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jzanger
#1 Posted : Wednesday, March 16, 2011 9:57:52 AM(UTC)
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The other day I found a new product while shopping at an asian market, and I'm really excited to find new ways to use it.  It's called coconut jam, and it's a Filipino product (made by Quezon) which is a glorious and simple combination of coconut milk and muscovado sugar that is made into a sort of dulce de leche, however it's hard right out of the jar.  It's unbelievably good straight from the jar and spread on warm toast, but I'm having a hard time finding some other recipes which use it!  I just KNOW it could be a great baking ingredient and I plan on experimenting with it, but I wonder if any of you are familiar with this ingredient and have used it in any untraditional ways?


Filipino coconut jam is apparently different from other Southeast Asian versions of "coconut jam" or "coco jam".  Malaysian or Singaporean coconut jam is also called "kaya" and it is more of a curd because it's made with eggs.  This stuff isn't creamy like the Singaporean version and it has some sugar crystals which make it gritty, but it melts nicely.  It tastes like the essence of coconut balanced with the mineral sweetness of muscovado sugar.


This being an international group of food lovers, I have to believe that some of you out there are familiar with it!  Got any advice for me?  This is what I've come up with so far:


-add it to rice pudding or custard based sweet things


-spread on the crust of a tart before topping with fruit


-add to ganache or filling for sandwich cookies
AngelNewsi
#2 Posted : Wednesday, March 16, 2011 10:42:41 AM(UTC)
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That ingredient sounds soooo yummy!  I'll have to look for it next time I go to the local Asian market.  Thanks for the tip!


 


Bonnie
robm
#3 Posted : Wednesday, March 16, 2011 1:57:39 PM(UTC)
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I hadn't run into the Filipino coconut jam, but here in Kansas City I've seen the Malaysian version called "kaya." It's also very popular spread on toast, but it's actually a ringer for the Brazilian sweet called "baba de moça," which is eaten as a spoon sweet and also as a filling for cakes and pastries. The Filipino version sounds thicker and would probably be good in any dessert recipe calling for "dulce de leche." I love coconut, so it would probably delicious as a filling for alfajores, Argentine shortbread biscuits with dulce de leche sandwiched between two rounds of biscuit and then rolled in fine shredded coconut. In Argentina they also make mille-feuilles/Napoleons layered with dulce de leche, so this Filipino sweet would probably be wonderful used that way, too. Another use would be as a filling for dessert crêpes.
jzanger
#4 Posted : Wednesday, March 16, 2011 5:47:43 PM(UTC)
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Bonnie, it really is about as deliciously simple as a packaged product can get, I think.  Literally two ingredients, and you can really taste both.


robm, thanks for your great input!  I love the idea of using it in dessert crepes.  It would be great with any number of other add-ins too!  I've heard about but never eaten an alfajore, but I bet you're right that the extra coconut flavor would blend well.  The hurdle to get over with most of the ideas I can come up with is to make it into a caramel of sorts.  Right now it's a little reminiscent of maple candy or cold maple cream, if you've ever had that.  At room temp or from the fridge, you can actually scrape it off the top.  But when it hits your tongue, it melts.


I'd love to try it as a filling for sweet buns or pecan rolls, and I think the sugar would melt into the pastry nicely without having to fuss with making a caramel from the coconut jam.


I'm going to experiment with melting it into a small amount of hot coconut milk to see if I can melt the sugar crystals and make it jammy without diluting the flavor much.  If I can do that, there'll be endless possibilities.
robm
#5 Posted : Wednesday, March 16, 2011 6:34:34 PM(UTC)
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There should be plenty of recipes for alfajores around, as they're probably the most common Argentine cookie. They come in various sizes, some quite large, but I think the most practical are the small ones about 1 inch in diameter, which make good accompaniments to tea (also very popular in Argentina). The cookie is like a shortbread made with cornstarch. Two get sandwiched together with dulce de leche (or your coconut jam) and then the edges get rolled in very finely shredded coconut. Your idea of melting the product with some hot coconut milk sounds right on -- that should help melt the sugar crystals while maintaining a thick consistency. You might also have similar results just microwaving and stirring the jam itself. You may be on to something here -- this could be the base for a lot of tasty desserts that are also vegan/pareve!
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