There’s no doubt that if you’re born and raised here in the Philippines, chances are you’ve heard about this delicious dessert called Maja Blanca.
It is very popular especially during special occasions like Christmas. It has quite become a staple to bring Maja Blanca whenever there are gatherings.
So we figured out, to make things even more special, why not make your own to bring to your loved ones? Or, just simply enjoy one at home even when it’s just a normal day!
In this article, you’ll be able to make your own maja blanca anytime you want! There will be tips on how to make it delicious and notes on some of the ingredients along the article so be sure to read on.
What is Maja Blanca?
There may be some variations when making maja blanca. But the common one is making it out of coconut milk, corn starch, and sugar, so this treat is creamy and sweet making it a perfect dessert after a good meal with your loved ones.
Despite having a name coming from a Spanish origin, it is a signature dessert here in the Philippines. It is the creation of mixed cultures, back when Spain had a strong influence on our food.
The dessert quickly became popular since it is actually easy to make and is simply irresistible. So even when there are no special occasions going on, you can find one usually in local stores or even in the streets.
Just thinking about its sweetness and creaminess makes you want to eat one, right? So let us go and make it right now. Don’t fret, it is truly easy to make!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Coconut Milk
Fresh coconut milk is the ideal ingredient in this recipe but you can always use substitutions for this since the availability of the ingredient can vary. A canned coconut milk would suffice. Be sure to use it in equal parts.
If you want to learn more about coconut milk or gata, see this article: Gata Vs Kakang Gata
Milk
To make the dish, use a combination of canned evaporated milk and condensed milk rather than regular milk. It’s important to use the “milk” variety of these products and not the “creamer” variety, such as Evaporada or Condensada, for best results.
Corn
We will be using canned corn for this recipe. Try to find the ones that is labeled ‘sweet cream corn’ or ‘cream-style sweet corn’.
Cheese
The recipe calls for processed cheddar cheese and some suggested brands are Eden, Cheezee, Danes, and Ques-O.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like sugar and cornstarch. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot- This will be the only cookware we will be using for the whole process. The mixing and the cooking of the ingredients is done on the same pot.
- Mixing Bowl- We’re going to use a small mixing bowl to make a cornstarch slurry before we add them together to the whole mixture.
- Containers- Right after cooking, we will be transferring the mixture into a container of your choice. You decide on the size and shape, just remember that this will also serve as a mold for the maja blanca.
How To Make Maja Blanca
To start off, let’s check our ingredients! We need: coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and sugar.
First thing to do with these is to mix them in a cooking pot, and boil it using low heat. Be sure to keep an eye while it is cooking, since coconut milk tends to splatter.
It is best to keep on stirring the mixture while waiting for it to boil. We have to use another ingredient which is a can of sweet kernel corn.
Once the milk is boiling, we can add these on to the pot and let it cook on low heat.
While the mixture is still cooking, we can proceed with diluting the cornstarch on a separate bowl. This is the key ingredient to achieving a thick and smooth delicious maja blanca.
What we need is the cornstarch and water. We now whisk the two until it is well-blended and then add it to the mixture in the cooking pot.
This mixture tends to get thick very quickly so it is a good idea to keep it cooking still on low heat and keep on stirring until a desirable thickness and texture is achieved.
The next step now is to transfer the entire mixture onto a tray, or onto individual bowls. Make sure to spread the entire mixture evenly to achieve a good balance in its taste and also to make it look appealing.
Wait for it to cool once this has been done. You can refrigerate it for about an hour to make things easier. That’s it, your maja blanca is done!
Cooking Tips
- To keep things a little bit simpler, we can opt to boil the coconut milk first, and then add the condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar, as well as the canned corn one after the other. Don’t forget to mix the ingredients well while doing this.
- To avoid ending up with a failed maja blanca, read this article: Why is My Maja Blanca Soft?
How To Serve Maja Blanca
Maja blanca is served as a dessert or a sweet snack. It is usually consumed at room temperature or chilled.
To make things even more delightful, you can add toppings to it. Your choice. You can add grated cheese, toasted grated coconut, or with latik.
How To Store Maja Blanca
To store, it is best practice to cover it and place inside a chiller. This will ensure your maja blanca last for at least 5 days.
Other Filipino Desserts
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Special Maja Blanca Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 3 cups coconut milk (gata)
- 2 cups cornstarch
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 big can (370 ml or 11.8 oz) evaporated milk
- 1 big can (310 or 10.5 oz ml) condensed milk
- 1 pc (425 g or 14.47) canned corn, we used sweet cream corn
- processed cheddar cheese, grated, (Eden/ Ques-o/ Cheezee)
Instructions
- In a cooking pot, mix together the coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and the white sugar.
- Apply low-medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add-in the canned corn and slowly bring to a boil.
- Dilute (mix) the 2 cups cornstarch in 2 cups water then add-in to the mixture.
- Continue to cook over low-medium heat and continue to stir until the mixture becomes thick.
- Transfer to container of choice and allow to cool.
- You may add grated cheese on top for a cheesy Maja Blanca! Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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