One of Cathy’s favorite desserts! Ube Halaya is a popular Filipino Christmas and New Year dessert made from purple yam or Ube. It’s so simple to make. All you need it boil the Ube or purple yam into coconut milk, use a blender to create a puree off of it, combine it with the 3 types of milk, butter and half a cup of sugar after, then cook the Ube Halaya recipe back again for a sufficient length of time until it thickens. It’s topped with Latik prior to serving. It’s a rewarding treat for those who wake up at dawn to attend an early church mass for the “Simbang Gabi”.
Ingredients: 3-4 servings
1 lb. purple yam – fresh or frozen, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 can (10 fl oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (13.5 fl oz.) coconut milk
1 can (12.5 fl oz.) evaporated milk
¾ cup butter
½ cup sugar
Cooking Instructions:
- Melt the butter in a wide, deep pan over medium heat, apply the purple yam and coconut milk, then bring it in to a boiling point while occasionally stirring for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked, purple yam mixture to a blender then transform the mixture into a fine puree. Throw it back to the pan, then add the remaining ingredients.
- Heat up your stove to medium-low and let the mix simmer while stirring it constantly for another 20-30 minutes until it becomes very thick and heavy.
- Grease 2 -3 llaneras with butter. Divide the Ube Halaya into each llanera, then let it cool down at room temperature. Cover them with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until cold. Top it with “Latik” if you already have some, or grated cheese before serving.
Tip: If you don’t have a blender, try it the old way by using a strong wooden spoon. First, finely crash the cooked ube with a rolling pin, then transfer it to a bowl where you can blend the Ube Halaya recipe mixture, with ease on a rotating motion. It could be a more challenging step, but it worked in the old days. Enjoy!
