Multiple versions of a delicious and distinctly Filipino dessert.
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After posting a recipe for Menudo, a number of people asked for other Filipino food recipes they could try making while on lock-down/quarantine. So, I thought I'd share a simple and tasty childhood favorite 😊.
The dish is pastillas, or pastillas de leche (milk bars, or milk candy). Just like Menudo, pastillas can be prepared a number of different ways; almost every island/region in the Philippines has added its own unique, local flair to make this dish their own. Some are soft, some are hard; some are wrapped in cellophane while others are cut into tiny sticks and wrapped in decorative pieces of paper. Regardless, the base ingredients and concept remain the same.
Growing up, I used to love the tiny and hard variety of this candy which, sadly, seem harder to come by these days. The tradition of making pastillas is said to have started in Bulacan (just north of Manila). Carabao-rearing farmers would take carabao milk and turn it into creamy dessert sticks. As the tradition of making pastillas spread to other parts of Luzon and the Philippines, people began making this dessert using cow milk (instead of carabao milk), refined sugar, and other ingredients; whatever was easiest to acquire and suited their regional tastes.
There's actually a pastillas festival every year in Bulacan where they take special care not just in the preparation of pastillas, but also in the decoration of their paper wrappers. You can find out more here and here.
Alright, on to the recipes! I'll share two of them!
• The first is a longer, more traditional recipe that takes about an hour to prepare.
• The second is a super quick, quarantine-worthy recipe that involves no cooking and is very easy to make. It's also made with things that are more shelf stable, hence my calling them quarantine-worthy. If you want to just skip to that, scroll to the bottom.
Pastillas De Leche (Milk Bars)
Modified from Filipino Cuisine published by Red Crane Books (ISBN: 9-781878-610638)
This recipe makes the hard pastillas that I enjoyed growing up. This is also the type that would usually be wrapped in pieces of differently colored and creatively cut pieces of paper. It takes some patience but in my opinion is well worth the wait 😊.
Ingredients:
• 14 oz condensed milk (1 can)
• 2 cups powdered milk
• ½ cup corn starch
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• Powdered sugar
Preparation Time: 60+ minutes
Instructions:
Combine the condensed milk, powdered milk, and lemon zest in a sauce pan. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture forms a ball (about 20-25 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Then, dust a board or a flat surface with powdered sugar. Turn the milk mixture onto the surface of the board. Dust a rolling pin with powdered sugar and use it to flatten the mixture until it's about ¼ inch thick. Then, cut the mixture into bars about 2½ inches long and ½ inch wide (really, you can make them as big or small as you want).
Lastly, separate the tiny bars and allow them to fully harden (about 30-40 minutes). Lightly dust them with more powdered sugar and wrap them in waxed or fancy, decorated pieces of paper. Store in an air-tight container and enjoy!
Variations:
• Pastillas de Almendras (milk bars with almonds)
Substitute 1 cup of powdered milk with 1 cup of finely chopped, blanched almonds; proceed as above.
• Pastillas de Mani (milk bars with peanuts)
Substitute ½ cup of the powdered milk with ¾ cup of finely chopped, blanched or roasted unsalted peanuts; proceed as above.
• Pastillas de Ube (milk bars with purple yam)
Substitute ½ cup of powdered milk with ½ cup of purple yam (ube) powder. Leave out the lemon zest and proceed as above.
Pastillas De Leche (Milk Bars) Quarantine-Style
This is probably the most common version you'll find now-a-days.
This next recipe is super quick and super easy and makes soft pastillas, the type that are more commonly made in homes and given to friends on fun occasions.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups powdered milk
• 14 oz condensed milk (1 can)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
Not including time just chilling in the refrigerator.
Instructions:
• Place the condensed milk in a large mixing bowl.
• Gradually fold-in the powdered milk. The texture of the mixture will be similar to dough once all the powdered milk is completely added.
• To make the next step simpler, place this mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• After the mixture is chilled, coat your hands in oil or dust them with some powdered sugar.
• While the mixture is cool, scoop some of it and mold it into cylinders.
• Roll each cylinder on some granulated sugar.
• Wrap in paper or cellophane.
• Share and enjoy!
TIP: If you really don't want to take the time to roll the mixture into cylindrical sticks, you don't have to! 😉 Simply roll them into bit-sized balls using a cookie scoop and your hands, place them in an air-tight container, put them in the fridge, and you've got a little snack for the kids (or to go with your coffee during merienda).
And there you have it! Multiple types of pastillas for you to try cooking while on lock down. Just as before, let us know how it goes, and thank you for partnering with us on this journey of serving the Lord in the Philippines!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
• Please continue praying for all of the kids and workers at CSC. Today, the barangay we live in goes on lock down (check out the timeline here). This has the potential of making it more difficult to get food, medicine, and other supplies. Please pray that we are still able to get the things we need to care for everyone at CSC.
• This past weekend was supposed to be when we held our big, annual CSC Banquet where we've traditionally received a lot of our support. Since we were unable to hold this event due to the outbreak of coronavirus, we are instead having an online event to tell people about what the Lord is doing in Cebu, as well as to give folks an opportunity to partner with the ministry financially. Feel free to check out and share CSC's Facebook page and website where the virtual events are taking place.
• During this state of enhanced community quarantine in Cebu, it would appear that the city is having some trouble collecting garbage. Many of the communities around the Shelter have taken to burning their garbage which has triggered some of our kids' asthma. Please pray for everyone's health, especially the children's health, during this time.
• Today marks Day 31 of CSC's lockdown. It's also close to 40 days now that children (ages 20 and under) as well as seniors (ages 60 and above) have been on a 24-hour curfew, meaning they haven't been able to leave their homes at all. Pray that everyone remains encouraged, calm, united, healthy, and at peace as Cebu's enhanced community quarantine has been extended to May 15th.
• There are many living in the city that have been without work, and without an income, for a month. Pray that the authorities are able to get aid where it is needed most, and that we are guided and equipped to provide aid to our communities as best we can.
THANKS AGAIN for your LOVE, PRAYERS, AND SUPPORT! We couldn’t do this without you! GOD BLESS!
Lastly, here are pics of some of the things our kids have been doing to keep busy during lockdown/quarantine/curfew.
Learn more about the Children's Shelter of Cebu here.
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