Impromptu Merienda at the Beach…

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Some good friends called us from Tagaytay to say they would be dropping by the beach for “tea” (read: merienda) about two hours later (with a couple of foreign guests in tow) so of we had to make sure there was something appropriate to serve despite the relatively short lead time. We only found an unopened pack of fresh broas in the kitchen and managed to make a classically de-lata sweet fruit salad with canned cream and some condensed milk(?!) so we sent off for some saba bananas and lumpia wrappers and prepared some turon as well…

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The turon were at the ready for frying as soon as the guests arrived.

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They were served together with a very thick dulce de leche, made with some condensed milk.

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The broas were perfect with tea or even some coffee or hot chocolate.

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The canned fruit salad brought guests back to childhood memories where their parents made a similar dish, some halfway around the world!

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And finally, I have yet to come across a foreign guest who doesn’t like banana turon, the addition of dulce de leche simply taking the experience a little bit over the top. Mission accomplished. :)

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40 Responses

  1. Delish! MM, what process did you use in making the dulce de leche? boiled the whole can in water? poured the contents of the can in non-stick pan then stir constantly? thank you. :)

  2. A simple yet delicious spread.. Teach us how to make dulce de leche please? Thanks! :))

  3. Yup even my chinese friends here say it’s genius!!! I told her turon is a common filipino merienda after our afternoon nap available in every corner of the street :)

  4. Dulce de leche, I never knew what that was called until now.

    Many years ago I was involved in cave exploration. We spent many hours underground, surveying passages and crawling through wet rivers. On trips of 10 hours or longer we always carried a can of cooked sweetened condensed milk for emergencies. If someone became exhausted, eating the can would give them a boost to finish the cave trip.

    We simply called it “Goosh”!

    We never had such an elegant presentation for our “meal” though. Usually we were sitting on rocks or in the mud, scraping the tasty mess out of the can with our fingers. MM, you are the HOST with the MOST!

    BTW 10-15 minutes in a pressure cooker will accomplish the same transformation.

  5. For the set it and forget it method, I just boil the submerged can for at least 2 hours. Some have done it by putting the milk in a pan in the oven. I like the boiling can coz no clean up and still has the same container. =) Brand matters. In the Phils, I used Milkmaid coz that makes for a thicker dulce de leche. It you want a less viscous consistency, Carnation will give you that. Also great with tikoy. =)

  6. They have this pastry specialty called Alvear in Buenos Aires which is simply a triple-decker sandwich of puff pastry filled with dulce de leche topped with whipped cream which my porteño dinner guide suggested I try. It’s just a spiffyfied version of the more commonplace cornstarch cookies filled with dulce de leche called alfajores. He then proceeded to order creme caramel topped with a scoop of dulce de leche. I got the impression it is a patriotic duty for them to push and consume dulce de leche.

  7. In the Mexican groceries here in the US, they sell Milkmaid Dulce de Leche – a little bit more expensive than regular condensed milk but at least you don’t have to go through the trouble of making one. It’s good to keep in the cupboard to satisfy a sudden craving for dulce de leche.

  8. Just yummy! MM, did you still put sugar in your turon or does the dulce de leche add enough sweetness?

  9. Cooking dulce de leche this way was how we did our yema when we were young. It was really good.

  10. another way of making dulce de leche is by using a pressure cooker. unopened can of condensed milk submerged in water, takes only 30 minutes in pressure cooker once it starts whistling. delish as frosting on plain yellow cake. add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to make it more spreadable.

  11. your wooden serving dish looks great. if i remember correctly it was custom made for you from a felled tree from your grandma’s garden? (not sure though)

  12. this is impromptu? :) i would love to be an unscheduled guest at your place. though we never run out of food we can serve to impromptu guests, i don’t think we have gone beyond a soda, plus some home made cake or ice cream that’s been just waiting for guests’ consumption :P

  13. I’ve never tried turon with dulce de leche before. We’ll have to give that a go one weekend or on get-together with friends. I love the long wooden serving plate.

  14. I have a vague recollection of older relatives “cooking” condensed milk right in the can. It must have been the way psychomom described it. Or maybe even without the pressure cooker..just submerge the can in boiling water for some time. Tama ba?

  15. HI everyone… 2 ways to make dulce de leche… put good milk in a pan and boil it down for hours, stirring constantly and adding sugar to your desired taste levels. This is the classic way. Or the shortcut way is to stick a can of good condensed milk (not filled) in a pan submerged in water and boil for 2.5 hours or so. Make sure can is always submerged, add water if necessary. Yes, the serving platter is made from a felled langka tree from my grandmothers back yard, hand-crafted by one of the crew.

  16. Hahhaa, so this is really how Dulce de Leche looks…I volunteer at a Food Bank through the church, and we get donations of various canned goods. As a helper, I get free food once in a while, and one time I got a can of “DulcedeLeche”, thinking it was condensed milk, I opened it to use for my coffee.. and when I saw it was'”light caramel color” I thought the milk was old and/or expired. I went ahead and throw it away. Now I now it was supposed to look that way… oh gosh, what a waste!

  17. Delicious and easy to prepare. I love “turon” especially with “langka” in it. Id love to learn more easy to prepare recipes.

  18. Hi MM. Would you know if it will hold until the expiration date of the milk in its original state? With it still in the can, should it be refrigerated or can it stay in the pantry? Thanks!