Custard lovers listen up. If you aren’t familiar, Filipino yema are the bite-sized sweet that require your attention.
These soft and slightly chewy custardy sweets are made with an appropriately concentrated ingredient: condensed milk. Cooked slowly with plenty of egg yolks, sugar, and a little butter they come together and can be formed into bite-sized balls, or to create little pyramid-shaped sweets that are unwrapped before eating.
Making yema is simple but there are a couple of points to keep in mind when you’re cooking. First, don’t cook the mixture too fast, keep the heat low or use a small burner to avoid curdling the egg yolks and creating a grainy texture.
The second is to try not to overcook it. If you notice the butter splitting from the mix then get it off the heat. You want the mix to just set enough to come away from the edges of the pan, no more or they will become firm and too chewy.
How to make yema
The ingredients list is not dissimilar to brigadeiros. Source: Camellia Aebischer
In a large bowl mix:
- 1 x 395g can sweetened condensed milk
- 6 egg yolks
- ¼ cup chopped roasted peanuts
Place a medium frying pan over medium-low heat and add:
- 30 g butter
Melt butter then add custard mixture, cook on low, stirring until the mix thickens and starts to come away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes.
Set aside to cool to touch, then using clean hands roll into 20-30 bite-sized balls. Coat the balls in caster sugar to decorate, then serve.
They’ll keep well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
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A delicious way to use leftover egg yolks Source: Camellia Aebischer
