February 24, 2008

Almond BucaJoy Is Lasang Pinoy

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bucayo squares, almond bucajoy, bucayo

I have always wanted to make dark chocolate coated Almond Joy candies at home and when I learned that the current Lasang Pinoy theme is coconut I immediately thought now is the perfect time to make them. The event is being hosted by Kai of bucaio and the name gave me the idea of filling the candies with bucayo instead of plain white coconuts. The candies are so delicious, I can eat them all day. I kept popping one in my mouth while photographing them. And for an interesting added flavor I toasted the shredded coconut in a 400 degree oven until it has turned dark brown and burnt at the top. This is called burnt coconut which I read about in Amy Besa's cookbook Memories of Philippine Kitchens. She writes "one of the most exciting discoveries of Filipino cooking techniques happened in Tiaong, Quezon" when she visited the potter/artist UGO BIGYAN who showed her how to prepare burnt coconut. He returns the freshly grated coconut back into the shell/husk and places a live coal on top to burn the coconut. The milk extracted from the burnt coconut gives a smoky barbecue flavor to any dish, dessert, or dipping sauce. I might try that in the summer and will make his suggestion of adding a little grated green mango and chiles before extracting the milk for a slightly tart, smoky flavor with a little bit of spice.
I made a second recipe of bucayo with plain grated coconut which is so good as pan de sal filling or to spread on toasts. Although the plain and burnt coconut bucayos are equally delicious, the burnt coconut is simply superb when paired with dark chocolate, they complement each other very well.

Almond BucaJoy




2 cups grated fresh coconut
2 cups packed dark brown sugar or 1 pair panocha
juice/water of 1 buco (young coconut), reserve 1 tablespoon
meat of 1 buco, cut into 1-inch strings
2 tablespoons cornstarch
toasted whole almonds
dark chocolate chips
  • Put the sugar and buco water in a medium non-stick sauce pan and boil on medium-high heat, uncovered, until sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the grated coconut and cook for 20 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with the reserved buco water and stir in thoroughly. Add the buco meat, stir cook until coconuts are completely coated with syrup. Continue to cook while stirring until very thick, about 10 -15 minutes.
  • Turn the heat off, transfer mixture into a shallow container and let cool for 10 minutes. Line an 8-inch square pan with plastic film. Transfer bucayo into the pan. Cover with another piece of film, press the mixture to compact evenly. Freeze for 1 hour. Remove from freezer and cut into 1-inch squares. Put one almond on top of each square, press slightly. Dip in tempered chocolate and let set on the counter.


bucayo squares for dessert or for snacking

Check out these coconut dishes and desserts from my archives:
Bicol Express
Laing
Maryland/Virginia Blue Crab
Coconut Leche Flan With Caramelized Macapuno
Guinatan Halo halo

11 comments:

Kai said...

Wow, what a gourmet entry! Sure elevates our lowly coconut to sophisticated heights. Can't wait to try this one, with the burnt coconut! And the burnt coconut gata, too!

Thanks for a great LP entry!

Sidney said...

Those are cooking lessons for experts!
Must be delicious!

Chibog in Chief said...

omg!!i love this oggi!! what a beautiful entry for LP!! i'll give you my address ..i'd love to receive them hahahaha :-)brilliant idea really!!

Oggi said...

Kai thanks for hosting the LP and for being the "inspiration" to make bucayo.:)

Sidney, it is delicious, quite addicting too!:)

Thanks Dhanggit. Please do!:D

raissa said...

Oh I love and miss bukayo. I can eat lots of it too hahaha. The simple bukayo got gourmet-fied hahaha. Thanks for sharing!

 gmirage said...

I Love Bukayo!!! lol. Do you remember that joke when you are supposed to press on your nose and say 'minatamisang niyog' you always end up ngongo, so you instead say 'bukayo!' haha.

 gmirage said...

Oh, and I finished the tag..sorry so late! Good day!

Oggi said...

raissa I didn't know the bucayo will be so good with chocolate and will probably not eat plain almond joy again!:)

gizelle that is so funny with the minatamisang niyog, I did not know that!
Oh goodie, will check it in a few.:)

Anonymous said...

Ooooh! Yummy! You have turned out such a great and clever entry! :) And thanks for passing on that burnt niyog info...sounds delicious!

Oggi said...

Joey, the burnt coconut enhanced the flavor of the bucayo, very good on toast too.
Although I think Amy Besa's cookbook is mediocre recipe-wise (I alter the seasonings to suit my taste), I still love it for the featured people and stories, which are very helpful in learning about Filipino cuisine.

maiylah said...

looks like heaven to me!!! :)

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