Aloha friends! It’s April from RelaxLangMom!
I hope this finds you all well and managing to find moments of calm in your days. Parenting little ones during this time, when the summer hits the country and the heat index going as high as 60°C is no easy task, so I’m sending you all virtual hugs.
Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite Filipino desserts that’s not too difficult to make. I just read somewhere that this is a regional dessert that is also famous at neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. I’m talking about buko pandan jelly! It’s a fun dessert to make with kids especially if you have some cool mold shapes like stars, sun, etc,
This refreshing green jelly made from young coconut water and pandan leaves is the perfect sweet treat for hot summer days. The flavor is light and soothing – it feels almost spa-like going down. Plus the kids always love it because it reminds them of bubble tea.
I’m sharing how to make buko pandan jelly using some store-bought ingredients for an even easier twist on the classic Filipino favorite. You’ll still get that refreshing coconut and pandan flavor without as much mixing from scratch.
The recipe calls for pandan-flavored gulaman powder, which contains the concentrated essence of pandan leaves to infuse the coconut water base. Just a teaspoon is all it takes to impart that signature green color and floral taste. No blending leaves needed!
It also has you use products that are more common pantry staples like Carnation Condensed Milk, Nestle All Purpose Cream and Fresh Milk. Talk about shortcut ingredients – just combine them all in a pot with the gulaman powder and you’ve got a creamy, smooth gelatin base with minimal effort.
The shredded coconut adds texture and its flavor really shines through. I like using young coconut for its tender meat and sweet water. Now, I know that sourcing the young coconut is a bit hard and I;ve recently found a trick that can help you make a “DIY” faux coconut flesh with Jelly Powder. A friend taught me to make it using this jelly powder product called Don Frank Unflavored Gulaman Powder. I guess it can work with other gulaman or Agar Agar powder. Boil a liter of water or buko juice, add a tablespoon of powder and boil hen set aside to let it firm. If you want it whitish like the young buko flesh, you can add a cup of cream or milk. (lessen other liquid so the buko jelly will remain firm), Once firm, you can use a buko scraper (like bello) to make it look like your regular buko. (You can also use this to make buko salad, yummmm)
Once everything is combined and poured into a container to set overnight in the fridge, you’ve got a traditional buko pandan dessert with modern convenience ingredients. The kids gobbled it up like it was bubble tea!
Give this easy version a try if you’re looking for a sweeter treat with less mixing required. Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy!
Xoxo,
April
Ingredients
Shopping List:
- Pandan flavored gulaman powder (5g)
- Young coconut (for 1 cup shredded coconut and 1 cup coconut water)
- Sugar
- Nestlé® All Purpose Cream
- Nestlé® Carnation® Condensada
- Nestlé® Fresh Milk
- Unflavored gulaman powder (10g)
- Vanilla Extract
Pantry Items:
- Cooking oil
- Salt
Tools:
- Pot
- Mixing spoon
- Container
- Lyanera (banana leaf or other serving plate)
Instructions
- Mix pandan flavor gulaman powder, coconut water and sugar in a pot over medium heat. Stir frequently and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and pour into a container. Set aside to cool and thicken for 15 minutes. Cut into cubes once set.
- In a pot, combine All Purpose Cream, Condensada, Fresh Milk, unflavored gulaman powder and vanilla extract. Mix well and gently simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Place buco pandan gelatin cubes and shredded coconut on a lyanera. Pour cream mixture over. Set aside to cool completely at room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- Refrigerate overnight before serving chilled.
Notes
Tips: The natural coconut flavor is enhanced by pandan. Gently simmering the cream mixture ensures the gulaman thickens smoothly. Refrigerating allows flavors to develop.
