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Why It Works
- Dissolving the cornstarch in chilly water earlier than including it to the recent custard base prevents lumps from forming.
- Roasting the corn and the coconut flakes within the oven concentrates their flavors.
Maja blanca (generally spelled maha blanca) is a creamy, dense coconut pudding made with coconut milk, grated coconut, evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk, cornstarch, and sugar. It is a well-liked Filipino dessert that is much like Hawaii’s haupia and Italy’s panna cotta―all of them use milk, sugar, and a thickener to create a candy base that is poured right into a mould, chilled till set, and loved chilly. Maja blanca may embrace kernels of candy corn, the introduction of which is credited to the arrival of reasonably priced canned items. Variations of maja blanca that include corn are referred to as maja blanca con maíz, maja blanca maíz, or, merely, maja maíz.
Maja blanca was initially made with agar-agar―a gelling agent derived from crimson algae. Within the Philippines, agar-agar is offered in multi-colored blocks on the open markets, the place they’re suspended on strings and hung from stalls like outsized Christmas lights. These blocks of agar should be boiled in water till absolutely dissolved earlier than they can be utilized. Nonetheless, when cornstarch was launched to the nation in the course of the American occupation, Filipinos adopted it as their main thickener of selection on account of its comfort and ease of use.
My recipe for maja blanca celebrates the union of buttery-sweet corn and creamy coconut. I choose to make use of recent corn as a substitute of canned, and I prefer to roast the shucked corn cobs entire to pay attention their wealthy taste. If recent corn is unavailable, drained canned candy corn is an appropriate substitute and can work in a pinch. As a substitute of calling for evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk, I rely solely on coconut milk, which places its taste entrance and heart and likewise makes this dessert dairy-free.
After getting your substances ready, the pudding comes collectively rapidly on the range: You deliver coconut milk, sugar, salt, macapuno (preserved younger coconut strings), and the roasted corn to a simmer, add a slurry of cornstarch and water is added (which helps stop lumps from forming), you then stir the combination till it thickens, at which level I unfold it out evenly on a greased baking dish. As soon as chilled and absolutely set, I prime the maja blanca with a salty-sweet mixture of toasted shredded coconut, brown sugar, and salt for added crunch. Portion it out and serve it as an after-meal dessert, or as a merienda (snack) in the course of the day.
Maja blanca is a flexible dessert, and you’ll riff on it in some ways. Just a few of my favourite variations are including recent younger coconut meat to the custard, ending the set custard with a topping of grated cheddar cheese, and topping it off with latik (crispy coconut curds).
This Filipino Pudding Packs a Coconut Punch—Here is The right way to Make It
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3 1/2 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut (100g; 1 cup)
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2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for desk salt use half as a lot by quantity or the identical weight
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2 tablespoons mild brown sugar (1 ounce; 30g)
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Pan spray, for greasing
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2 ears recent corn, shucked (see word)
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2 tablespoons (30ml) coconut oil, virgin or refined, melted
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5 ounces cornstarch (145g; 1 cup)
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8 ounces (240ml) water
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One 13.5-ounce (400ml) can full-fat coconut milk
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5 1/4 ounces sugar (150g; 3/4 cup)
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12 ounces macapuno (340g; 1 1/4 cups), see word
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Regulate oven rack to prime place and preheat to 375°F (190°C). Unfold coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, shaking pan often, till golden brown, about 12 minutes. Switch toasted coconut to a small bowl and let cool till room temperature, about 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and brown sugar and stir till completely mixed. Put aside.
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Improve oven temperature to 425°F (220°C). Grease a 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish with pan spray; put aside. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place corn on ready baking sheet and brush with coconut oil on all sides. Roast, rotating pan midway by means of, till corn is tender and flippantly brown, about half-hour. Put aside till cool sufficient to deal with, about 10 minutes.
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To take away kernels from the cobs, place a big bowl in your work floor and invert a small bowl throughout the massive bowl (this serves as a base on which to relaxation the corncob). Working with one ear of corn at a time, place one finish of a cob on the inverted, smaller bowl. Utilizing a pointy knife, slice downward as near the bottom of the kernels as doable, whereas taking care to not angle the blade into the cob itself. Rotate the ear of corn, and proceed till all kernels have been eliminated. Repeat with the remaining ear of corn. Put aside; discard cobs.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively cornstarch and water till easy; put aside.
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In a 3-quart saucepan, whisk collectively coconut milk and sugar, and set over medium-high warmth. Prepare dinner, whisking often, till sugar is absolutely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Deliver to a boil then decrease warmth to take care of a gentle simmer. Whisk in reserved corn kernels, macapuno, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
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Re-whisk ready cornstarch combination. Whereas whisking repeatedly, slowly pour cornstarch combination into coconut combination in a skinny stream, till all of it has been added. Utilizing a versatile spatula, prepare dinner, stirring consistently, till the coconut combination is thick and sticks to the perimeters and backside of the saucepan, 3 to five minutes. Switch combination to ready baking dish, and easy prime into a good layer.
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Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then refrigerate till absolutely set, a minimum of 2 hours.
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Slice into 24 2-inch squares. High every sq. with 2 teaspoons of reserved toasted coconut combination earlier than serving.
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Particular Tools
9- by 13-inch glass baking dish, rimmed baking sheets
Notes
If you’re unable to buy recent corn, you possibly can substitute with 6 ounces (170g) drained canned entire kernel candy corn. In Step 3, toss corn kernels with coconut oil in a medium bowl earlier than roasting, then proceed to Step 5.
Macapuno, or coconut sport strings, are preserved younger coconut strips produced from quite a lot of coconut that has a smooth jelly-like flesh and comprises little or no water. It tastes sweeter than typical coconut and is usually utilized in Filipino desserts. Macapuno may be present in Filipino and Asian specialty markets in addition to on-line. If you’re unable to search out macapuno, you possibly can choose to not add it.
Make-Forward and Storage
The toasted coconut topping may be saved in an hermetic container for as much as 1 week.
The corn may be ready forward of time and refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.
Maja blanca may be refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 1 week.
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