, horrible humidity and then a heavy downpour with thunder and lightning...all in one week!  I guess it's true that we're a little spoiled here in San Diego because any slight change in the weather becomes big news.  But thankfully we're back to normal this week and it has been really nice.  The temperature has cooled down and I'm loving it.  The gray clouds and drizzly rain just makes me want to curl up in the couch and enjoy some warm, comforting food.  

This week, I've been really craving for my grandma's ginataang mais.  It's a creamy rice pudding made with coconut milk and dotted with kernels of golden sweet corn.  I remember when I was a kid, she would make a huge pot of it whenever it was cold and rainy in the Philippines.  It was definitely not fun to be stuck inside all day when it was typhoon season, but a hot steaming bowl of ginataang mais surely made up for it.  



With the weather being so damp and dreary, I figured it's the perfect time to make some quick and easy comfort food.  As with all of my grandma's recipes, she didn't measure her ingredients.  Whenever I'd ask her, "Lola, exactly how much are you using?," she would always reply, "Just taste it and adjust your mixture until it tastes right." So I tried to put together a recipe that is as close to her version but with measured ingredients.  I used canned corn (cream style and whole kernels) instead of fresh corn only because it's so much easier to use and they're readily available in most grocery stores. And I wasn't about to make my own coconut milk from fresh coconuts so I just used canned coconut milk. 

This delicious dessert tastes so good when it's piping hot, but it also tastes wonderful when it's served cold :-)

Ginataang Mais (Sweet Corn and Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk)
Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 can cream style corn, about 2 cups 
1 can whole sweet corn kernels (including the liquid), about 2 cups
1 cup sweet rice, sticky rice, glutinous rice, or Calrose rice
2 cans coconut milk, about 4 cups
3 cups water
3/4 to 1 cup sugar* 

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium and let it simmer. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked.

 (If you want, you can replace the two cans of corn with 3-4 ears of fresh corn.  Just cut the kernels off the cob with a knife and scrape the cob with a spoon to get the corn "milk")

*This is really up to you and your tastebuds. You can start with 3/4 cup of sugar and just add more later. Like my grandma says, just taste it and adjust until it tastes right :-)

Quick and Easy Crema de Fruta

My dad asked me if I could come up with a quick and easy recipe for Crema de Fruta so he could try his hand at making it. He's gotten the baking bug recently and wanted to start out with some simple recipes first then work his way up to more challenging ones. So I experimented with a few ingredients and came up with an incredibly effortless version.

As I mentioned on a previous post, crema de fruta is a Filipino dessert that is very popular around the holidays. The traditional version that I posted last year was made with sponge cake and stirred custard. This quick and easy version that I created for my dad is made with vanilla cake mix and instant vanilla pudding mix. Yes, you read that right. Now how can you get any simpler than that?

A lot of my friends and family have quickly embraced this easy recipe because it's pretty much foolproof to make. I have a feeling a lot of them will be making this for their family gatherings in the next couple of weeks. The best part about this recipe is that it will fill two party trays. Hooray!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Quick and Easy Crema de Fruta
Makes about 24 servings
Allergy note: contains eggs, wheat and dairy

cake:
1 box white cake mix
1 cup milk
1 cup oil
4 large eggs

crema:
2 boxes Jello instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
2 cups whipping cream

fruta:
2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce each)
1/2 cup water
2 30-oz. cans fruit cocktail in heavy syrup (DO NOT drain the syrup)


cake:
Mix together cake mix, milk, oil and eggs. Pour into two rectangular aluminum pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

crema:
Using an electric mixer, whisk together instant pudding mix, milk and whipping cream together until thickened. Pour over cake and spread evenly.

fruta:
Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the water. Let the gelatin absorb the water and expand. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the gelatin melts. Mix into the fruit cocktail and pour over the crema.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Jackfruit-Coconut Macaroons

Here's an exotic twist to the Egg-Free Macaroons I made last year. Jackfruit is a tropical fruit commonly found in Southeast Asia. It has a spiky green exterior, similar to a durian, and the seeds inside are surrounded by a yellow fleshy fruit that is sweet and crunchy.

For this recipe, I used canned jackfruit in syrup. They're mostly sold in Asian supermarkets and specialty stores.

Jackfruit-Coconut Macaroons
makes about 3 dozen 
Allergy note: contains wheat and dairy ingredients

14 oz. bag sweetened flaked or shredded coconut
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup canned jackfruit in syrup, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat

In a large bowl, combine sweetened flaked/shredded coconut, flour and salt. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and chopped jackfruit. Mix until combined. Drop tablespoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely before removing from cookie sheet.

UPDATE 3/25/10: I tried pulsing the shredded coconut in the food processor first before adding it into the batter and it really improved the texture of the macaroons. I also added a little bit of sugar and vanilla extract to enhance the jackfruit flavor.

Crema de Fruta

Here's another one of my favorite Filipino desserts. It's called crema de fruta (which translates to "fruit cream") and it's what I'm making for our family gathering this Christmas. I'm not sure why this dessert is so synonymous with the holidays, but why ask why? All that matters is it's sooooo good! There are so many variations of this dessert but the one I'm familiar with is a sponge cake layered with stirred custard and fruit cocktail and topped with unflavored gelatin.

My mom gave me a recipe for crema de fruta a long time ago but it only had instructions on how to make the custard and fruit gelatin - not the cake. She told me that when she makes it, she just goes to the local bakery and asks to buy a sheet of sponge cake, the same kind that's used to make jelly rolls. This saved her time baking, especially during Christmas when there's so many activities going on.



I decided to use a hot milk sponge cake for my version of crema de fruta because it's quicker and easier to make than traditional sponge cake. If you're really short on time, you can just buy the sponge cake at a local bakery like my mom did. Ladyfingers or pound cake are good substitutes as well. I also added a little cake syrup, a secret ingredient that most pastry chefs use to keep cakes moist. It's basically simple syrup that you add flavored liquers like Grand Marnier or kirsh.

Merry Christmas! Maligayang Pasko! Joyeux Noel!

Crema de Fruta
Allergy Note: contains eggs, dairy and wheat

sponge cake:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

cake syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

custard:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

30 oz. can of fruit cocktail in heavy syrup
1 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin

To make the sponge cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a rectangular glass baking pan (I used an aluminum pan because sometimes I forget to bring back my baking pans during potlucks or family gatherings). Sift the flour and baking powder together. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick then slowly add the sugar. Continue mixing until light and fluffy. Gradually add the flour mixture.
In a saucepan, combine milk, butter and vanilla extract; cook just until the butter has melted. Slowly pour into the batter; mix until combined. Pour into prepared pan then bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely.

To make the cake syrup:
Place sugar and water in a saucepan; cook until the sugar has dissolved. Drizzle lightly over the sponge cake.

To make the custard: 
In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour and milk. Cook in medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Pour some of the mixture over the egg yolks and mix together till combined. Add the egg yolk mixture to the saucepan. Cook for a few more minutes then remove from heat.
Stir in butter and vanilla extract. Pour over the sponge cake. Let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, pour in the fruit cocktail and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin on top. Let the gelatin "bloom" (absorb liquid and expand) before mixing it in to the fruit cocktail. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes to melt the gelatin. Pour over the custard.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.