Ube Halaya

It's almost Christmas! Yay! And so yesterday, I started preparing for our Noche Buena dinner, our first one here and my first time doing it all on my own! I opted to do the the dessert, a staple in my husband's hometown during the holidays (and also my favorite), ube halaya. I've never done it before. I remember  having this made at my Nanay's house for the town feast and my mom-in-law making it the past few Christmases back in San Diego. I knew it'll be tough for my arm, mixing for an hour or so. But I'm up for the challenge! :)

I've always loved mommy Lizelle's ube halaya, so I asked her for the measurements of the ingredients. It's been a while since I asked her those and I can't remember how the procedure went, so my Mama guided me the whole time I was cooking it through FaceTime. Thank God for technology :) 

My mom-in-law's recipe asks for a cup of sugar but I opted to go for just 3/4 of a cup. You can go ahead add more sugar if you want, if you prefer your ube a little sweeter. Here are the ingredients:

2 16oz package of frozen grated purple yam, thawed

2 cans of evaporated milk

1 can condensed milk

1 cup of grated cheese

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbsp butter

1 tbsp melted butter

My little bump peeking in this photo, saying Hi! :) 

Procedure:

Melt the butter in a wide, deep pan over medium heat.

 Once melted, pour in the condensed milk.

 Then carefully pour in 2 cans of evaporated milk.

 And mix them all together until well-combined.

 Add in the purple yam...

 Just look at these gorgeous colors :)

 Then in goes the sugar.

 Mix everything together until the sugar is dissolved, the ube is dispersed & everything is well-combined. 

  

Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, while stirring occasionally.

Once boiling, lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring regularly for 45 minutes to an hour. 

After a few minutes of stirring, it will start to thicken, like this :) Continue stirring until you reach your desired  consistency. 

 This looks just about right. If you prefer a richer consistency, continue to cook for a few more minutes.

 Add in the cheese...

 And mix it in until it is well-combined with the purple yam jam and completely melted.

And it's finally done! My arm didn't hurt as much for the husband subbed for me to do the mixing :) 

 Get your baking dish or llanera mold ready and coat them with butter.

 Spoon in the ube halaya into the dish and smoothen the top using a buttered spatula or spoon.

Brush the top with melted butter.

 Yummers!

 My husband and I finished this mini ramekin right there and then! 

Have fun making this and enjoy! Merry Christmas! :)

- C ♥