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Beef Caldereta Slow Cooker

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I remember how my grandma used to fire up her wood-fired clay stove about two hours before lunch every summer. The heat outside seemed irrelevant because of the cool kitchen under her bamboo house in the province.

One of the most delicious dishes she cooks is beef caldereta or Asian beef stew. I love the smell of the burning wood and heated clay combined with the delightful combination of veggies, beef chunks, tomato, and coconut milk (or evaporated milk). 

She would serve it with some steaming Jasmine rice or native “sinandomeng” rice. Although it is nice to cook beef caldereta the native way, it is faster to have a beef caldereta slow cooker.  

Beef caldereta slow cooker is delicious comfort food that you will love to share with your loved ones. Cooking it for lunch or dinner will bring in a de-stressing element at the end of the day.
Beef Caldereta slow cooker

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Beef caldereta is comfort food in its very essence. Melty beef dissolves in your mouth, especially if you use the shank or shoulder parts. 

Using your slow cooker also manages to blend all those flavors evenly overnight or while you are at work. 

I asked my grandmother what her secret ingredient is in making such delicious caldereta. She looked at me and whispered to my ear, “liver pâté.” 

This made me want to know what she meant by “pâté.” So, I wandered into her kitchen while she took a break with her “pamaypay” at the bottom of the wooden stairs. 

I found a small can of opened liver pâté. With my index finger, I took a sample and tasted it. My mouth watered. No wonder it was the secret ingredient. My grandmother laughed and called me to her side as the stew simmered.

You can choose different types of meat or pâté that you want. It is a strange ingredient. Even so, the liver elevates the dish. It also thickens the gravy. 

Every mouthful is decadent and savory. The spice needs to be just right so you can appreciate the different flavors you incorporated in it. 

How to make beef caldereta in slow cooker

Grandma pointed out to me the importance of sealing in the flavors of the meat; this is possible through high heat. 

The result is a toasty outer layer. This caramelization imparts flavor to the stew as it simmers with the vegetables. 

The longer they simmer, the more intense the flavors get. This recipe is also a great way to take all the leftover raw vegetables in your chiller. 

Caramelization imparts flavor to the stew as it simmers with the vegetables. The longer they simmer, the more intense the flavors get. This recipe is also a great way to take all the leftover raw vegetables in your chiller.

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 2.2 lbs / 1-kilo Beef stew meat (chuck roast cut into chunks)

Breading:

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Other ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons oil 
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 medium-size carrots, sliced into 1-inch thickness
  • 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (roughly the same size as the carrots)
  • 3 bay Leaves
  • 2-3 cups beef broth or water
  • ½ cup red wine [optional]
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce or soy sauce (adjust to taste)
  • ½ cup Tomato Sauce
  • 1 red & green bell pepper
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Thicken the soup:

  • ⅓-1/2 cup liver spread (or pâté), or to taste (maybe replaced with peanut butter
  • evaporated milk or coconut milk

Step by step instructions:

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, mix the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and flour. Toss the sliced beef and lightly coat them with the breading mixture.

Get a large mixing bowl and in it, toss the sliced beef in a combination of salt, pepper, flour, and garlic powder.

Step 2

Next, get a large frying pan and heat some oil in it. Try not to make it smoking hot. 

Step 3

Sear the pieces on all sides until they turned brown. The key is not to crowd the pan. Leaving enough space in between the beef slices will allow them to brown better.

Dumping them all into the pan will result in sticky, light-colored cubes. It is best to brown them in small batches.

Make sure to let them rest on the platter. Let each piece absorb all the moisture back.

Sear the pieces on all sides until they are brown in the oil. The key to this is not to crowd the pan. Leaving enough space in between the beef slices will allow them to brown better.

Step 4

Do not replace the oil. Just add a little more oil if needed, and in the same pan, sauté your tomatoes, garlic, and onions until translucent or until they become fragrant.

Step 5

Pour some beef broth (or red wine) to add more flavor and lift off all the stuck flavors at the bottom of the pan. The wine is optional. It has all the beefy flavors you want in your stew.

Doing this process will de-glaze the pan of the juices from the onion, garlic & tomatoes at the same time, get all the brown bits remaining for extra flavor.

Add in the vegetables. Red wine can add more flavor and lift off all the stuck flavors at the bottom of the pan. The wine is optional. It has all the beefy flavors you want in your stew.

Step 6

Pour the sauteed vegetables into your slow cooker. Add the rested pieces of beef.

Note: You can skip browning the beef if you’re pressed for time or if you have other things to do. But browning the meat is highly recommended.

Pour the sauteed vegetables into your slow cooker. Add the rested pieces of beef. You can do this if you need to work or if you have other things to do. If you have time, place the meat and vegetables in a pot. 

Step 7

Drop the carrots, potatoes, and bay leaves then pour in the beef broth (or you can also use water). Add in the tomato sauce and soy sauce (or fish sauce).

Stir everything and cover the pot and cook on low. Let the stew simmer until the meat is fork-tender; this will take about 7 to 8 hours.

Add in the bay leaves and pour in the beef broth. You can also use water. Add in the tomato sauce and soy sauce. You can also use fish sauce.

Step 8

When the beef stew is ready, add the liver spread or pâté (or you can use peanut butter). Add in the bell peppers and frozen peas. Adding a little sugar will help balance and even enhance the flavor.

You can then add in the liver pâté (or you can use peanut butter). Add in the bell peppers and frozen peas. Adding a little sugar will help balance and even enhance the flavor.

Step 9

Stir gently. Simmer for another half an hour or until thoroughly heated. Serve it with hot, steamed rice.

Some want this stew in a bowl. Season more if you prefer; this will bring out more of the comfort food experience.

Stir gently. Simmer for another half an hour to an hour. Serve it with hot, steamed rice. Some want this stew in a bowl. Season more if you prefer. This will bring out more of the comfort food experience.

Interesting recipes:

How to brown stew meat

Browning meat in flour adds tenderness and flavor to the meat:

  1. Cut the pieces of meat into even portions. Slice off the big pieces of fat. 
  2. Place the pieces of meat in a bowl and toss them in seasoned flour. Make sure to coat them evenly. 
  3. Sauté them in a little butter or oil until browned. You can also use bacon grease to bring in extra flavor. 
Browning meat in flour adds tenderness and flavor to the meat: Cut the pieces of meat into even portions. Slice off the big pieces of fat.

Tips for Browning Stew Meat

  • Use oil or butter to coat the pan.
  • Brown the beef in small batches to get the best outcome.
  • Do not overcrowd the pan. The meat juices will keep the meat from forming a crust. 
  • Do not stir the beef. Let the sides brown.
  • After removing the beef, sauté the vegetables in the pan. Deglazing the pan will lift all the flavors stuck to the bottom of the pan. 

Why cook beef stew in a slow cooker?

It’s tradition to make a stew the day before serving it. Doing this will allow the flavors a chance to develop. A slower and gentler cooking process will result in a more delicious blend of flavors and more tender meat. 

Using a crockpot or slow cooker is a good way to make beef caldereta. It is cost-effective to make it for 6 to 8 hours. This results in tender bites.

Using a crockpot or slow cooker is a good way to make beef caldereta. It is cost-effective to make it for 6 to 8 hours. This results in tender bites.

Tips on simmering beef stew

Stews are satisfying and hearty. You can make it in a slow cooker, in the oven, or on a stove. The long-simmering time over low heat will help develop a rich and full flavor. 

  • Make sure to use cold water to make a slurry. Mixing the flour with hot water will cook the flour. You need an even flour mixture to add to the hot mix. 
  • Heating the stew liquid to the boiling point will help prevent the uncooked starchy taste. 
  • Beef is a fatty type of meat. The fat interlaces with the lean meat. Simmering, it will melt and release the fat into the gravy. To remove the fat, refrigerate the stew overnight or for several hours. This will solidify the fat. It will be easier for you to skim off the fat and throw it away. Making a beef caldereta slow cooker is more convenient. You can just refrigerate the stew after cooling it down. Then, refrigerate it and the next day, you can skim off the fat. 
  • You can also stir dry potato flakes into the mixture instead of a roux or fat and flour mix. You can also puree a portion of the cooked vegetables with some stew gravy and then add it to the stew. 

What’s the secret to a good beef stew? Buying cheap cuts of meat!

Cheaper is better when it comes to beef caldereta slow cooker or traditional beef stew. If you try to use a lean cut of beef, the stew will become tough and chewy each time. 

I know this seems backward. It is always the less expensive cuts of meat that result in delicious and melty beef stew. 

It may seem like beef tenderloin, ribeye, and top sirloins are optimal. They are, but not for this stew recipe. Simmering these cuts of meat will not give the fat you need to make them melty and tender. 

You need the fattier, less prime cuts to provide the fat that you need. Prime cuts demand a different recipe to make their great qualities stand out. 

What part of beef is best for caldereta or beef stew?

The chuck is the most appropriate type of meat for the beef caldereta slow cooker. 

Getting a thick chuck pot roast and then cutting into chucks provide the most tender stew meat. 

Meat for beef stew often comes from the shoulder or chuck. It comes from larger parts of the animals like pigs, cows, deer, or elk.

The chuck is the most appropriate type of meat for the beef caldereta slow cooker. Getting a thick chuck pot roast and then cutting into chucks provide the most tender stew meat.

Chuck roast is tougher than rib roast or sirloin. It will become soft and tender if you slow cook or pressure cook it. 

These meats make the most delicious beef stew. Slow cooking or pressure cooking breaks down the tough fibers. The beef pieces become tender enough to melt in your mouth.

Steak, and the round cuts make tender stew. 

I recommend chuck because it has more fatty and connective tissue. 

Most home cooks prefer it because it has consistent cooking texture and time. They become juice and tender each time. 

Purchasing beef stew meat from the meat store is often a mixture of bits and pieces from larger cuts of meat. Talking to the butcher can help you get the best stew meat cuts.

Why do tough cuts work best?

Tough cuts of meat result from worked muscles; stronger muscles have excessive collagen in their connective tissue. 

Connective tissue is not similar to intermuscular fat. It will not melt into the stew easily. Instead, it melts into the meat and releases gelatin. The meat then gains a rich mouthfeel. 

To gain this type of texture, you need to wait for hours while boiling the meat in very low temperatures. 

The longer the chuck cooks, the moister the meat cuts become. They are the ideal cuts for beef caldereta slow cooker. 

Chuck shoulder and chuck-eye roast will be good substitutes for chuck roast if you cannot get it. 

Bone-in parts like oxtail and short ribs can bring more flavor to your stew broth. 

An oxtail portion will give you a gelatin-rich broth. Some love this texture, but others do not. 

How to make the stew meat tender

The most delicious meat for caldereta comes from the tougher cuts. Even so, it does not mean they need to become tough once in the stew. 

Cooking these cuts low and slow is the key to a delicious stew. Placing enough liquid in the Instant Pot, crockpot, or casserole dish will help tenderize the meat. This will ensure the best flavor and texture. Tough meat needs more time. 

What can I substitute for liver spread?

You don’t have to be nervous if the store runs out of liver spread for your caldereta. Liver spread is the traditional ingredient for making local beef stew thick and creamy. 

You don’t need to add cream or other dairy products to get the thick gravy you want. 

You can always replace liver spread with delicious alternatives:

1 Use peanut butter.

This is a thick and creamy sandwich spread. You might not think this ingredient would be delicious in caldereta, but it sure is! 

Peanut butter in caldereta will be very creamy from the peanut butter. It can help thicken the sauce while giving it a nutty flavor that you will love.

2 Add quick-melting cheese.

Cheese can make caldereta creamy. Many cooks use this for their version of beef caldereta. Cheese also imparts a salty umami flavor. 

It transforms the texture and taste of the dish without even taking over.

3 Use a real liver.

Using real liver will also give the creaminess you need for your beef caldereta. The cooked liver has an ironic taste. It will melt into the sauce and thicken it. 

You can choose between chicken and pork liver. Chicken liver gives a creamier texture than pork or beef liver. Yet, once blended and then incorporated into the beef stew. You can add more if you want it to become creamier.

You can make your own chicken liver pâté and add breadcrumbs to thicken it. Correct seasoning will also make it good for placing on toast.

Steps on how to prepare liver spread or pâté:

  1. Get a medium bowl and in it, marinate 1 to 2 pieces of chicken liver. Add 2 teaspoons of black pepper and soy sauce for about 10 minutes. 
  2. Pan-fry it in hot oil for about 2-3 minutes until each piece is brown. Add in the marinade and cook for two minutes. 
  3. Place the cooked liver in a food processor or blender. Add a little water until you end up with a paste. 

How do you thicken beef caldereta?

Caldereta will thicken a little because of the starches in the flour dredging and potatoes. I recommend making it thicker. But making it even more delicious this way will only make you eat more rice.

Ways to Thicken Your Caldereta

1 Liver spread

This is an important ingredient in caldereta. Note that not all caldereta recipes use caldereta. You can choose not to add liver spread if you don’t like the taste. If you do like it, it will add meatiness and creaminess to the beef stew.

2 Make it cheesy

Cheese is not noticeable in the dish when you melt it into the gravy. Here are some reasons to place it into your stew:

Choose a cheese that melts.

Melty cheese will give salty umami to the flavor into the tomato sauce. It will also change the consistency of the sauce into a creamy and milky gravy. This will be perfect for the rice. 

Mozzarella and other cheeses like it will just form globs of soft cheese into the stew. These are cheeses for lasagna and other baked dishes. Quick-melting cheddar cheese or processed will be fine.

Use the cheese as salt.

Cheese is salty. Adding it first and then adjusting the saltiness by adding salt later will ensure the stew will not be very salty. Controlling and balancing the saltiness will make the stew delicious.

3 Cornstarch slurry

You can also use mashed vegetables and add a little cornstarch to them. 

Cornstarch is gluten-free, so I prefer to make a slurry sometimes, effective in thickening stews. Cornstarch produces a transparent and glossy sauce. 

How to make a slurry:

This is extremely easy to make. 

  • Use equal parts flour and cold water. Stirring it well will remove the clumps.
  • Pour this mixture a little at a time into the boiling stew. It will thicken until you reach the consistency that you want. Constant stirring will prevent lumps.
  • The stew should then boil to trigger the starch and cook the flour.

Be sure to stir the slurry as you pour it into the stew. Sometimes, I use low-sodium or no-sodium broth for the slurry instead of water. 

How to thicken stew with flour

You can use flour as a traditional thickener. Adding it into the stew is possible in different ways. You will want to use about 1 ½ teaspoon of flour per cup of liquid added to the stew. 

  • Dredge your beef. 

Adding the flour by dredging the meat when you sear the meat is a good way to thicken the stew. 

This will cook off the flour taste and give body to the stew as well. This will also give the meat a golden crust. Just make sure you provide enough flour for dredging.

  • Create a roux. 

This needs equal parts butter and flour. Over medium heat, melt the butter in the pot. Whisk in the flour and cook it until it smells nutty and looks golden brown. You can then add in the liquid and whisk it to combine. 

  • Make a beurre manié. 

This is kneaded butter in French; It is a mixture of equal flour and soft butter parts. It is like a roux. 

Combine equal parts flour and butter in a small bowl until it is like playdough. You will add it after the liquid so it will not clump. Add this into the stew in small parts until the stew thickens enough. 

How do you thicken stew in a slow cooker?

It does not matter what thickener you choose for your stew. Your choice will always need high heat to be effective. 

You will have less control over the heat if you use a slow cooker. Make sure the stew is not extremely hot before you put it in your thickener.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Prop the lid. The lid of a slow cooker traps evaporating liquid. This allows the moisture level to remain as it is. Using a chopstick or a wooden spoon to prop the lid a little will allow some of the liquid to evaporate. This will thicken the stew. 
  2. Puree the stew. An immersion blender will do this job. You can also take some of the stew and blend it. Then, you can add this to the rest of the stew. This will thicken the stew without adding any ingredients. 
  3. Use less liquid. A thicker stew will result from adding less liquid from the start. Adding more liquid will be easier if you need to.

How long does beef stew last in the fridge?

I expect leftovers from making a batch of stew; this is a great option for making next-day meals. 

This is handy if you plan the meals in your home. Note that you can keep caldereta in the fridge for three to four days. It is the same for soups, chilis, and casseroles. 

Stews are good for feeding a crowd in one sitting. You will get leftovers if you cook this stew for two people. When it comes to reheating stew, I always do it in portions. 

This allows the rest of the stew to stay intact. Doing this will give you at least three days’ worth of meals. 

Tips on cooking in a pressure cooker or instant pot

Below are tips on how to make delicious beef stew in an Instant pot or pressure cooker:

  1. Use beef ribs, brisket, or oxtail. These are easy to tenderize in a pressure cooker. They will not become rubbery or stringy at all. 
  2. Use the right amount of water. Do not put liquid to the max level to prevent liquid from bursting out of the valve as you release the pressure. 
  3. Do not include the vegetables in your pressure cooking. Doing so will only dissolve. Add them in once the beef is tender enough or when the liquid starts reducing. 

What goes with beef stew?

Beef caldereta slow cooker or even traditional caldereta as your main dish accompanies a cup or two of hot rice.

Like adobo, beef caldereta is always better the following day after the flavors have all developed. You can also serve this with crusty bread for your meal. 

Storing your beef stews

Caldereta is a good make-ahead dish. These are the guidelines for keeping your stew ready and fresh for reheating and eating:

  • Cover the container tightly when the stew is cool in the container. Refrigerate this for up to three days. 
  • You can only refrigerate shellfish or fish stew for up to one day.
  • If you froze it, thaw it in the fridge. Heat and eat immediately.
  • The green bell pepper intensifies. Onion flavor fades with time. Adjusting the seasoning upon reheating will revitalize the flavors again. 
  • You can reheat the stew in a microwave or on the stovetop.

Can you freeze beef caldereta or stew?

All stews freeze well. You can double your recipe for your beef caldereta slow cooker and then freeze the rest for later. 

Curries and stews freeze well and become tastier. Flavors mature as they stay in the freezer. 

If food has a lot of onion, eat it within one month. Onion can be more pungent if you freeze it longer. It often overpowers the entire dish. Some find the flavor sweaty, which is not good. 

Here are some helpful guidelines:

  • Store in airtight, heavy plastic containers. Make sure to leave ¼ -inch to ½-inch of space for expansion inside the freezer. 
  • You can freeze stew for up to three months.
  • If you use cornstarch or flour after freezing, the stew will separate. Thickening the stew first before reheating it will keep this from happening. 
  • Freezing the stew will make the potatoes grainy and soft. Add in new potatoes when you reheat. 

How to defrost beef caldereta or stew?

Leave the beef stew in the fridge overnight to thaw. Reheat it in the microwave or oven. 

Reheat the stew with caution. In using the microwave, the carrots or potatoes might explode.

You can then reheat it by decanting the stew in an ovenproof dish. This will change the way the stew looks, but it will taste the same.

Reheating Tips for Perfect Stews

You need to think about your thickening agent first before you freeze your beef stew:

Tip 1

If you reduce the liquid to thicken it, you can freeze it in a plastic food container or a freezer bag without issues. 

Tip 2

If you used corn flour or flour, the stew would likely separate/ You can use rice flour to make it more stable after you freeze it. 

Tip 3

Pour some of the defrosted liquid into a small bowl and then add more cornflour into it. Whisk it well to stabilize it again.

Add this into the stew when it starts to simmer. Stir it gently to avoid breaking up the vegetables.

Note:

Place a plastic wrap over the surface of the stew, then put the lid on. Make sure you leave an air gap between the lid and the food if you use a rigid food container. 

This extra effort will stop moisture pockets from forming on the stew’s surface. This can lead to freezer burn on the vegetables in your beef caldereta slow cooker. 

SUMMARY:

Beef caldereta slow cooker is delicious comfort food that you will love to share with your loved ones. Cooking it for lunch or dinner will bring in a de-stressing element at the end of the day. 

Every home has its own version of this traditional dish. You may have one passed on to you by your mother or grandmother. Giving it a little portion of your preferred flavors is always a welcome effort. 

The beef, vegetables, and gravy all come together in a bowl with a side of rice. You can even have it with toasted bread or dinner rolls. 

It is a creative dish that allows you to come up with the flavors and textures you want. It satisfies your taste buds and your heart with every bite. 

Beef Caldereta is a creative dish that allows you to come up with the flavors and textures you want. It satisfies your taste buds and your heart with every bite.

Beef Caldereta Slow Cooker

Beef Caldereta is a creative dish that allows you to come up with the flavors and textures you want. It satisfies your taste buds and your heart with every bite.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: beef caldereta slow cooker, beef stew slow cooker
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2.2 lbs Chuck roast or chuck shoulder (cut into chunks)

Breading:

  • 3 tbsp flour
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

Other Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion (large)
  • 4 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
  • 2 pieces tomatoes (chopped)
  • 2 pieces carrots (sliced in 1-inch thickness)
  • 4 pieces potatoes (peeled and quartered sliced)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 cups beef broth (or water)
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce – adjust to taste)
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 1 piece red and green bell pepper
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar (this is optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Thicken the soup:

  • ⅓ cup liver spread (or pâté)
  • ½ cup evaporated milk

Instructions

Brown the Beef:

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the salt, garlic powder, pepper, and flour. Toss the sliced beef and lightly coat with the breading mixture.
  • Next, get a large frying pan and heat some oil in it. Try not to make it smoking hot. 
  • Sear the pieces on all sides until they turned brown. The key is not to crowd the pan. Leaving enough space in between the beef slices will allow them to brown better.
    Dumping them all into the pan will result in sticky, light-colored cubes. It is best to brown them in small batches.
    Make sure to let them rest on the platter. Let each piece absorb all the moisture back. 
  • Do not replace the oil. Just add a little more oil if needed, and in the same pan, sauté your tomatoes, garlic, and onions until translucent or until they become fragrant. 
  • Pour some beef broth (or red wine) to add more flavor and lift off all the stuck flavors at the bottom of the pan. The wine is optional. It has all the beefy flavors you want in your stew.
    Doing this process will de-glaze the pan of the juices from the onion, garlic & tomatoes at the same time, get all the brown bits remaining for extra flavor.

Time to Slow Cook:

  • Pour the sauteed vegetables into your slow cooker. Add the rested pieces of beef.
    Note: You can skip browning the beef if you're press for time or if you have other things to do. But browning the meat is highly recommended.
  • Drop the carrots, potatoes, and bay leaves then pour in the beef broth (or you can also use water). Add in the tomato sauce and soy sauce (or fish sauce).
    Stir everything and cover the pot and cook on low. Let the stew simmer until the meat is fork-tender; this will take about 7 to 8 hours.
  • When the beef stew is ready, add the liver spread or pâté (or you can use peanut butter). Add in the bell peppers and frozen peas. Adding a little sugar will help balance and even enhance the flavor. 
  • Stir gently. Simmer for another half an hour or until thoroughly heated. Serve it with hot, steamed rice. 
    Some want this stew in a bowl. Season more if you prefer; this will bring out more of the comfort food experience.

How to Make Chicken Tocino

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One of the main breakfast standards in the Philippines is something called Tocino. It’s a popular Filipino dish made with cured meat, often chicken, pork, or beef, with sweet hints.

Take Aways:

  • Marinate the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and pepper for at least 4 hours to enhance the flavor.
  • Cook the chicken in low heat to prevent burning and ensure that it cooks evenly.
  • Add the remaining marinade to the pan during cooking to infuse more flavor into the chicken.
  • Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing to retain its juices.

In some parts of the Philippines, it also has a wonderful tanginess. Tocino is a key component of “Tapsilog,” – a three-part breakfast preparation. Tapsilog is an Austronesian word (Austronesian is the basis of the national language of the Philipines) that consists of three elements:

  • Tap – a type of beef tapa
  • si – sinangag, which is a garlic fried rice
  • log – short for “itlog,” the Austoinesian word for egg
Tocino is probably the most well-known of these breakfast dishes. It is a superb balance of sweet and savory derived from a skillful mixture of spices.

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The natural version

I will tell you how to make a wholly natural version of Tocino. It uses Annatto, the seeds, and the pulp of the achiote tree’s heart-shaped fruit.

This fruit contains red seeds that are crushed and mixed with oil to produce a paste that can be used as a dye, a medicine, and an ingredient in Filipino and Asian cuisine. 

Annatto is a potent, natural, edible red dye, and you can use it to replace the artificial food coloring that some people use when making Tocino. 

I am also going to make it with chicken meat rather than pork.

I find that chicken is more tender, and the finished dish isn’t swimming in a pool of fat.

What is Tocino?

The word “Tocino” is Spanish. Originally it referred to cured pork bacon fat cut into small squares.

With the expansion of the Spanish empire and the colonization of different lands, the word became applied to cured beef and pork. 

Today, Tocino is an optional breakfast dish in the Philippines that competes with other dishes such as Pork Longganisa and Filipino Beef Tapa.

These dishes are typically served with garlic rice and fried eggs.

Tocino is probably the most well-known of these breakfast dishes. It is a superb balance of sweetness and savory derived from a skillful mixture of spices.

That includes anise, orange or pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and sugar.

Slices of cured pork (but I used the chicken for this recipe) marinated in the spice mix before being fried.

Then, the Filipino answer to Spanish tapas is plated with fried eggs and garlic rice at breakfast and during the day as a pulutan.

What kind of meat is best to make Tocino?

The meat used to make Tocino is very much down to the individual.

The recipe I am laying out for you is made using chicken thighs, but I also like pork shoulder.

It is nice, meaty, and has just enough fat to prevent it from drying out.

You can use belly pork if you prefer your Tocino more on the fatty side.

If you are more health-conscious, you can use pork tenderloin but avoid overcooking it because it will become dry. 

If you are more health-conscious, you can use pork tenderloin but avoid overcooking it because it will become dry. The range of meats and cuts you can incorporate include: Beef brisket, Chicken thighs, Pork belly, Pork butt and pork shoulder.

The range of meats and cuts you can incorporate include:

I know beef brisket is recommended for slow cooking, but that is when cooking a joint.

When you cut it into quarter-inch slices, cure and marinate it – trust me, it is delicious and not tough.

 How to prepare Tocino from scratch

Tocino is not the sort of dish you can cook in the way you can, like bacon and eggs.

There is a specific preparation process starting with curing the meat.

Step 1 The curing

You need Pink Salt (not to be confused with Himalayan (Pink) salt) for curing. Pink salt, also known as Prague Salt, was first produced in the early 1500s during the Habsburg Monarchy. 

Pink salt combines ordinary table salt and sodium nitrate, a natural microbial growth inhibitor.

It was developed to cure meats with a distinctive pink color to distinguish it from ordinary salt.

Himalayan salt is a wholly natural product that contains many elements (as many as 84) and is mined in Pakistan.

Prague salt, also known as Instacure, should not be used as table salt as it can prove toxic in sufficiently large amounts. It gives the meat to cure a reddish-pink hue. 

Curing alternative

You may find it difficult to get your hands on, so I found an alternative to do the same job. It is celery juice.

You can buy celery juice in powder form. However, it is easy enough to make yourself grate the celery, extract the juice, and force it through a filter or a strainer.

The curing process takes between three and five days. 

  • Put a curing mixture with paprika, salt, and sugar on one side. 
  • Thinly slice the chicken or pork.
  • Pierce the meat, and place it in a non-reactive bowl.
  • Pour over pineapple juice and wine. 
  • Sprinkle the marinated meat with the dry cure mixture and massage well with your hands to ensure you work in all the ingredients. 
  • Transfer to a Ziploc bag and leave for three to five days or freeze to use later.

You should leave the meat to marinate and cure for a minimum of 12 hours, although it is preferable to leave it for three to five days. 

It can stay frozen for up to three months if you are freezing it. Ensure you evacuate as much air before sealing the Ziploc bag to minimize the possibility of freezer burn.

Step 2 Tenderizing the meat

The meat for Tocino shouldn’t be so soft that it falls apart, but neither does it want to be too chewy. It is for that reason that some recipes specify using a meat tenderizer.

Some recommend braising the meat before frying.

To make things easier, you can use kiwi juice. It contains Actinidain, an enzyme that breaks down the collagen in the meat.

These connective tissues make the meat tough, so adding it to the marinade ensures it will be tender. 

Papaya and pineapple also have these enzymes, but they are so strong that they can turn the meat mushy.

Kiwi juice is perfect. It tenderizes meat but allows it to keep its texture.

The only thing to watch out for is ensuring the brine is at room temperature before adding the kiwi juice. 

If the temperature is slightly higher, it can destroy those all-important enzymes.

Step 3 Getting the right color

Tocino has to be red. It wouldn’t be the same without its signature color. 

Many recipes cheat by telling you to add food colorants. That’s not for me. I use Annatto seeds. If you can’t get them, you can use beets.

Juice or powder will do the job. You can use red paprika too.

Step 4 seasoning

It is the brine that helps to make Tocino such a wonderful dish.

The brine becomes a sticky, shiny glaze as the meat fries, contributing to the dish’s sweet, savory character. 

Some recipes tell you to add lots of sugar to give the brine its sweetness. I prefer to add some coconut sugar blended with brown rice syrup. 

This combination doesn’t just add sweetness – it amplifies the flavor too. 

It is the brine that helps to make Tocino such a wonderful dish. As the meat fries, the brine turns into a sticky, shiny glaze that contributes to the dish’s sweet, savory character.

It has a slightly nutty taste of caramel; many say it reminds them of butterscotch.

It is not as rabidly sweet as refined sugar and is used to make granola health bars.

My family and I are great garlic fans, so I include liberal stuff in my Tocino brine.

If it’s not one of your favorites, add a little. It is an essential part of the flavor.

I also like putting black pepper in my Tocino brine to give it a nice kick.

The best way to cook Tocino

The brown sugar syrup and coconut sugar mixture can burn quite easily. 

So, if you are using fatty pork and want to render down the fat, it’s best to start the cooking in a cold, non-stick frying pan on medium heat. 

You don’t have to worry quite much if you’re using skinless chicken as it contains little fat.

As the heat slowly increases, it encourages the meat to shed some liquid, enabling it to cook while allowing the fat to render down without scorching.

The meat caramelizes as the liquid boils out and takes on a glorious glossy glaze. 

Here are the steps to follow.

  • Transfer the marinated meat to a wide, deep, non-stick frying pan and add one cup of water. The amount of water depends on how much meat you are cooking.
  • Bring to a boil on your stovetop over medium heat.
  • Cover and simmer until the meat is cooked and the liquid is almost completely absorbed.
  • Pour in a tablespoon of oil and carry on cooking. Keep stirring once in a while until the meat becomes brown and caramelized.

Top tips for making chicken Tocino

  • Use chicken leg or thigh meat. It’s not as dry as chicken breast and will give you a lovely succulent finish.
  • Debone the legs/thighs. Spread the meat and gently flatten it with a meat hammer to a thickness of around one-quarter an inch. It makes it easier for the marinade or brine to penetrate the chicken flesh.
  • Marinate overnight – no longer. Leave it too long; the pineapple’s acidity makes the chicken mushy.
  • If you are prepping the chicken for cooking, transfer it into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag, evacuate as much air as possible, seal the bag, and freeze it for up to three months.
  • When you’re ready to cook your Tocino, take the frozen marinated chicken out of the freezer and transfer it to your fridge to defrost overnight.

Cooking chicken Tocino using an air fryer

Air fryers are great cooking appliances. They use hot air as the cooking medium rather than oil, so many people use it for health benefits. 

Anything that you would normally deep or shallow fry in oil or cook in a conventional can be cooked in them if the size is right. 

It includes everyday foods like burger patties and exotic ones like Filipino Lechon Kawali or Tocino.

You do need to use a little oil, but rather than setting the food in it, you give foodstuffs a light brushing, and that is all it needs to produce a lovely, golden, crispy dish.

Also, the oil drips away because the food you are air frying is suspended in a wire basket.

The wire basket construction also allows the hot air to circulate and reach all surfaces of the food you’re frying, so it can cook nice and evenly.

Useful tips for cooking Tocino in an air fryer

Is it even possible to cook something sticky and wet like Tocino and an air fryer is a legitimate question. The answer you will be pleased to hear is yes, you can. 

The secret of success is being aware of the possibility of food burning, knowing how to prevent it, protecting your fryer from splatter, and keeping it clean. 

The trick is to use aluminum foil. Hence, it will help minimize any splatter and simplify cleaning your appliance.

Don’t forget that you want your Tocino to caramelize a little, a controlled burn. That slightly burnt caramelized taste is essential to any good Tocino. 

The sugar in the dish makes that happen, but it is the key to controlling that. It would be best if you cooked at a temperature of 180C, no higher.

Here’s what to do.

Method for air frying Tocino – it works for other saucy dishes too.

  • Take some aluminum foil and line the inside of your basket with it.
  • Ensure the marinated meat is cut into small pieces, which will cook more quickly. 
  • Set your air fryer to 180˚C.
  • Close the fryer door, set the timer to 10 minutes, and start to cook.
  • If the pieces of meat overlap slightly, you might need to flip them over to ensure they are evenly cooked through and display spots of caramelization all over.
  • Serve and enjoy

Can I cook frozen Tocino?

If you have frozen your Tocino, it’s best to simmer it in a pan of lightly boiling water to thaw it out when it comes time to cook it. No frying is required. 

If you buy it frozen from a store, the directions on the packaging often suggest this.

As it has been frozen, it will take several minutes of simmering to thaw through completely.

The slow simmer not only thaws the Tocino but also encourages the chicken or pork to absorb all the delicious marinade; in the case of pork, it renders fat.

When finished cooking (after the water has completely evaporated, allowing the oil to fry the meat), you will be left with beautifully charred, sticky Tocino.

Here are the step-by-step instructions.

  • Remove the packaging from the frozen Tocino (homemade or store-bought).
  • Transfer the Tocnin to a frying pan – no oil needed.
  • Pour water into the frying pan so that it comes halfway up the slices of meat. Don’t fill any deeper; you’ll end up boiling instead of boiling/frying.
  • Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and allow to simmer once it gets there.
  • Let the water evaporate, then allow the meat to fry and caramelize.

How do you know when Tocino is cooked?

  • After the water has evaporated, the meat will begin to fry in the fat from the pork. If you use chicken with very little fat, you may need to add a tablespoon of oil. 
  • When the meat caramelizes, and the caramelization starts to turn darker, it’s ready to serve. 
  • If you like your Tocino well cooked, allow it to caramelize a little longer but be careful.
  • Once caramelization starts, it can go from light brown to dark brown and quickly blacken.
  • Cook it to your choice of “doneness,” turning occasionally and not letting it burn.

The best way of cooking Tocino

Some people fry their Tocino without boiling it.

But if you are using pork, I think it’s better to add some water to the pan and simmer it to evaporate, after which you can add a little oil to the pan to fry and caramelize. 

Don’t forget to flip occasionally to ensure even cooking and avoid burning. The perfect Tocino should be lightly browned and caramelized, not incinerated.

How long does Tocino last in the freezer?

You can keep Tocino in your freezer for six months, although the flavor may deteriorate slightly after three months. 

Transfer the whole thing (juice and all) into a freezer-safe Ziploc bag (I recommend the heavy-duty variety), and evacuate as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn. 

To make life easier, get yourself a vacuum sealer. You can buy them for as little as $40, which is essential if you do a lot of freezing.

You can keep Tocino in your freezer for as long as six months, although the flavor may start to deteriorate a little after 3 months. 

Is it necessary to defrost frozen Tocino?

No, it is not essential. You can cook it directly from the freezer, allowing it to thaw as it cooks. It’s not something I recommend, however. The sugars in the brine tend to burn. 

Also, by defrosting, you thaw the fat (in case you’re using pork), letting it render down. 

Defrosting is the best way for all Tocino meats – beef, chicken, or pork.

  • Why bring it to a boil and then simmer it?

The point of simmering is to speed up the defrosting process and make cooking easier and quicker in one operation. 

  • Does simmer mean lid on or off? 

It’s best to simmer things with the pan’s lid in place. The lid keeps the heat in the pan, saving energy and time. 

If you are evaporating water, you may want to remove the lid for the last few minutes.

How do you cook Tocino without burning it?

Once you’ve bought the Tocino to a boil in a pan of water, let the water evaporate. It will then fry and caramelize after a few minutes, which is what you want. 

But keep a close eye on it as caramelization progresses from light to dark very quickly.

  • My preferred method is adding a quarter cup of water to the pan.
  • Bring it to a boil, cover it, and simmer. 
  • Let the water evaporate, add a small drop of oil, say a tablespoon, and fry until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165˚F.

Why is Tocino pink?

If you are using Prague Salt or pink-curing salt, it gives the dish a red-pinkish coloring. 

How to serve chicken Tocino?

Traditionally, Tocino is a breakfast treat served in the Philippines with sunny-side-up fried eggs (scrambled eggs work well, too) and garlic fried rice. 

Other serving suggestions include:

  • Serve in a bread roll – the Filipinos serve it with pandesal.
  • Cut the meat into bite-size pieces, skewer, and barbecue.
  • Serve with stir-fried noodles.

The above are great ways of serving Tocino, depending on the time of day and the occasion. Heck, I think it’s good whenever.

Read: Pork Sinigang instant pot

You can keep Tocino in your freezer for as long as six months, although the flavor may start to deteriorate a little after 3 months. 

How to Make Chicken Tocino

Tocino is a popular Filipino dish made with cured meat, often chicken, pork, or beef with sweet hints.
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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: how to make chicken tocino
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinate time: 2 days
Total Time: 2 days 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs chicken thighs

Marinade Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • ⅓ cup brown rice syrup
  • 3 cloves garlic (grated)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp celery juice (from ½ celery rib)
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Annatto seeds (or achuete powder)
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp kiwi juice (or ¼ pineapple juice)

Instructions

Prep the chicken:

  • Arrange chicken thighs in a bowl (or if you’re using pork, slice the pork shoulder against the grain into ¼-inch-thick slices and then cut the slices into bite-size pieces).

Prepare the marinade:

  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, rice syrup, garlic, soy sauce, celery juice, salt, ground annatto, and black pepper.
  • Heat the mixture up in the microwave a bit if you're having trouble getting the sugar to melt. Let the brine cool to room temperature. 
  • Add the kiwi juice (or pineapple juice) and then add the chicken thighs or sliced pork. Put some gloves on and mix the pork into the marinade.
  • Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three days or up to a week. 

How to Cook the Chicken Tocino:

  • To cook the Tocino, I recommend using a non-stick pan. If your pork is fatty, you won't need to add any oil, but if it's lean, you can add a bit of vegetable oil. Line the pan with an even layer of meat and turn the heat onto medium. 
  • Some liquid will come out of the pork and start to boil. 
  • Start flipping the meat over to evenly glaze the pork with the sauce. Repeat until there is no liquid left and the Tocino is cooked through and starting to brown. 

Pork Sinigang Instant Pot

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Pork Sinigang Instant Pot. This is one way of cutting the cooking time short. Truly useful if you’re craving pork ribs or pork belly.

One of the most famous dishes in Filipino cuisine is something called “Sinigang na Baboy.” No, I was none the wiser when I when first read it, but I did some research and found out that “Sinigang” means “stewed dish,” and “Baboy” means pig. 

A lot of people consider Adobo to be the national dish of the Philippines. As a word, “Adobo” is both the name of a dish and a generic term for a cooking process involving the marinating and cooking of meat in garlic, soy sauce and vinegar.

Apparently, it was being prepared even before colonization by the Spaniards in the early 1500s. 

In the Philipines, soups are often served as main courses along with rice to bulk them out. Examples include Bulalo,Nilaga, Sinigang, and Tinola.

Pork Sinigang Instant Pot. This is one way of cutting the cooking time short. Truly useful if you're craving for pork ribs or pork belly.

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Filipinos often make Sinigang on special occasions such as birthdays, baptisms, weddings, and anniversaries.

You can make it with various proteins, including fish, meat, poultry, or shrimp, plus tomatoes and tamarind. However, it wouldn’t be an authentic Sinigang without tamarind. 

More often than not, however, it is cooked with pork – hence Sinigang na Baboy. 

As far as veggies are concerned, you can use a wide choice of vegetables, including: 

  • sitaw – Filipino string beans
  • Bok choy
  • Broccoli 
  • Eggplant
  • kangkong (similar to spinach or watercress)
  • Okra
  • Taro root – no, not cards for telling your fortune – it’s a starchy, root vegetable. The veggie most often used is bok choy.
  • white radish or daikon

As I said earlier, authentic Sinigang used tamarind to get its tart flavor, but people also use calamansi (a sort of cross between limes and lemons) or raw mango to get the sourness.

The heat and the bitterness make Sinigang an absolute must for a cold winter day, and if you’ve got a sore throat – there’s nothing better to soothe it away. 

What Sinigang is all about

As with Siningang na Sugpo (Sinigang with Shrimp), the word “Sinigang” is a generic. It refers to a sour, broth-like soup.

Traditionally, the souring agent is tamarind but cooks also use other things mentioned above, including kamias, also called bilimbi, known for their health and nutritional benefits.

The meats most commonly used are beef and pork, although fish, shellfish, and poultry are often used too, as mentioned earlier. 

In addition to the veggies already described, Filipinos also add:

Green finger chilis, the seeds of which you can buy online from Amazon. Whatever ingredients you decide to use, the cooking process remains similar. 

  • First, you saute the aromatic ingredients to release their spices and aromas, then add your chosen protein and pour in water. 
  • Once the protein is nearly cooked through, you then add the veggies and cook till ready.

The one thing that does change is when to add the tamarind or whatever souring agent you prefer to use. Usually, you add it just before your throw in the veggies. 

If you are using things like guava, or kamias, or whole baby tamarinds, these need to be added earlier than the other veggies to give them the time to soften.

Pork Sinigang instant pot

When you prepare Sinigang as a vegetarian dish, the most important thing is to make a top-quality broth, and to do that, you need to have plenty of bones and the best fresh vegetables you can find. 

On the other hand, when making it as a main dish, you can add some good, meaty pieces of pork. Without it, all you’ll be serving will be broth with a few veggies and some rice. 

Check out this Instant Pot Miso soup recipe below:

Instant Pot Miso Soup | Ramen Noodle Soup

Here are a couple of main course ideas you might like to consider.

Option 1

If you want to get the best value for money out of making a Sinagang dish, you can make it with pork on the bone. Take the meat off the bone and serve it as a meal with some stir fry veggies, and you’ve still got some lovely broth left into which you can add some veggies for another meal or snack,

Option 2

If you prefer a good meaty Sinigang, instead of taking the meat off the broth and serving it as a separate meal, put the pieces of pork back in and serve up as bowls of a delicious meat fest of hot, sour, and substantial soup.

Option 3

You can always leave the meat on the bone and serve it bones and all. It’s great if you don’t mind sloppy eating by picking up the bones and knawing them clean of meat – it’s a fun and pleasant way of eating. Pork tail is a great cut for this.

How does Sinigang na Baboy taste?

Over the decades, the way people impart bitterness to Sinigang has changed. Some cooks still use tamarind, which, to my mind, is best, but you do have to bear in mind to boil it for about 10 minutes longer than the other veggies. 

Others use calamansi, guava, or raw mango, as mentioned earlier. Some people even use a combination.

The taste is savory and sour, and the heat comes from the siling mahaba you add. It’s one of those dishes whose ingredients people tweak to suit their and their family’s preferences. 

As well as being nourishing and warming in cold weather (that doesn’t mean to say it’s not good in hot weather) – you’ve only got to stop and think where it comes from geographically; it is also very healthy.

Today, of course, many people use off-the-shelf Sinigang soup mix for speed and convenience. Like most things, you can buy them online from Amazon.

If you feel like having a go at cooking it yourself at home, here is the recipe for my instant-pot Sinigang na Baboy.

Sinigang's taste is savory and sour, and the heat comes from the siling mahaba you add. It’s one of those dishes whose ingredients people tweak to suit their and their family’s preferences.

Ingredients you’ll need

  • Bok choy – It’s easier to separate the pieces, you can cut the hard bottom part of the pechay and wash the leaves.
  • Eggplant – I prefer the long, Chinese variety. Don’t worry; if you have to buy a few, you can always use any leftover to make kare kare, another absolutely delicious instant pot Filipino dish. If you haven’t yet purchased an instant pot, take a look at these and treat yourself.
  • Finger chilis – (this is optional )careful, these are hot. Add as many or as few as you like.
  • Fish sauce (Patis) – Fish paste is an absolute must for cooking Asian cuisine.
  • Labanos (White Radishes) – If you can’t get Labanos, ordinary radish will do.
  • Long string beans – You only need a few. I usually reserve some after making instant pot Pinakbet – another of my Filipino favorites.
  • Okra – as this isn’t everyone’s favorite, it is optional – I love it.
  • Onion – red or yellow
  • Pork – I usually turn to pork ribs for this recipe, for the bones, but you can use belly pork too.
  • Tamarind – If I can’t get any fresh unripe tamarind (not the easiest thing to find), I turn to Knorr Sinigang soup mix. If Amazon is out of stock, Mama Sita Sinigang sa Sampalok mix is more than an excellent alternative.
  • Tomatoes – Most recipes call for the tomatoes cut in quarters. However, I find they absorb the bitter tamarind, so I cut them into small pieces to make them more palatable.
  • Water – I usually add about six cups. It all depends on how much you’re going to make.

Step by step instructions on how to cook pork sinigang

Step 1 Parboiling the Pork:

  • Clean the pork nicely and cut it into cubes. In a pot, add water, ginger, salt, and garlic, bring it to a boil by pressing the saute function. Once the water is boiling, place the pork cubes and let them cook for 3 minutes.
  • After 3 minutes, press to cancel the saute setting, take the pot off, drain the water and discard the garlic and ginger.
  • Proceed to clean the pot and then, rinse the pork in cold running water to remove all the gunk after parboiling. Doing this extra step will get rid of the “raw meat smell” flavor of the pork.
Clean the pork nicely and cut it into cubes. In a pot, add water, ginger, salt, and garlic, bring it to a boil by pressing the saute function. Once the water is boiling, place the pork cubes and let them cook for 3 minutes.

Step 2 Stew the Pork:

  • Put the freshly cleaned pot back (into the instant pot), and place the parboiled pork in the inner pot, add tomatoes, sliced white radish, taro (or potatoes), onion, and fish sauce. Pour the chicken stock (if using) or water.
  • Plug the Instant Pot, then close the lid, and don’t forget the most important part when cooking with an Instant Pot –  setting the steam release handle to “SEALING”. 
  • Once the lid is closed, pressure cook the pork ribs for the sinigang recipe by pressing “SOUP”, adjust to “normal” and adjust the cooking time to 20 minutes.
  • Or you can cook on “MANUAL” for 15 minutes. Then, allow the pressure to release for 5 minutes, then quick release by moving the knob to “vent”.
Put the freshly cleaned pot back (into the instant pot), and place the parboiled pork in the inner pot, add tomatoes, sliced white radish, taro (or potatoes), onion, and fish sauce. Pour the chicken stock (if using) or water.

Step 3 Release the Steam:

  • You will hear a beeping sound once the pork sinigang is already cooked. Or you would know the recipe is done by checking the timer, it would show something like L000.
  • Press Cancel, then toggle the steam release valve (located on top of the lid) to do a quick release.
  • Make sure not to put your face near the valve. The initial steam will have water splatting all over so I just do it halfway using an oven mitt to adjust the valve to “VENTING”. 

Step 4 Make the Sinigang:

  • After the instant pot is done steaming, and the float valve has gone down, you can safely open the lid and skim the scum off the broth.
  • Use a spider ladle to transfer the pork, radish, and other vegetables you’ve added to a serving dish. Set aside.
  • Now, it’s time to add the fish sauce, sinigang tamarind mix powder into the broth to create the sinigang soup. Mix the broth gently.
  • I don’t normally use the whole packet of Tamarind soup mix powder. I gradually add 3 tbsp of the mix + the fish sauce. You can adjust the sourness according to your preference.

Step 5 Cooking the Vegetables:

  • It’s time to cook the remaining ingredients like eggplant, pechay, okra, long string beans (if using). Add them all to the sinigang broth.
  • 2 options to cook the veggies:1.) Press “SAUTE” and cook the vegetables in the broth with the lid open.2.) Close the lid, set the vent again to “SEALING”, press “MANUAL”, set the cooking time to 2 minutes. Once the Instant Pot beeps, release the steam before opening the lid.
  • Once the veggies are done, you can add some of them to the serving dish that you set aside, then ladle the broth and serve hot over steamed, white rice.

Interesting recipe: Click here for the Beef Caldereta Slow Cooker recipe

Beef Caldereta Slow Cooker

Which is the best cut of pork for Sinigang? 

Filipinos love to use pork belly for their Sinigang. Personally, I will use whatever looks the best buy at the time since I’m trying to keep the price down because feeding a family on a budget is always challenging. 

Shoulder cuts or ribs are one of my options once in a while, providing I cook the meat a little longer. It is always nice and tender.

Why do Filipinos love Sinigang so much?

The refreshing sour taste of Sinigang makes it the perfect dish for the tropical climate in the Philipines. People have adapted it to use different proteins, adding poultry, fish, or shellfish when they want something a little lighter.

The variations seem almost unlimited. Have you ever stumbled across a dish that goes by the name of Sinigang rice?

In the Philipines, it doesn’t get much better than rice and Sinigang. The chilis cause the body to sweat, which is its cooling mechanism – perfect for those hot, humid summer days.

The are many varieties that stem from Sinigang, including paella and Sinigang with strawberries and watermelon. The sweetness of the fruits provides a nice contrast to the sourness of the broth.

It is the sourness that endears this dish to the Filipinos. Foreigners sometimes find it hard to adjust to, but they are hooked once they do, just like the Filipinos.

What is authentic Sinigang?

Tracking down authentic Sinigang is nigh on impossible. There are over 7,000 islands to search, so finding the original version is like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

We have already broached some of the variations and offshoots above, but none are perhaps more improbable than Sinigang na corned beef, the invention of Vicky Rose Pacheco, executive chef of the Chateau 1771 group of restaurants,

One recipe, “sinampalukang manok” uses a prepreparation of chicken sauteed with ginger. As this differs from the traditional method of raw chicken being boiled in the broth, and its use of tamarind leaves, many say it is not a true Sinigang. 

Another “authentic” Sinigang” uses bangus or milkfish, as known in English, as its protein. Other local Filipino fish used are lapu lapu, and maya maya, Filipino red snapper. Many people today use salmon or tuna.

We can say with reasonable certainty that tamarind was the source of the sourness for which Sinigang is renowned. 

This sourness is sometimes offset by introducing sweet fruits such as guava, pineapple, strawberry, and watermelon.

How to tell if Pork Sinigang and other soups have gone off

Most solid foods have clear give-away signs that indicate they have gone off. Mold grows on bread, and veggies wilt, rot, and also go moldy.

All clear signs are past their best and should be binned. But it’s not so easy with a broth like Sinigang. 

So here are the two most evident signs that all is not well with your leftover Sinigang.

1 The taste

If you have never tasted Sinigang before, judging by its taste, whether or not it has gone off may be a little tricky. It is a sour broth, after all.

But once you’ve sampled fresh Sinigang, you will realize that its sourness is nonetheless fresh. If it goes off, the sourness is sharp and unpleasant.

2 Look out for bubbles.

Take a quick look at the surface of the broth to see if you can spot any bubbles. If you can spot them or you notice that it is bubbling, and you haven’t disturbed it, it could well be spoiled.

Bubbles, in this instance, are caused by fermentation. It means that bacteria have invaded and multiplied and are “burping,” which creates the bubbles you can see on the surface of the broth.

Okay, while it is an accepted, necessary and welcome part of bread production, it’s not something you want to see in your soup. 

It’s a bit like yeast which creates bubbles in the dough when you are making bread. If you spot bubbles, you should throw the soup away as it could cause food poisoning.

The basics of good food health safety

Following the guidelines for general food health safety will keep you in good stead with storing Sinigang safely.

  • You mustn’t leave food out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, sometimes no more than one hour. If you follow the one-hour guideline, you won’t go far wrong.
  • Once cooked food has cooled, you should transfer it into hygienically clean and dry containers.
  • Before eating any leftover food, you should reheat it to kill off any nasty bacteria.

For how long can you keep Sinigang in your refrigerator?

Without chili, you can store leftover Sinigang safely by transferring it to a hygienically clean and dry container, putting an airtight lid in place, and within 2 hours maximum, storing it in your fridge for up to a maximum of 2 days.

If you’re freezing it, it will be good for up to 3 months. You can reheat it either in a microwave or on your stovetop in a saucepan.

Watch out for these five common mistakes when freezing Sinigang

Having a few containers of Sinigang in your freezer is an excellent way of countering those long winter months. You’ll always have a lovely warming broth to look forward to.

So if you aim to make a large batch, some of which you are planning to store in the freezer, here is the list of the things you should avoid when it comes to freezing.

By the way, these mistakes also apply to freezing any soup.

1 Not allowing the soup long enough to cool before freezing

Although this might seem fairly obvious, sometimes people are a little too anxious to get the soup into the freezer and do so before it is appropriately cool.

If you put the soup into the freezing while it is still warm, it can lower the freezer’s internal temperature, resulting in the foods already in there defrosting a little.

There is also the added danger of a quick shift in temperature to the soup itself, creating a slight food health safety risk.

A quick tip:

If you want to expedite the colling process after transferring the soup into the container you intend to freeze it in, put it into an ice bath, accelerating the cooling process.

2 Putting too much into the container

This is one of my mistakes in the past as I used to fill the container right to the brim to store as much Sinigang as possible. The problem is that liquids expand as they freeze. 

If you overfill the container, the soup inside could expand and split the container or lift its lid. This danger is magnified if you use flimsy two-quart containers.

However, there’s the risk of underfilling the container and allowing too much air to trap inside, which can cause freezer burn.

A quick tip:

When filling the container, allow an air gap of approximately 1-inch between the top surface of the soup and the container’s lid. This is enough to allow the soup to expand but doesn’t leave so much air to cause freezer burn.

3 Putting the pasta in your soup and freezing it

If you put the pasta in your soup when you make it, you must remove it before freezing any leftovers. If you don’t, when you defrost and reheat the soup, the pasta will become mushy.

A quick tip:

If you’re making a batch of soup, especially for the freezer, hold back any pasta. Freeze the soup without and when you reheat it, prepare fresh pasta and add it to the heated soup before serving.

4 Trying to freeze soup that contains cream or milk

Chowders and bisques that contain cream or milk will not take kindly to freezing. When defrosted and reheated, the texture will become grainy, and the cream or milk will separate. 

Non-dairy products such as coconut milk will freeze a little better. 

However, even these will not be quite as good as they were when made fresh, so I would still recommend adding non-dairy cream and milk after defrosting.

5 Overcooking the vegetables before freezing

Freezing soup with vegetables often results in the vegetables becoming mushy when defrosted and reheated. 

This applies to potatoes in particular, although I recommend you apply this to all veggies.

The problem is that when you reheat the soup at a later date, the vegetables will then overcook.

A quick tip:

Cook the veggies in the soup al dente before freezing.

Pork Sinigang Instant Pot. This is one way of cutting the cooking time short. Truly useful if you're craving for pork ribs or pork belly.

Pork Sinigang Instant Pot Recipe

Have fork tender, firm-but-cooked veggies, and a broth that’s amazing on a cold night – everything you want in an Instant Pot Pork Sinigang. 
Print Pin
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: instant pot sinigang, pork sinigang instant pot, sinigang instant pot
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Instant pot

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs pork belly (or pork ribs sliced into cubes)
  • 6 cups chicken broth (or water)
  • 1 piece yellow onion (peeled and cut into quarters)
  • 2 pieces tomatoes (cut in quarters)
  • 3 pieces Taro root (medium-sized, peeled, and halved)
  • 1 piece Eggplant (cut diagonally)
  • 1 piece Daikon radish (cut into bite-sized pieces)
  • 5 pieces Okra (cut in half, ends trimmed)
  • 2 bundles Pechay or Bok choy
  • 5 pieces String beans (cut in 2" long)
  • 3 tbsp Mama Sita Sinigang Mix (Tamarind soup base mix)
  • 3 pieces finger chili (siling haba) or sweet banana chili **Optional
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon

Instructions

Step 1: Parboiling the Pork

  • Clean the pork nicely and cut it into cubes. In a pot, add water, ginger, salt, and garlic, bring it to a boil by pressing the saute function. Once the water is boiling, place the pork cubes and let them cook for 3 minutes.
  • After 3 minutes, press to cancel the saute setting, take the pot off, drain the water and discard the garlic and ginger.
  • Proceed to clean the pot and then, rinse the pork in cold running water to remove all the gunk after parboiling. Doing this extra step will get rid of the "raw meat smell" flavor of the pork.

Step 2: Stew the Pork

  • Put the freshly cleaned pot back (into the instant pot), and place the parboiled pork in the inner pot, add tomatoes, sliced white radish, taro (or potatoes), onion, and fish sauce. Pour the chicken stock (if using) or water.
  • Plug the Instant Pot, then close the lid, and don’t forget the most important part when cooking with an Instant Pot –  setting the steam release handle to “SEALING”. 
  • Once the lid is closed, pressure cook the pork ribs for the sinigang recipe by pressing “SOUP”, adjust to “normal” and adjust the cooking time to 20 minutes.
  • 2nd Option: You can cook on "MANUAL" for 15 minutes. Then, allow the pressure to release for 5 minutes, then quick release by moving the knob to "vent".

Step 3: Release the Steam

  • You will hear a beeping sound once the pork sinigang is already cooked. Or you would know the recipe is done by checking the timer, it would show something like L000.
  • Press Cancel, then toggle the steam release valve (located on top of the lid) to do a quick release.
  • Make sure not to put your face near the valve. The initial steam will have water splatting all over so I just do it halfway using an oven mitt to adjust the valve to “VENTING”. 

Step 4: Make the Sinigang

  • After the instant pot is done steaming, and the float valve has gone down, you can safely open the lid and skim the scum off the broth.
  • Use a spider ladle to transfer the pork, radish, and other vegetables you've added to a serving dish. Set aside.
  • Now, it's time to add the fish sauce, sinigang tamarind mix powder into the broth to create the sinigang soup. Mix the broth gently.
  • I don't normally use the whole packet of Tamarind soup mix powder. I gradually add 3 tbsp of the mix + the fish sauce. You can adjust the sourness according to your preference.

Step 5: Cooking the Vegetables

  • It's time to cook the remaining ingredients like eggplant, pechay, okra, long string beans (if using). Add them all to the sinigang broth.
  • 2 options to cook the veggies:
    1.) Press "SAUTE" and cook the vegetables in the broth with the lid open.
    2.) Close the lid, set the vent again to “SEALING”, press “MANUAL”, set the cooking time to 2 minutes. Once the Instant Pot beeps, release the steam before opening the lid.
  • Once the veggies are done, you can add some of them to the serving dish that you set aside, then ladle the broth and serve hot over steamed, white rice.

Moist, Chewy Ube Crinkles

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For those unfamiliar, ube crinkle cookies is a delicious Southeast Asian variation on the classic crinkle cookie. They’re made with ube extract and jam for a vibrant purple color and a subtle pistachio-vanilla flavor. Combining the two ingredients gives these cookies a fantastic flavor that will tingle your taste buds!

These cookies are perfect for any occasion, from birthday parties to holiday celebrations. You can even make them and store them in the freezer to enjoy later on. And if you’re feeling creative, why not try mixing up some of your favorite flavors and colors?

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For those unfamiliar, ube crinkle cookies are a delicious Southeast Asian variation on the classic crinkle cookie. They’re made with ube extract and jam for a vibrant purple color and a subtle pistachio-vanilla flavor. Combining the two ingredients gives these cookies an amazing flavor that will tingle your taste buds!
These ube crinkle cookies are a delicious combination of flavors that will tantalize your tastebuds! Get ready to be excited! #crinklecookies

What is Ube?

Ube—pronounced “OO-beh”—is a purple yam from the Philippines that is often used in desserts and other sweet dishes. Its texture sets ube apart—it’s a lot creamier than other yams and can be used in various dishes, from ice cream to cakes. It has a mild, slightly sweet taste with hints of nuttiness and vanilla, and its lovely purple color can make treats more vibrant.

What are ube crinkles?

Ube crinkle cookies are soft and chewy with delicate cracks that form on the cookie’s surface when baking—hence their name! The flavor of ube comes through with each bite, making these cookies a true delight. Not only are they delicious, but they look beautiful, too, especially when coated in powdered sugar and served at parties or family gatherings.

Ube and Taro: How do you tell them apart?

When it comes to ube and taro, it can be tricky to tell them apart at first glance. While both are sweet and great for adding flavor to drinks, snacks, and meals, you can easily distinguish them based on their visual cues. 

Ube has a light-brown exterior with a hint of purple, giving it a distinct look. Its texture is also usually relatively coarse. 

On the other hand, taro has thin white lines across its outer skin, which helps differentiate it from other similar root vegetables. Its exterior is typically hairy and brown, and its texture tends to be much coarser than the ube.

At first glance, ube and taro might look quite similar but take a closer look, and you’ll spot the difference. Ube’s flesh is a vibrant purple, while taro is a creamy white with small purple speckles. To remember this, think of it like this: ube is uber purple, and taro, though without the same color, is still purple in spirit.

Why should you make the ube crinkle recipe?

What makes Ube crinkle cookies so special? They are made with ube extract for an extra hint of sweetness and flavoring and a vibrant purple hue! The dough is rolled into balls and chilled before baking, giving them their signature crinkled look. They look beautiful and taste amazing—with hints of vanilla and ube flavor, they’re sure to be a hit with your friends and family. There’s nothing quite like homemade Ube crinkle cookies!

The following reasons will convince you to make these ube crinkle cookies:

1 It’s a delicious and unique twist on traditional cookies

Why do you call these crinkle cookies a unique twist on traditional cookies? It’s because they’re made with ube, a type of purple yam that gives the cookies a unique flavor. The combination of sweet and savory make these treats an irresistible choice!

2 They are easy to make

Ube crinkle cookies are perfect for baking beginners or those with little time. The cookies are straightforward to prepare, as you only need some ube and an oven! With just a few simple steps, you can have homemade treats in no time at all.

3 They are visually stunning.

These cookies will do the trick if you’re baking for a special occasion or want to impress guests! The cookies bake up with a deep purple color, and the cracked, crinkled effect makes them look like little works of art. The beautiful purple hue of these crinkle cookies will be a showstopper at any event.

4 They are so delicious!

Ube crinkle cookies have a unique flavor that combines sweet and savory in one bite. Whether you make them for a gathering or just for yourself, your family and friends will thank you for the delicious treat! No matter your taste, you’ll indeed find these cookies mouth-watering.

5 They are ideal for gift-giving

Want to show someone you care? Give them a batch of delicious ube crinkle cookies! Not only will they be overjoyed by the tasty treat, but it’s also a thoughtful way to show you care. Bake a batch to give away for birthdays, holidays, or just because! Everyone will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

6 They store well.

Ube crinkle cookies are best enjoyed the day they’re made, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container. They’ll stay just as soft and sweet for up to seven days after baking! This makes them ideal for mailing to someone far away, too; these ube crinkle cookies will arrive fresh and flavorful no matter where you send them.

Ingredients you need:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup ube jam (or ube halaya)
  • 1 teaspoon ube flavoring (I used the McCormick Ube Flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon ube extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

I want to highlight some of its key ingredients for making ube crinkles and where you can purchase them.

1 Ube Jam or Ube Halaya

This is the star of the show – Ube Jam (or ube halaya, popularly known in the Philippines) can be found in most Asian stores and adds a delightful sweetness and a beautiful purple hue. It is a sweetened spread made from purple yam (ube), butter, sugar, and milk. It’s a vibrant deep purple color, thicker than regular jam but not quite jelly-like consistency. Ube jam is a staple ingredient in Filipino kitchens and can be enjoyed on its own or used to flavor cakes, ice cream, halo-halo, and other desserts.

This is the star of the show - Ube Jam (or ube halaya, popularly known in the Philippines) can be found in most Asian stores and adds a delightful sweetness and a beautiful purple hue. It is a sweetened spread made from purple yam (ube), butter, sugar, and milk.
Who else is super excited to try these delicious ube crinkle cookies?! They have the perfect hint of sweetness and that amazing crinkle texture we all know and love ♥️ #yummy

Where to buy ube jam?

Ube halaya jam is one of the most common ingredients for making Filipino dishes, but it can be hard to find in some areas. Fortunately, there are a few places where you can easily purchase ube halaya jam.

  • Search for “Filipino” or “ube halaya jam,” and you’ll find a wide selection of options. Almost all Asian supermarkets have a “Filipino” aisle. This is where you can find jams made from ube halaya, jackfruit preserves, macapuno (shredded coconut strings in a sweet syrup), and other unique Filipino ingredients.
  • You can also buy ube halaya jam online, where many specialty food companies will ship it to your door. 
  • Finally, you can make your own ube halaya jam at home with simple ingredients (like mashed ube, condensed milk, and butter) and patience. Consider this option if you can access freshly harvested ube.

2 Ube Food Flavoring

Ube Food coloring is a vibrant, purple-hued natural dye from the ube plant. It is used to create beautiful and eye-catching dishes, making it popular among chefs looking to add a splash of color to their culinary creations. Ube Food coloring can be found in markets worldwide, making it a popular ingredient for cooks looking to experiment with unique flavors and colors.

Where to buy:

This is a more accessible ingredient – you can buy the McCormick Ube Flavor in some grocery stores or order it online.

Does ube crinkle cookie batter require purple food coloring?

The answer is: it depends. While you don’t need to use purple food coloring, if you want your ube crinkle cookies to have a lovely, vibrant purple hue like mine – then yes, you need to use food coloring. Ube halaya and ube extract may be purple but only have a small amount of pigmentation.

Note:

Without the food coloring, the cookies won’t turn out as a deep violet like mine; they will likely come out as a light brown color with hints of purple tones. I know it’s disappointing, but the food coloring makes all the difference in making these cookies look like classic ube crinkles.

3 Ube extract

What exactly is ube extract? Well, it’s a concentrated form of ube flavor that you can use to create delicious ube-flavored baked goods. How does it work? The extract helps to bring out the subtler notes of ube in your food. It also gives your desserts a lovely purple hue thanks to the food coloring (often made from natural sources) that is usually added during preparation.

Where to buy ube extract?

The best place to purchase ube extract is at an Asian supermarket or online (like Amazon). In my search for this unique and flavorful product, I discovered that most supermarkets don’t carry it. You can find ube extract in the baking aisle of any specialty Asian market.

When I’m looking for ube extract, McCormick is my go-to brand. Their extract has a deep purple color and a sweet aroma that brings out the true flavor of ube. It’s also made with natural ingredients and free from preservatives, so you know you’re getting quality.

How to make ube crinkle cookies

My family has been making ube crinkle cookies for generations, an absolute classic in our house. Although they might look intimidating, they are surprisingly easy to make!

Step 1 Prep the dry ingredients.

In a bowl, assemble the team of dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix them until well combined. Then sift the mixture into another bowl to ensure all the clumps are gone.

In a bowl, assemble the team of dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix them until well combined. Then sift the mixture into another bowl to ensure all the clumps are gone.
Ready, set, mix! So excited to assemble this team of dry ingredients for some baking magic!

Step 2 Prep the dough.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until it’s well combined with the butter mixture. This creates air pockets in the dough, resulting in a more tender and lighter cookie.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until it's well combined with the butter mixture. This creates air pockets in the dough, resulting in a more tender and lighter cookie.
Who says baking can’t be fun? Just creamed some butter and sugar and can already feel the excitement for a delicious and tender cookie! 🍪

Step 3 Mix the wet with dry ingredients.

After that, add in the ube jam and ube extract flavoring. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing with a spatula or an electric mixer with a dough attachment. The dough will be sticky at this stage, but don’t worry—it’s supposed to be that way!

Step 4 Color it purple (optional).

To give your ube crinkle cookies a deep purple color, gently knead in some violet food coloring. I love the hint of color, which makes them look even more beautiful!

Step 5 Chill!

Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Why do you need to chill? This step is vital for those beautiful crinkles! It firms up the dough, so it’s easier to work with and keeps the cookies from spreading too much when baking.

Step 6 Roll out the dough.

Once your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) ice cream scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls and coat it with powdered sugar. After scooping the dough balls, I place them into a shallow bowl of confectioners’ sugar which helps to keep my hands from getting too sticky.

Why coat the crinkle balls with powdered sugar?

It’s because it gives the cookies a subtly crispy sugary exterior, and it also helps give your ube crinkle cookies those iconic crinkles. In other words, the sugar helps to create the signature crinkles in the cookie.

Quick tips:

  • Before rolling the dough into balls, chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. This will give you a firmer consistency that’s easier to work with.
  • Plus, if the weather is humid and warm, lightly coat the cookie balls with granulated sugar before dunking them into powdered/confectioner’s sugar. This will help keep the sugar from melting, ensuring your cookies look and taste perfect every time!

Step 7 Bake!

Carefully place the balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between them. It makes sure the cookies have enough room to spread.

Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and the centers look soft. The edges will set, but don’t worry if the cookie looks a little undone in the middle—that’s exactly what we’re going for! Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

How to store ube crinkle cookies

1 When storing ube crinkle cookies, the best option is in an airtight container at room temperature. This will ensure the cookies stay soft and chewy for three days.

2 If you want to freeze the baked cookies, place them between parchment paper sheets in a resealable bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.

3 To freeze unbaked cookie dough, shape them into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

4 When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and then roll in the confectioner’s sugar before baking according to the recipe.

If you want to save your ube crinkles cookie dough for later, freezing them is a great way to keep them fresh. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1 

Using an ice cream scooper or a spoon, form the cookie dough into individual balls and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Do not roll the dough balls in the powdered sugar before freezing them.

EXtra Tip:

If you plan to freeze your ube crinkle cookie dough, it is best to avoid coating it in confectioners sugar. The science behind this is that the freezer’s environment will cause moisture from the confectioner’s sugar to accumulate within the dough and create a soggy texture when the cookies are baked. This can ruin your cookies’ chewy, crackled texture and make for an unpleasant eating experience. It’s best to add the confectioner’s sugar right before baking. This ensures that each cookie has its sweet, crispy crust without compromising texture or quality!

Step 2 

Securely cover the baking tray with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer for 60 minutes or until the cookie dough balls are frozen. Afterward, transfer them to a sealed container or a zip-top bag and freeze them for three months.

Step 3 

Once the oven is preheated, it’s time to start baking! Take each cookie dough ball from the sheet pan and roll them in the confectioners’ sugar. This adds a sweet, crunchy exterior with a chewy soft center. Place each ball back onto the sheet pan spaced out to allow room for spreading. Bake for 8 minutes or until the edges have set, but the centers are still soft. Enjoy your freshly baked cookies!

Ingredient tips:

1 Sifting confectioners’ sugar before adding it to a recipe is essential for creating a smooth and creamy texture. When baking, I always take the extra step of sifting my confectioners’ sugar to ensure the finished product is as delicious as possible. This simple technique helps me achieve perfect results every time!

However, when it comes to these ube crinkle cookies, I don’t bother sifting the confectioners’ sugar. The lumps of confectioners’ sugar help coat the cookie more evenly and give it an eye-catching crinkly texture after baking – no sifting required!

Why is that?

Well, believe it or not, the lumps help to create a more even coating for your cookies. Plus, when these lumps break up in the oven, they create some beautiful crinkles that give your cookies an interesting texture – of course, make them look amazing! So don’t bother sifting your confectioners’ sugar for these cookies – it’s unnecessary, and you’ll be rewarded with an even coating and some delicious crinkle texture!

2 These cookies come out looking perfectly crinkly – as I want them! I like to use a spoon to sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar on each cookie dough ball. I make sure to be generous – no skimping here! It’s crucial to ensure that no purple spots show through the sugar. Otherwise, they won’t look as pretty when they come out of the oven. I also consider that the cookies will absorb some of the sugar as they bake, so I make sure to be extra generous with the coating.

Bonus tip: it helps to place a sheet of wax paper beneath the cookie dough balls while you coat them with sugar. This saves a lot of time on the cleanup afterward! Enjoy your perfectly crinkly cookies!

For those unfamiliar, ube crinkle cookies are a delicious Southeast Asian variation on the classic crinkle cookie. They’re made with ube extract and jam for a vibrant purple color and a subtle pistachio-vanilla flavor. Combining the two ingredients gives these cookies an amazing flavor that will tingle your taste buds!

Ube Crinkles Cookie Recipe

Ube crinkles are a classic Filipino cookie that bursts with Ube flavor. These soft, moist cookies are great for coffee and are easy to make!
Print Pin
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: ube crinkle cookies, ube crinkles
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar

Wet ingredients:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup ube jam (or ube halaya)
  • 1 tsp ube flavoring
  • 1 tsp ube extract

Coating:

  • 1 cup confectioner sugar

Instructions

Prep the dry ingredients.

  • In a bowl, assemble the team of dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix them until well combined. Then sift the mixture into another bowl to ensure all the clumps are gone.

Prep the dough.

  • In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until it’s well combined with the butter mixture. This creates air pockets in the dough, resulting in a more tender and lighter cookie.

Mix the wet with dry ingredients.

  • After that, add in the ube jam and ube extract flavoring. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing with a spatula or an electric mixer with a dough attachment. The dough will be sticky at this stage, but don’t worry—it’s supposed to be that way!

Color it purple (optional).

  • To give your ube crinkle cookies a deep purple color, gently knead in some violet food coloring. I love the hint of color, which makes them look even more beautiful!

Chill!

  • Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Why do you need to chill? This step is vital for those beautiful crinkles! It firms up the dough, so it’s easier to work with and keeps the cookies from spreading too much when baking.

Roll out the dough.

  • Once your dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F. Using a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) ice cream scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls and coat it with powdered sugar. After scooping the dough balls, I place them into a shallow bowl of confectioners’ sugar which helps to keep my hands from getting too sticky.

Bake!

  • Carefully place the balls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving some space between them. It makes sure the cookies have enough room to spread.
    Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown and the centers look soft. The edges will set, but don’t worry if the cookie looks a little undone in the middle—that’s exactly what we’re going for! Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

How to store ube crinkle cookies

1. When storing ube crinkle cookies, the best option is in an airtight container at room temperature. This will ensure the cookies stay soft and chewy for three days.
2. If you want to freeze the baked cookies, place them between parchment paper sheets in a resealable bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
3. To freeze unbaked cookie dough, shape them into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
4. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and then roll in the confectioner’s sugar before baking according to the recipe.

Also known as “ube” to Filipinos, purple yam has rougher, darker skin. They also grow from a vine above ground. This yam is one of the important sources of food and livelihood in the Philippines.

Ube Crinkles cookie

It is often used in making native desserts. If you have a Filipino grocery store in your area, you might be able to acquire purple yam.

Ube Crinkles cookie

Sweets in the Philippines, such as “halo-halo”, “sorbetes”, or “pastillas”, are incomplete without ”ube.” That is why every Filipino version of various desserts has purple yams.

Ice cream, mooncakes, pies, and even candy bars all have purple yam versions in the Philippines. It seems like the flavor of this yam is part of every Filipino child’s memory growing up.

When you know it has “ube,” it is definitely a special dessert.

Ube Crinkles cookie

A native of the Philippines, the purple yam (Dioscorea alata) is a unique rope with bright purple coloration. Purple yam is already starchy and bright purple. It doesn’t need a lot of treatment as an ingredient.

Add a few simple ingredients and transform them into “ube” jam. I remember a Fil-Am friend of mine. She said that her grandmother always brought “ube jalea” whenever she visited for Christmas.

It’s a special dessert during important occasions back in the Philippines. The holidays, weddings, christenings, and reunions always have purple yams there.

Ube Crinkles cookie

“Ube jalea” is always made with a huge cast iron wok or a “kawa” over direct flames. As the “ube” cooks, coconut and condensed milk are added. It involves vigilant stirring and folding.

This constant movement is necessary so the condensed milk will thicken without burning. Once the sweet, purple paste is thick enough, it is placed in containers to cool.

Jars are good if you want to give them as preserves. If you want it to cool more quickly for the ongoing feast, place it in shallow bowls or large platters.

Ube crinkles

Many bakeshops and pastry shops in the United States now include purple baked goodies on their list of products. Thanks to their access to purple yams, more people are now appreciating the delicious flavor of this root crop.

I have Filipino friends, and they have introduced me to the purple yam a few times. They made me taste “ube” in the form of “halaya” or a thick, creamy, sweet purple yam jam.

We usually just ate it right out of the jar with spoons.

Since it’s the holiday season, colors abound in decorations and food. I always made colorful cookies for my family and friends.

This year, I decided to change things up and went with purple. When I made a batch of my soft, “ube” crinkles, I noted the following techniques to make the process smoother.

Quick Tips:

  • Cool the purple dough before scooping and rolling them in powdered sugar. This makes it more workable.
  • Oil your ice cream scoop if you are using one.
  • Oil your hands if you plan to be more tactile in shaping them before rolling them in powdered sugar.
  • Make sure to arrange them about an inch apart on the prepared baking tray.

Here is my easy recipe for ube crinkle cookies. I hope it adds more sweet holiday magic to your gatherings at the year’s end.

1 To make the ube crinkles, we start by mixing all the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.

Whether you want to sift it or dry whisk it, it’s all up to you. For this recipe, I dry whisked. Worked for me.

2 In a mixing bowl, cream together sugars (white and brown) and butter until light and fluffy.

Ube crinkle cookies

3 Mix the ingredients. Beat in the egg and mix well.

4 Now for the fun part – add in the Ube!!! Both the jam and the flavoring.

Mix well until the batter looks like this.
Ube Crinkles

5 Now, add the dry ingredients. Cover the crinkle cookie dough with cling wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator. I chilled mine overnight, but the four hours will do if you can’t wait.

Ube Cookies

6 Cover with powdered sugar. Ohhh!!! Another fun part! Place the powdered sugar in a medium-sized bowl. There will be lumps in the sugar, but it really doesn’t matter. We’ll just be using it as a coat.

7 Now, get the dough from the ref and get an ice cream scooper. I used a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) sized scoop. I like small cookies; they’re pretty nice.

8 Roll the dough into a ball and coat it with powdered sugar. Place them on the cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake for 7 minutes at 350F.

Ube crinkle cookies

You can make approximately 76 yummy ube cookies from this recipe.

The finished product. That bright ube color? I love it!

Ube crinkles

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about 30 minutes before transferring them to the cooling rack or your tummy. Your cooling rack or your tummy? Your choice.

Ube Crinkles Recipe

Cook Time: 7 minutes
Yield: 36 cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup ube jam / halaya (I used Ube Jam from Mountain Maid Training Center)
  • 1 teaspoon ube flavoring (I used the McCormick Ube Flavor)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Assemble team dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
  3. Add in ube jam and ube flavoring, then gradually add in the dry ingredients.
  4. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
  5. Using a .25 oz (1 ½ teaspoon) ice cream scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls and coat it with powdered sugar.
  6. Bake at 350F for 7 minutes or until done.

Notes

Cookies are okay to store at room temp for a week.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

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This easy carrot cupcakes recipe is simply amazing! Pair the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and you’ll definitely have a keeper!

I know, I know. Almost all the recipes that are in my Aunty Fely’s old merit notebook are amazing. I simply can’t choose which one is my favorite. Including this recipe.

carrot cake cupcakes
carrot cake cupcakes

In her notebook, the recipe is actually for a cake but this time I made it into cupcakes and I’m telling you, this is simply divine.

I’ve actually posted this recipe here on my blog before but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to count how much it makes (plus I wanted to have new nicer pictures to go with the recipes) so indulge me as I am re-doing it again.

Some carrot cake (or cupcake) recipes call for raisins, some even pineapple chunks but this recipe is pure, simple and basic. It’s just carrots, cinnamon, and cream cheese.

All good stuff that has endeared us to the classic that is the carrot cake. Did I mention, it’s moist, not too sweet and all around carrot-y?

carrot cake cupcakes
carrot cake cupcakes

Here’s how to make it

To start off making this Easy Carrot Cupcakes Recipe.

① Sift or dry whisk Team Dry Ingredients together, flour (I used all purpose flour for this one but cake flour is okay, too), baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

② Now, the next would be an optional step but if you don’t want the cashews sinking into the bottom of the cupcakes, then you are welcome to do this extra step.

③ Scoop out a teaspoon from the sifted dry ingredients and cover the chopped cashews with this. Set aside the cashews as well.

Carrot cake cupcakes
Add egg one at a time

④ In a bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well combined.

⑤ Add the eggs one at a time. Make sure the egg added was well combined before adding another egg.

⑥ Add Team Dry Ingredients in three batches. Make sure to just barely mix until just it’s just combined into the batter.

⑦ Fold in the grated carrots.

Carrot cake cupcakes
Fold in the Carrots

The chopped cashews. Another *optional* but totally required for me. Just toast the nuts first before using it in the recipe to give them a nuttier flavor.

⑧ Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners, the batter will make 30 cupcakes. Fill each 3oz sized cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter.

⑨ Bake at 350 F for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature.

For Frosting:

① To make the frosting, mix together cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract.

Carrot Cake cupcakes
Mix Cream cheese and powdered sugar

② In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff.

③ Fold the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture.

④ Pipe the frosting into the cupcakes. The frosting is enough to generously frost 30 carrot cupcakes. Enjoy!

PS: I topped these carrot cupcakes with fondant carrots. I’ll show you how I make it soon. 🙂

carrot cake cupcakes
Pipe the Frosting in the cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1 ½ cups canola oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • ½ chopped cashew nuts

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup cream cheese
  • 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ cup whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
carrot cake cupcakes
Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Instructions:

  1. Sift or dry whisk Team Dry Ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt). Set aside.
  2. (this is optional) Scoop out 1 tsp from Team Dry Ingredients and sprinkle it into the chopped nuts. Also set aside.
  3. In a bowl, mix together oil and sugar.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time.
  5. Add the dry ingredients in three batches.
  6. Mix in the grated carrots.
  7. Fold in the cashew nuts. (Optional) Toast the nuts first before using them to give them a nuttier flavor.
  8. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners, the batter will make 30 cupcakes. Fill each 3oz sized cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter.
  9. Bake at 350 F for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature.
  10. To make the frosting, mix together cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar.
  11. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture.
  12. Pipe the frosting into the cupcakes.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Ube Macapuno Cake Recipe

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Here’s a great recipe for the classic Ube Macapuno Cake. Light, fluffy with a good “ube” flavor in every bite.

When I posted this Ube Cake Recipe some time ago, some of you asked me if I have a recipe for the same cake but this time using the ube powder.

Ube Cake
Ube Macapuno Cake

The cake I made before used Ube Halaya which depending on where you are, may be hard to come by.

Hmmm… perhaps ube powder is more easily accessible to most of you (than Ube Halaya) so I tried experimenting with baking an Ube Cake using Ube Powder.

And wow, it was so good and moist, and I think even better than the one using Ube Halaya.

Ube Cake
Ube Macapuno Cake

Most of the Ube Cake recipes you can find are recipes for chiffon cakes. This one is different. It’s easier to make with ingredients you can easily find in your area.

This cake results in a moist, light and fluffy with a great ube flavor in every bite. Coupled with a topping of macapuno, this cake is surely any ube lovers dream come true.

I bought ube powder when I went to the Asian market, and I was saving it for the time I’ll try out the ube recipes with ube powder.

The ube powder I used is the unsweetened variety. For this recipe, make sure not to use the sweetened one that is being used for shakes.

So, making a marvelous Ube Macapuno Cake has to start somewhere, right?

Ube Cake
Ube Macapuno Cake

Prepare the Wet and Dry Ingredients:

Here’s how. First, we’ve got to prepare Team Dry Ingredients (TDI) and Team Wet Ingredients (TWI).

Sift together TDI – flour, baking powder, baking soda, ube powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, mix together TWI – milk, yogurt, and ube flavor powder. For the flour, in case you don’t have all purpose flour, you can use cake flour instead.

For the milk, I used fresh milk but you can substitute it with evaporated milk or full cream milk but not low fat milk.

Yogurt can be substituted with sour cream or Yakult. Set both TDI and TWI aside.

For Ube Cake Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ½ cup ube powder (unsweetened) available in Asian stores
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup yogurt
  • 4 tsp ube flavoring (like McCormick) available in Asian stores

the Frosting:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tsp ube flavoring
  • ⅓ cup macapuno (preserved coconut for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  2. Sift together all the dry ingredients, flour, ube powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, Team Dry Ingredients (TDI). Set aside.
  3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs one at a time.
  4. Mix together the yogurt, milk and ube flavor, Team Wet Ingredients.
  5. Add in one third of the dry ingredients and then add in one half of the wet ingredients.
  6. Repeat step 5 untill all our combined. Just barely mix, until you cannot see streaks of flour in the batter.
  7. Pour into two lined 6-inch pans and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Make sure to tap the pans used to release air bubbles before baking. Let it cool.
  8. To make the frosting, mix together butter, ube flavor and butter. Sift the powdered sugar and add to the butter mixture slowly. Mix until smooth.
  9. To assemble, cool cakes first. Divide the cake into four layers. For every layer, add ⅓ cup frosting in between. Cover the cake with frosting and top with macapuno.

Directions:

① Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

Ube Cake Recipe
Cream the butter and sugar

② Add one-third of TDI (Team Dry Ingredients). Add one half of TWI (Team Wet Ingredients).

③ Add another third of TDI then half of TWI and lastly, add the rest of TDI. Mix together until just barely combined.

Ube Macapuno Cake
Mix Together

④ Line two six inch pans with parchment paper. Pour equal amounts of the ube cake batter into the two pans and bake at 350F for 40-45 mins or until done.

⑤ To make the frosting, mix together butter & ube flavor. Sift the powdered sugar and add to the butter mixture slowly. Mix until smooth.

Ube Cake Recipe
Mix the butter, ube flavoring and add the powdered sugar

To Assemble:

① To assemble, divide the cakes into two layers (about 1 inch each or thicker if you want). Place the first layer in a pretty cake plate. Or a serving plate.

Ube Cake Recipe
Cut the Ube Cake into a layer

② Place it in a pretty cake plate. Or a serving plate. And spread evenly. Continue until all layers are beautifully stacked up.

③ Cover the cake with ube frosting generously. I know, I still need to work on my frosting covering skills.

④ Pipe the edges with frosting and top with macapuno.

Ube Macapuno Cake
Pipe edges with frosting

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Sans Rival Cupcake

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Sans Rival, crisp cashew filled meringue layers, layered with smooth, light and not-too-sweet buttery icing, heavily sprinkled with cashew nuts.

Sans Rival Cupcakes
Sans Rival Cupcakes

No, we’re not talking about Sans Rival Cake, we already made it here. We’ll be talking about its mini-me version, the Sans Rival Cupcake.

Sans Rival
Sans Rival Cupcakes

Have you heard about the French Dacquoise? Yes, this Sans Rival is very much like that but this version is more chewy and crisp.

To those who are not familiar with Dacquoise, it is a crisp meringue made with finely chopped cashew nuts and folded into the mixture before baking.

Then, you piped into shapes and baked in a low-temperature oven until crisp and layered with buttercream.

Sans Rival Cake
Sans Rival Cupcake

Thank heavens you have dropped by the Bake Happy blog today because you are all in for a treat, we’re going to Sans Rival Land today, and once you’ve tasted these cupcakes, you are no longer missing one half of your life.

Want to see how the inside looks like? Creamy icing, layers of crisp meringues, loads of nuts. It’s like all you have ever dreamed of and more.

Sans Rival Cupcake
Sans Rival Cupcake

I always crave for sans rival for my birthday, so I made a Sans Rival cake made of layers of cashew studded meringue with the most buttery of all buttercreams.

Though I could hear my waist screaming, I can’t hear it for now. This super-rich cake will be a perfect cake to welcome more cellulite.

Sans Rival Cake
Sans Rival Cake 

Are you ready to make some?

For the Meringue Ingredients:

  • ⅔ cup ground almonds
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup egg whites
  • 1 tsp egg white powder (optional)
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • ⅔ cup+ 2 tablespoons sugar
  • ⅔ cup chopped cashew nuts
  • ¼ cup flour

Directions:

① Let’s start by placing ⅔ cup egg whites in a bowl, egg white powder (available in your friendly local baking suppliers stores) and cream of tartar.

Egg Whites + Cream of Tartar

② Get your trusty old (or new) mixer and mix the egg whites in high speed. Once it’s foamy (or frothy), like below, add 2 tablespoons sugar.

③ Once soft peaks form, add in the ⅔ cup sugar gradually. Mix until stiff peaks form. How do you know if you’ve achieved stiff peaks? Turn it upside down (some even turn it upside down over their head). If nothing falls off, you’re good to go to the next step.

Sans Rival Cupcakes
Stiff peaks form

④ Combine ¼ cup sugar and almond meal. Almond meal is the same as almond flour which is the same as ground almonds.

⑤ Fold it into the egg whites. Combine flour and chopped cashews. Essentially we coat the cashews in flour to make sure the cashews won’t settle on the bottom of the batter.

Sans Rival Cupcakes
Combine the Almond Flour

⑥ Fold it to the batter like we do the almond meal. Ta-daaahh!!! Sans Rival batter is now ready to be piped.

⑦ Now, go get some cookie sheets and line it with parchment paper. I used a round cookie cutter that’s two inch in diameter and traced circles in the parchment paper. Turn it over so the pencil markings won’t get on the cookie.

Pipe Circles on the Parchment Paper

⑧ Using a piping bag with a large round tip, pipe circles on the parchment paper. Place your piping tip just ¾ inch above parchment paper and press until the batter reaches the lines of the circle then release.

⑨ Flatten the cookie so you’ll have pretty meringues but this is totally optional.

sans rival
Bake the mixture at 225 F

⑩ You will make around 60 cookies from this recipe. Bake them at 225F for 45 minutes or until the meringue dries out.

⑪ Or alternately, you can pipe them on cupcake cups but make sure to place cupcake liners so you can easily remove them. Either way works fine.

For the ButterCream

Sans Rival Icing
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • 14 egg yolks
  • 2 ½ cups unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cup chopped cashew nuts (for decoration)

Now, this is where I get nervous, this is where the recipe went wrong the first time I made this Sans Rival Cupcake Recipe.

Directions:

① Separate some eggs and place 14 eggs yolks in a bowl. (What 14?! Yes, we need this much because this Sans Rival Cupcake Recipe needs more icing than the usual Sans Rival Cake.)

But you’re welcome to reduce it to half or ¾. It’s just that the proportion is just enough to pipe and decorate 20 cupcakes.

Sans Rival
Egg Yolks

② Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Let it boil. Make sure to have a candy thermometer on hand as we need this to make the icing.

③ Once the thermometer reaches 220F, start mixing the egg yolks at a high speed. This is very critical, once the sugar mixture reached 240 F, pour it over the egg yolks (with the mixer still on, okay?) in a stream (like water in a faucet). Mix well.

Candy Thermometer reaches 220 F

④ Once mixed well, turn off the mixer and let the icing cool. I actually just put the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes or so until it’s slightly cool. This is very important. You don’t want to add butter to a hot egg yolk mixture or the world will end. Just kidding, icing might just not come together properly.

⑤ Once it’s cooled down, now’s the time to add the butter. Add it in small batches.

Sans Rival Cupcake
Fluffy, Creamy Buttercream

⑥ Beat the icing until smooth, creamy and fluffy. There will be a phase where everything seems not to mix readily. Not to worry, this will pass.

⑦ It will be ready once the icing is really smooth. And by the way, I give you permission to lick the sides of the bowl. Enjoy!

To Assemble:

① To assemble, I used candy cups. Place cookies on the base. Cover it with icing and then nuts.

Sans Rival
Assemble the Meringue in Candy Cups

② Then add another layer of cookie… then icing, then nuts.

③ When you add the third cookie, you must have reached the top.

④ You can now play around with the design of the cupcake. I covered it icing with a flat finish.

Sans Rival
Covered with Icing 

⑤ I don’t actually have a description for this photo. I just love looking at it and I want to post the picture because I find it pretty. I hope you do, too.

⑥ Now, add chopped nuts to the sides. On top, I piped a shell border and finished it with a cashew nut topping.

Sans Rival
Add Chopped Cashew Nuts on the Side

There you have it, Sans Rival Cupcakes! I actually find making this Sans Rival Cupcake Recipe quite challenging but the result is oh sooooo worth it! This recipe is a keeper. You can take my word for it. Pinky swear.

Now all you have to do is sip your tea and nibble on these cupcakes. Enjoy!

Tiramisu Cupcakes Recipes

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I have to say, this is the first time Tiramisu made an appearance here on my blog. It really didn’t tickle my fancy. Nope, not one tiny bit.
And now I feel the need to explain.

I love tiramisu (who doesn’t?)
Especially in cupcake form.
Irresistible.
Totally.

Tiramisu Cupcake
Tiramisu Cupcake 

A long time ago, I was this lady who could barely look at tiramisu to someone who bakes and eats like crazy. This is one of my favorites dessert and trust me, I love trying new things.

To resemble the coffee-soaked ladyfingers, brush the coffee/Marsala syrup on the warm cupcakes. This way the syrup will be absorbed effortlessly by the cupcakes with just a perfect amount.

Tiramisu Cupcake
Tiramisu Cupcake 

Tiramisu Cupcakes

Adapted from: Martha Stewart
Yield: 18 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
  • 1 ¼ cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
  • 3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Coffee-Marsala Syrup

  • ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee
  • 1 ounce Marsala (can be bought at liquor stores)
  • ¼ cup sugar

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

For the Cupcakes:

① Sift or dry whisk cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk just until bubbles appears around the edge add in butter until melted. Let milk mixture cool.

Tiramisu Cupcakes
Add the butter

② Set a mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water. With an electric mixer, mix eggs, yolks, and sugar until just sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth (no grainy texture felt) and warm which is about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat.

③ With an electric mixer, whisk until mixture is fluffy, thick and is pale yellow. Fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches.

Tiramisu Cupcake

④ Stir ½ cup of the batter into the milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

⑤ Bake until golden brown, about 15-18 minutes at 325F.

Tiramisu Cupcake

For the Coffee-Marsala Syrup

① To make the Coffee-Marsala Syrup, combine all ingredients together until sugar is dissolved.
② Brush the cupcakes with syrup while still warm. Let them cool.

For the Frosting:

① Whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
② In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

Tiramisu Cupcake

③ Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until well combined. Use immediately.

④ Pipe frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle cocoa on top for extra chocolate-y goodness and enjoy.

Tiramisu Cupcake

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Easy Tiramisu Cake

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This super easy Tiramisu Cake is made of an Italian Sponge Cake sodden with coffee/Marsala dipping mixture, layered with creamy Tiramisu cream, and dusted with cocoa powder. Just like classic tiramisu in cake form!

Aside from cupcakes, I have another obsession.
I love tiramisu.
But I guess you know that already, don’t you?

It’s the only dessert that I like that’s not overly sweet. The tangy flavor of the mascarpone cheese and the rich taste of espresso complement the sweet essence of Kahlua and Marsala.

Easy Tiramisu Cake
Easy Tiramisu Cake

I love tiramisu. If I can eat it every day, I would.

But I already said that of mint and chocolates, didn’t I? I guess there are a lot of sweet treats I can eat every day, tee hee!

Since this is a re-cake, I tried to make it differently from the tiramisu I made before.

This time, I used Italian Sponge Cake from scratch and pulled out all the stops by generously adding Kahlua and Marsala wine for the much needed “pick me up”.

First, the Italian sponge cake must be made, cut up into three layers, then I proceeded using Megan’s Tiramisu recipe, substituting the ladyfingers with the sponge cake.

Best Tiramisu Cake Recipe

Italian Sponge Cake

**NOTE: You Can Use this Sponge Cake Instead of LadyFingers, but if you have ladyfingers available, disregard this recipe.

Adapted from The Golden Book of Desserts

  • 1 cup (150g) cake flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 1 ¼ cups (250 g) sugar
  • ½ vanilla pod

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Butter a 10-inch springform pan, line with parchment paper.
  3. Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl.
  4. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Split vanilla pod into two, scrape beans and add to the egg-sugar mixture.
  5. Beat egg yolks, sugar and vanilla beans with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and very thick.
  6. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
  7. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture. Carefully fold in the beaten whites.
  8. Working quickly, spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
  9. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until springy to touch and the cake shrinks from the pan sides.
  10. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen and remove the pan sides. Invert the cake onto the rack. Loosen and remove the pan bottom.
  11. Carefully remove the paper. Turn the cake top-side up and let it cool completely.

how to make Tiramisu Cake

Tiramisu Cake Ingredients:

  • 8 large eggs yolks (or 9 smaller yolks)
  • ½ cup Caster Sugar + 2 tbsp (Caster sugar is like a fine white sugar)
  • 1½ cups Marsala Wine – Creamy
  • 750g Mascarpone Cheese
  • 500ml Cream
  • 2 cups strong Espresso Coffee
  • 3 tbsp Kahlua (or other liqueur that you like)
  • 2 packets Savoiardi Sponge Finger Biscuits (or use the Italian Sponge Cake – recipe above)
  • Cocoa Powder
  • Large Lasagna Dish

Note: Cups used are metric – 250ml. The tablespoon is 15ml.

Prepare the Zabaglione:

Read: /ˌzäbəlˈyōnē/ – an Italian dessert made of whipped and heated egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine served hot or cold.

  1. Whisk the egg yolks and ½ cup caster sugar together until pale and thick.
  2. Over simmering water in a double boiler slowly add ½ cup Marsala to the yolk/sugar mixture.
  3. Keep on stirring until it thickens like custard (this takes about 7-8 minutes).
  4. Set aside to cool and whisk it occasionally as it cools so it is thick and creamy.
  5. I have some cold water ready in the sink so I can dip the bowl in it and stop the cooking quickly once the zabaglione is ready.

Prepare the Tiramisu Cream:

  1. Stir (but do not beat) the mascarpone until well blended and smooth.
  2. Whip the cream until thick – just past the soft peak stage.
  3. Fold together the mascarpone, whipped cream and zabaglione one at a time (for example, add zabaglione to the mascarpone, and then add the cream to that mix).

A variation on this recipe keeps each of the three ingredients above separate and layers them up individually on top of the dipped biscuits. Try it both ways!

For Dipping Mixture:

  1. Mix together the coffee, 2 tbsp of caster sugar, 1 cup of Marsala wine and 3 tbsp of Kahlua.
  2. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Assembly:

  1. Dip Savoiardi sponge finger biscuits (or substitute with Italian Sponge Cake from recipe above) into the cooled dipping mixture until they are moist but not sodden and line the bottom of the dish with them.
  2. The time varies due to variation in the sponge fingers.
  3. Layer half of the Tiramisu Cream over the top of the biscuits.
  4. Repeat another layer of dipped Savoiardi biscuits and Tiramisu Cream.
  5. Bang the dish firmly to make the Tiramisu Cream settle into the gaps between the biscuits. Cover and chill overnight.
  6. Just before serving dust liberally with cocoa. If you want to be more lavish some grated chocolate is nice too.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

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When I was younger (make that way, way, waaay younger)… there were three things I thought were true –
Iced tea that has a frothy top has whipped cream on it. (I know, what was I thinking?!)

When the fruitcake recipe says to add orange rind, the white bitter part should be added also. I haven’t baked a fruitcake since.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

Chocolate Crinkles are cake crumbs rolled into flattened balls then coated with confectioner’s sugar. Oh, wait… now I know that is not true, I now know they are baked.

I first tasted crinkles at a canteen in high school and for a chocolate lover, every bite is chocolate cookie heaven. So when someone requested that I feature a Chocolate Crinkles recipe, I went straight to work at it. Want to see how it goes?

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

These Crinkle cookies are one my favorites and I’m so obsessed with it’s gooey, richly fudgy chocolate cookies. These are classic holiday favorite that is studded with mini chocolate chips and rolled in powdered sugar! Who can resist that?

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

① Combine cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil a bowl. Mix well.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Combine the ingredients

② Add in eggs one at a time. Then stir in the vanilla.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

③ Sift together all dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, and salt then add to the cocoa mixture.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

④ The dough will still be soft at this stage. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate for four hours.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

⑤ Use a 1.5 oz ice cream scoop to roll the dough into balls then coat it with confectioner’s sugar before baking at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. Remember not to overbake so the cookies will still be chewy.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookie
Chocolate Crinkle Cookie

These Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are super easy and you can make them right at this very moment and nibble on them for the next few days. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

I so love the gooey, soft inside while the outside is slightly crispy coated with a layer of confectioner sugar. Ahhh.. what a bliss!

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Oreo Cupcakes

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A word from me to you – it never hurts to count the things you are thankful for. Even if they are just the simplest of things.

So let’s start Monday with the simple things we all are thankful for.

Oreo Cupcakes. Because… who doesn’t love Oreos? If ever I get locked in at home (that can totally happen), I’m sure I can survive on Oreos for 72 hours until I get rescued.

And if I happen to have flour, sugar, eggs and all my magical baking ingredients, I can whip up an Oreos variation. Oreo Cupcakes anyone?

Being a nice person that I am, I will not let you wait so let’s get on with the show. Let’s sift together all the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. From here on, we call these Team Dry Ingredients. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs one at a time.

Mix together the yogurt, milk and vanilla extract. From here on we call these Team Wet Ingredients. Add in one third of Team Dry Ingredients.

And then add in one half of Team Wet Ingredients.

Repeat until all are combined. Just barely mix, until you cannot see streaks of flour in the batter.

Fold in crushed Oreos.

Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners, the batter will make 16 cupcakes.

Fill each 3oz sized cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golder brown. Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature.

Ingredients: For the cupcakes: 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt ½ cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs ½ cup milk ½ cup yogurt 2 tsp vanilla extract/1 vanilla bean 1 cup crushed Oreos For the frosting: 2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp milk ½ cup crushed Oreos 16 Oreos as toppers Instructions: Sift together all the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt – the dry ingredients.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs one at a time. Mix together the yogurt, milk and vanilla extract – the wet ingredients. Add in one-third of the dry ingredients and then add in one-half of the wet ingredients. Repeat step 4 until all our combined. Just barely mix, until you cannot see streaks of flour in the batter. Fold in crushed Oreos. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners, the batter will make 16 cupcakes. Fill each 3oz sized cupcake liners with ¼ cup batter. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature. To make the frosting, mix together butter, vanilla extract, and milk. Sift the powdered sugar and add to the butter mixture slowly. Fold in crushed Oreos. Pipe frosting into the cupcakes. Top with Oreos.