Bettyq, I hope you read this. On your behalf, and as a small thank you from me and several readers who have so enjoyed the many recipes you shared, I made a special trip tto the “factory” or kitchens of Michelle’s “homemade” putong ube in Mandaluyong this morning. You had asked me a question about what ingredients Michelle’s listed on their box, and as I had suspected, they list NONE of the ingredients. Philippine laws on disclosure on food products are obviously woefully inadequate, so to the best of my and my crew’s ability, here is our best guess, so you may experiment with putong ube further. First of all, let me say that I like Michelle’s a lot, and have consumed hundreds if not thousands of these little morsels of joy since they started their business in 1996. First at bazaars, then at mall outlets, and eventually I discovered their kitchens one day by chance, while shopping at Galileo Enoteca just around the corner…
A year or two ago, I got a good glimpse into the kitchen, and saw the huge steamers with inverted conical tops to catch the steam and let it drip down the sides, looking almost like a giant tagine of sorts… I tried to buy some putong ube today, but it seems someone had just come into the store minutes before me and purchased every single ube puto to take on a trip abroad! Every single one! So I bought a box of these putong queso instead, more to see what was written on the box than anything else… and there are no ingredients, but it does say “No Artificial Flavoring” and “No Preservatives”. It also says that the puto are “…prepared the TRADITIONAL WAY…. and are packed full of NATURAL GOODNESS.”
Apparently, they use soaked rice or galapong that is then ground up to a coarseness they prefer, then FRESH ube that is also ground is added to the mix (not sure if this is boiled first, but I suspect it is boiled first). However, I have a slight problem with this description of ingredients as ube is NOT always in season, so I have to suspect that there is some ube powder or frozen ube involved for the flavor. And if I am to believe the box, there is no artificial flavoring, but there probably has to be artificial coloring. I have worked with ube many, many times before and getting an ube puto this vibrant while mixed with white rice, coconut milk, etc. is quite incredible, if unbelievable… my guess? A touch of purple food coloring is thrown in. Of course coconut milk, sugar and other typical ingredients go into the recipe…but the result is a plump, moist, somewhat dense puto that is totally addictive. I could easily eat a small box like this one with 25 puto in one fell swoop. At PHP130 they are roughly PHP5 each, but delicious, and knowing how many times I have failed at my own puto experiments, something I don’t mind paying at all… Okay, bettyq, get to it and perfect that home made puto ube recipe… and let us know how it turns out, okay? :)
Michelle’s Putong Ube
Conrey Specialty Foods, Inc.
24 Libertad St.
Mandaluyong City
Tel. 531-2539 / 0917 823 7886
74 Responses
i love these mini puto’s. food memories of childhood indeed.
Have you ever tried making puto with lye water (lihiya)? Never made puto but I think it’s integral to the recipe.
Gerry, lye for cuchinta, not necessarily puto, I think.
where to find good puto in Cebu MM? I love it but have sworn off eating it for some years because I can only find the colored, too sweet, mushy versions in bakeshops.
MM, would like to share with you what is to our family the best puto in the country–it is made by the Soriano Family in Cagayan de Oro. You have to order this a day in advance and can be picked up only after 10am as it is made fresh with carabao’s milk only! It comes in a box of 50. I can finish 2 dozens in one sitting. If you care to try it, you can call Erwin & Mabel Soriano at 0917-7064714
I did a puto before and the success lies on getting the very basic ingredients right like the galapong as well as the right mix of ingredients . Hi MM, I wonder if a natural food coloring still counts as not artifical. I see products label them as natural food coloring. Well I guess if it nice I don’t mind consuming some of these artifical things…;)
Puto-making is such a mystery to me. I don’t even know what lye is! The only lye I know is the one used by criminals in the show CSI. I guess it’s a lot safer for me to buy ready-made puto :)
@Jun – What about Aspartame? I bought a juice drink that claims to have “all natural” ingredients but there’s a fine print at the bottom that listed Aspartame as one of the ingredients.
This my first time to leave a comment but I felt I need to just to make some corrections. I’m a food technologist and do work with such additives as food colors and food flavors. The putong ube has to be using artificial ube color. You will know this because of the vibrant violet color and the uniformity of the coloring in the product. There is nothing wrong with using artificial color so long as the usage in the product is within allowable limits. I guess for us consumers, we will know if there is too much coloring used when the color bleeds and is retained in your hands when you touch the product. There is no harm in using artificial colors provided usage is within safe levels. Those who use artificial colors in their products should be responsible citizens who should know the permitted levels of use. And, they should declare usage in their product labels.
Lye is really a chemical called NaOH or sodium hydroxide. It is not allowed because usage needs to be controlled. Has to be used in very small amounts. Higher amounts of use could be harmful to our bodies. But using them at higher amounts will not make the product acceptable so our old folks who use this in some of our native products like cuchinta use it sparingly. Hope I was of help.
remebaclig, thanks for that information. Actually, I am not completely opposed to artificial colors, I just wish people would disclose it. I have tried to make ube desserts before, and in my opinion, this puto has artificial color in it. But it enhances the look, and makes it attractive. After all, I eat M&M’s and other foods that are clearly colored… Mrs. G, lye is a chemical as remebaclig states… and if I amnot mistaken in the olden days, it was made from ash… Jun, I suppose if the color is purely derived from a natural source… but it is misleading to use food colorings without stating it… and it is our food labelling laws that fall short as well… chinky, thanks so much for that tip, do they deliver in Manila? ging, I found some (but heavily colored) on the roadside on the way up to the Plaza hotel, I did a post on it several months back… it wasn’t brilliant, but it was good value.
Ever since I first tasted Michelle’s Putong Ube at a bazaar, no other brand of ube puto satisfies me. Many years ago, Goldilock’s used to make a pretty good one, but it isn’t the same now. And even when it was at its best, it was never as good as Michelle’s, which I think uses the most amount of ube I’ve ever encountered. You can actually smell ube the moment you open the box, and there’s no mistaking the flavor of real ube in it. Like others have said, I could eat a whole bunch in a flash!
Aspartamane is derived from sugar hence the “natural” labeling. You folks out there addicted to artificial sweeteners, unless you are diabetic, please use real sugar which has not been proving harmful except for tooth decay. Studies are starting to show serious side effects with long term use of artificial sweeteners. Marketman, drink real coke.
where is Michelle´s puto available in Makati?
love michelle’s ube puto, one of the things we don’t have here in davao. i also love the calasiao puto sold in the roadside stands near white plains.
“Marketman, drink real coke”…..hahaha…. said like a true Ate.
For the sake of us living outside of the Philippines, I wonder what is the shelf life of this puto. Can they be frozen, pass by customs, fly overseas, pass another custom and finally consumed (a turnaround of at least 30 hrs.). Anybody tried this?
Love this puto, both the ube and queso.
MM, I smell christmas!!! I always get my fill of the Michelle’s putong ube when I go home for christmas….Happyman, i freeze the puto and bring it frozen. On arrival [only a 2 hour flight] i immediately put the puto [box and all] directly in the freezer. When I crave for some, i steam the frozen puto. I tried thawing it, not as acceptable as steaming directly from the freezer. The longest it lasted me was about 1 month, only because we finished it by then!
i love puto so much even as a child, but i really wonder why is it so complicated to make? i have tried a few recipes. some from the cookbooks and some are hand me downs and i think back in highschool we had to make “puto” for home economics, i remember coming home really late coz we had to cook/steam them at a classmate’s house.. recently a cpusing of mine sent me some puto molds, so i guess i’d better start using them, i’ll wait for bettyQ’s recipe, thanks in advance!
btw, MM listen to sister, drink real coke! ehehhe
I have to put in my 2 cents worth as we make mini ube puto every year as Xmas giveaways to special folks. We grow it in our lot too. If the ube tops are always the ones used to replant the next crop, the flesh gets whiter whithout affecting taste and texture. So we plant the the small “fruits” that hang from the vines. We brush away the soil then boil the ube and grate when cool. We’ve tried pureed and grated. The pureed has a more acceptable, smoother look, but the grated one really gives you the real feel of chunky bits albeit it looks lightly speckled. Definitely the Michelle ube puto has coloring. We have tried with and without coloring as well. It can look pretty yucky without it if the ube is pale, hehe. Ours is made without gata but fresh milk, melted butter, sugar, and (yes, i will admit) bibingka mix. When steaming the puto, do NOT open the steamer till about 15 minutes has passed or it will sink and fail to rise. I love it fresh and hot with good butter or our homemade pimiento. I have tried Michelle’s before (I live in Calbayog too) but was not able to appreciate it. I guess I miss the chunky bits, hehe. Of course, nothing beats the food/memories of our childhood. Oh, and we grease our molds with butter/margarine for easy removal.
Oh, my ,MM! GOOD MORNING !!!! What a nice way to wake up to!!! I didn’t think you would be so quick ! You must have a gazillion things on your agenda and I feel so HONORED that you would take the time to do this!!!!
Hmmmm…could it be MM they know what you are up to? You reach a million readers you know!!! Hours before one of your readers Pinky called to say that she has frozen Ube puto Michelle’s …for me to try, I have already gone to our Filipino store and lucky enough to buy a box…Can you believe I paid $13 for a box of 25 pcs. of ube puto? I could have easily just typed the ingredients in my memory bank but I wanted an actual puto as a basis of comparison.
As you say, there are no ingredients on the box, it boggles my mind, MM because THERE ARE INGREDIENTS AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE on the box that I bought…Now, my guess is if they are exporting this product, then they are required by law to list the ingredients.Could it be they have a different box for export? Because judging from the picture of the one you bought, it is not sealed…here the puto was inside this plastic sealed bag. That being said…law requires that ingredient list must contain the ingredients in order of importance? …ube being the main ingredient, water, sugar, then rice, milk and milk solids, baking powder, Wheat flour, and coloring.
So based on the ingredients above, here is what I came up with at 6 a.m. in the morning right after I checked what’s on your blog. The boys are still sleeping and lucky for me I have my taste testers before they go to school!…If not, then there are the neighbours! I have done 2 dozens so far and I think this last dozen still in the steamer is it! I don’t have those conical steamers so I improvised so that the steam will not fall on the puto….a trick I learned from Mang Pedring waaaaaaay back when!!!. After putting the baby muffin tins in steamer, I covered the top of the steamer with a clean towel befoe putting the lid on. Make sure there is steam going before putting the tins in the steamer. So you will not get steam burns, put the steamer rack on your counter first and put the baby muffin tins in and put the rack on top of the pot.
Oh, My, MMM: I just checked the puto and EUREKA!!!! I can’t believe I think I got it!!!!!!! OK, let me type this first before I forget what I’ve done…I used rice flour…1 cup, added 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup ube (I used powder dissolved in water ), 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp. baking powder, pinch of salt, 9 drops violet color (I used the gel kind), 2 drops red and 2 drops of the McCormick ube flavour, 1 tbsp. melted butter. There was no butter in her ingredient list but somehow, I could taste butter in Michelle’s puto.
Ok, not that I am making “angat” my sariling bangko, I think my version can compare to Michelle’s (no offense, Ms. Michelle!). You be the judge, MM…i have the texture and taste I was looking for…it is slightly chewy, has the mounded top, did not sink! I will put a little less sugar next time, more McCormick ube flavour BUT adjust the food color.
NOt bad for a couple of hours experiment! Don’t you think so?
MARAMING (GAZILLION x) SALAMAT PO, MM and to Everyone who came to my rescue…OK, I’m up for the next experiments!!!…I guess I’d better start with Connie C’s puto recipe next….
Hey Marketman,
Where is the dinuguan dish that goes with the puto? The two together makes a perfect “mereinda” with a tall glass of “gulaman at sago” wheeeeew. Marketman you’re killing me softly with all this Pinoy Goodies. Just 5 more lbs. or so, or 5 packages of those puto and about 5 bowls of dinuguan that will do it. I’m hitting the TOLEDO by 300+ lbs. LOL :>)
Thanks Marketman,
jdawgg
Hi betty q, Congrats !!! what a way for your kids to start the day with a nice real home made ube puto…..not every house even in phil has that opportunity.
I remember when my grandmother, a native of Bulacan, used to make this. I don’t remember the recipe (all I was interested in was in eating the darn things!), but I do remember her soaking rice overnight and making the galapong early in the morning. I know for sure that she did not use any kind of flour or milk. My mom said that the only other ingredients were baking powder and sugar. They were absolutely delicious! They had the perfect texture, “makunat” as my Lola used to say.
She also made the perfect kuchinta and ensaimada (even better than Goldilocks!)
Hey Marketman,
Another thing, specially for all of you that resides in US, South American and Spain is to be careful when you say PUTO. They might think you’re referring to a gay guy or a bading. I remember a former colleague (Puerto Rican)asked me about a PUTO mix in a box she saw at the Pacific Supermarket with a big grin of her face and said really I could have an instant PUTO by just adding water?
Hi betty q. I feel your passion and excitement about your cooking and the warmth of your kitchen. Darn, I wish I lived next door to you! Anyway I am waiting for your report on the puto recipe I shared with you.
I have already started a compilation of betty q recipes in a folder in my laptop along with those I got from MM in this weblog, ready to be tried when I have more time while wintering back in Pinas.
Many,many thanks, Betty Q. Always a pleasure reading your comments in this blog as I have garnered a lot of cooking and baking tips. WE have indeed morphed into a community of like-minded folks with a passion for food. I like the fact that for us living overseas, we still get to vicariously taste our native delicacies and take a stab at cooking them in foreign lands. Makes the homesickness malady a bit more bearable! Thank you Marketman, for your efforts. Yours is the first blog I check when I open my computer and the last one I visit before I shut down for the night. Please keep the posts coming!
Fine, that’s it. Im going to buy puto today. Jdawgg, you can order a half gallon of dinugan for Php620 at Milky Way Cafe :D
Happyman,
I’ve tried bringing this to LAX, SFO and JFK via HKG. No problem with customs as long as you declare it. I did not freeze it but kept it cold. You can microwave for a few seconds but steaming is best. As for shelf life you can keep it for 2 weeks or so as long as it’s chilled and not exposed to sunlight, at least that’s what I was told. Hope this helps.
betty q., you are simply amazing! Your passion for food is infectious and generous. In my mind’s eye, you are bouncing with excitement in your chair as you narrate one more successful kitchen experiment. Like Connie C, I wish you were my next-door neighbour! I’ve never tried ube puto before and will be on the lookout for Michelle’s.
Wow, betty q.! Amazing. And congratulations. Like Connie C. I have a documents that says “Betty Q. File.” Recipes from the recent kakanin posts. I was all set to do the bibingka then I learn that they used up our banana leaves in the freezer just last week! Grrrr. Bad timing. We steam the same way too, cover with a towel to gather the moisture from the steam.
Bett Q., a question. Did you use regular rice flour or glutinous rice flour?
MM and Betty q,I’m off to my asian grocery store to buy all the ingredients needed for this much loved puto.I just hope that I can find McCormick ube essence which is unheard of in my part of the globe.
Thank you MM and Betty q!
perfect timing! i had brought in boxes and boxes of Michelle’s putong ube when we were in Manila last september. I have to say that they did survive the 16+ hours enroute to Calgary. And as we were about to polish off the last box from the freezer this afternoon it was a nice surprise to find a recipe from bettyq that I can play around with. BTW we also brought home tubs of Michelle’s ube halaya (at P50 for a 300gm tub it wasn’t bad as $1 pasalubong handouts). Haven’t tried them yet though they’re still in the freezer!
nice post, MM! They’re actually conveniently located near our house in Mandaluyong. I’ve tried their puto when i went home a few years ago. Couldn’t stop at just one ;)
betty q, as always, thanks for the recipe…
this post reminds me to put these putos on the pabili list the next time a friend or family comes to Toronto (glad to know they can survive the long flight, rina). i love michelle’s putong ube and queso. bettyq’s recipe sounds particularly enticing…
MM — a suggestion. when betty q comes to manila, let’s have an EB. i am sure your many many readers would love to meet this generous, enthusiastic and so talented lady.
With an asthmatic son – i always read food labels and stay away from tartrazine, and ones labeled “food color added”.
Love the putong ube of Michelle’s as well. Thanks bettyQ for sharing the recipe, will try it the next time my husband cooks dinuguan.
I agree, The color of the ube is too nice to be natural. Real ube has a natural greyish tinge. Even Good Shepherd in Baguio enhances the color of their jam.
I understand people’s concern regarding artificial sweeteners like aspertame. Also realize that a lot of the fuss has also been exaggerated. If you read in Discover magazine. Aspertame is the most tested sweetener in the market. It may not be perfect but not as deadly as depicted. As in everything, anything in excess is harmful, including drinking real Coke. Each can of real coke contains 10 teaspoons of real sugar. It
you are overweight or diabetic, this could be more cause for concern. My philosophy is, weigh the pros and cons. Don’t be easily swayed by what you people love to make you panic about. Keep an open mind. Some form of skepticism is healthy.
About lye (NaOH), this is added in many food that we unknowingly consume. If you love those firm, translucent shrimps we eat in Chinese restaurants found in hakaw, siomai, fried rice, prawn dishes, all are soaked in lye to preserve texture. Sorry folks but that is the truth. It has to be rinsed of thoroughly. Lye is also added to fat/oil to make soap. Yes, it originally is found in ash. That was how soap was accidentally invented from the animal sacrifices that were burned. Animal fat plus the ashes——Soap.
BettyQ, have you thought of writing your own blog? I’d love to follow that too! :)
Regarding artificial sweeteners, aspartame is totally synthetic. It is made up of two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine(makes you wonder how substances derived from protein would end up as sweetener). Sucralose(Splenda) is the one derived from sugar. It is sucrose to which chlorine atoms were added.
hello! I’ve been a follower of MM but my first time to write as I’ve been inspired by BettyQ. I can’t help but say bettyq, you’re amazing and clever. Just like the other ladies, I wish we’re neighbors. Ako’ng taga tikim! BTW,I made your black rice suman today and its sooooo GOOD! the only thing is the yield. I only made 40 not 200. but its alright I like them big. size didn’t affect the flavor at all.thank you very much MM. you have an excellent site!
I couldn’t resist temptation. I went to Michelle’s (Gilmore Branch)today. They ran out of Putong Ube too so I had to content myself with Putong Queso.
Market Man, there is no expiration date on the box. If I store it in the fridge, up to when can I safely keep this?
Mrs. G, I wouldn’t keep it more than 2-3 days if it really has no preservatives. But a box wouldn’t last that long in our house anyway…. :) Lex, I agree on the color, but according to the head sister/nun at Good Sheperd, theirs has no artificial coloring… :) sonia, I agree, at least a coffee for those interested…
Cumin, you should have seen me this morning in the kitchen downstairs doing the “I GOT IT” dance….not a pretty sight! Thank God, everybody was still sleeping!!!
MM…while i was at it and in FULL KAKANIN MODE (must be the Kona coffee beans given by a neighbour), I made a plain batch …no ube…and it turned out good as well…slightly chewy, mounded top and taste like puto. …Then still in a Kakanin mode…I made baby cuchinta. If you haven’t made one yet, try my experiment…this one is one of my treasured ones too…This will yield about 5 dozens baby cuchinta.
In a glass or plastic bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour, a little less than 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (I use demerara), 1 tsp. atsuete powder (you can always add more later). pinch or two of salt. Blend using a whisk. Then add 3 cups water. Stir until smoooth. Strain to remove lumps. Now, add 3tsp. lye water (the Filipino brand) I made the mistake of using the Chinese one bought in Chinese gro cery stores. ….will never do that again….BIG MISTAKE!!!! Before there was this thing about liquid restictions on the airplanes, my mom would bring this lihia by the dozen bottles.. She didn’t know we could buy those at Filipino stores here. …Anyway, set this cuchinta mixture aside for a few hours. Fill the baby muffin tins half full and steam for about 15 minutes on medium heat. I forgot the heat was still on medium high for the puto…so my cuchinta had “craters” but it settled down as it cooled down.
This cuchinta is not the nuclear orange in color. Because it has brown sugar, and atsuete, it takes on a more brownish -orangish color which is what I am after!!!
So, now, for us here on the other side of the globe, maybe the Simbang Gabi goodies we remember will no longer be a distant memory…Wrap this trio in banana leaves…ube, plain puto and baby cuchinta, and we could enjoy this with Chai tea or salabat if you like….I also have the Kudkuran..stateof the art, ladies! my good neighbour made it for me…
Jenny, I leave the blogging to the experts….for one, I don’t like typing or rather TYPING DOESN”T LIKE ME!!! Secondly, I am a klutz at taking picutres! I am taking lessons though now given by a very dear friend who is an accomplished photographer. She has made a name for herself here and has shows in galleries….don’t know if she can turn me into an amateur one…not holding my breath though!!!!
Mely….the proportions of the suman I gave DOES yield 40pcs. to 48 pcs. What I meant was, I make 200 of these at a time…so I do triple batches or quadruple batches. I know it’s going to take me at least half a day to do it….but I don’t mind doing these. besides, I can freeze those so it’s worth doing a lot!!!
Oh man, just seeing the title of this article made me miss home at once! It has been years since I last ate it, but my mom used to buy Michelle’s Putong Ube in Mandaluyong and it would be a hit at every potluck. I see that her packaging has evolved over the years and that her product line has expanded.
MM, there is a puto vendor in Marikina, near the church, whose puto is sooo goood. If you want to try it out, let me know and I can get more specific directions from my sister. They don’t make putong ube though, just the brown-orange & white ones. You just keep on popping and popping those little things in your mouth!
bettyq, you are amazing! I wish was your neighbor, or even better, a part of your family!
Thank you Betty q for sharing your experiment. congratulations on getting it right at 6 in the morning. may i ask how long did you steam the puto. is it true that we shouldn’t open the lid for the 1st 15 minutes?
MM,
Ube Powder is available in baking supply stores. Dissolve 1 Tbsp. ube powder in 3 Tbsp. water, let stand for a few minutes then microwave, presto boiled ube!!! What I use to enhance flavor and color is either “Flavorade” (Bakersfield Color Collection) or “Flavocol” of Ferna to achieve the desired purple of ube, green of pandan, etc…..they’re great, just like those in the photos.
For those who cannot find lihia anywhere, make your own its so simple.
Burn wood to ash, sift and save fine dust. Make lye water solution by boiling equal parts of ash and water. Strain in double thickness cloth. Store in a bottle.
BTW, lye water makes native kakanins, makunat.
Hey Zena…i used rgular rice flour not glutinous kind. If I used the glutinous one, the puto will turn to PUKOY AS DADD-F calls it (puto that has tikoy consistency)
And I steamed the puto, Portugalbear , for about 15 to 20 minutes keeping in mind that they are baby muffinsize only. Yup, don’t open the lid for the first 15 minutes….if you’re doing the big size ones. Don’t forget to put a towel over the top of the top of the steamer before putting the lid on…so steam will not fall on the puto.
How I wish WE ALL are neighbours or you all are my sisters AND BROTHERS (lee!)!!!!!
I manage to buy 3 kg of UBE at the local market here in singapore last weekend. The first try without any food coloring result in a light purple color nothing close to the Good Shepherd ube BTW we have a relative who is a sis at Good Shepherd let me ask her if they really put food coloring. Maybe they add a natural food color. Maybe we can try beetroot as a food coloring to add a vibrant color to ube. Not sure though if it will affect the taste….Hmmm let me try that :) I still have about 1.5 Kg left of uncooked ube.
Sorry this is not the ORIGINAL Putong Ube but the one found in Santol St. Sta. Mesa during the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s until they transferred to Marikina.
it was a bit of a disappointment eating Michelle´s puto today–i still love the white and brown little putos being sold outside the churches on Sunday!
speaking of puto outside churches.. i remember Aling Remy (sumalangit nawa..) from Marikina who used to be so famous for puto and kutsinta. hehe.. don’t laugh, okay? i’ve never had michelle’s putong ube. i am usually an ube-vore but i don’t know.. hehe.. i used to live a block away from the branch at ortigas extension pa naman.
Thanks, Betty q! PUKOY is a funny term, hehe.
Someone just gave us this box of baby puto from a place in Marikina. Rocha’s. Very good. Once you pop, you can’t stop. It’s brown and they top it with a slice of cheese. The box was 100 pesos for something that looked like 40 pcs. One has to call 1 day ahead so they have their phone number stamped on the box. Very low-tech packaging but yummy.
Thank you bettyq for clarifying the yield on the suman. I really misunderstood what you said. I kept thinking how you were able to make 200 pieces from a batch..then I thought you must have made cigarette stick-size ones, LOL! thank you for the cutchinta recipe..its my favorite!!
MM..off the topic! This is only a suggestion…Not to add to your “kunsumisyon?” or greying hair…maybe it’s time to start on your cookbook…you know something that your readers will want to be a part of and contribute…recipes they contribute has to be TRIED AND TRUE!…I have had the unfortunate experience of people giving me recipes and somehow inadvertently forgot to mention an essential ingredient or procedure.
Maybe your next fundraiser? I will surely buy a few copies and VOLUNTEER to be one of your testers or be a part of your R and D division! What do you say?
bettyq, THAT is a loaded topic… more on that soon. In the meantime, as with all obsessed cooks/experimentors, I did a putong ube based on your recipe but with ingredients available here like fresh ube… post on that up later in the day! Thanks… :)
Hi Guys! Found this shortcut recipe in my files. I no longer remember where and from whom I was able to get this from. I also haven’t tried making it.
UBE PUTO
3 T butter 1 1/2 c bibingka mix
2 eggs 1 1/2 c mashed ube, strained
4 T sugar 1 t baking powder
3/4 c milk
Cream butter. Add eggs one at a time. Add sugar, milk and bibingka mix. Blend well. Add ube and baking powder. Blend well. Strain. Beat well before pouring into small holed muffin tins. Steam for 20 minutes.
Thanks Betty Q. I actually have rice flour and i honestly don’t know what to do with it. will try your ube puto recipe. I love ube. hope it turns out great.
I just discovered your website, marketman, and it has become an essential part of my daily routine, if for no other reason than to salivate over so much of the food I remember from childhood. One of my happiest food memories was my sister-in-law’s pasalubong of putong pulo which she brought back from her mother’s in Bulacan at least once a month. It was made of ground rice flour and came in brown and white, layered in banana leaves. It was not finely textured and had a rather dense taste-makunat comes close, I guess-without being heavy. And it was heavenly!!. I’ve tried to make puto but have never come close to that wondrous putong pulo of my childhood. I asked my brother to get the recipe but it seems to be a closely guarded secret. But I’m hoping there’s someone out there who’s willing to share.
MM, on the puto from Cagayan de Oro….it’s so homemade, you can only get it there in CDO. I enjoyed the posted comments especially bettyq’s recipe and tips! Your site is the first one i check when i can get my hands on the PC!
Thanks MM and bettyq for the putong ube and cutchinta recipes. Will try them. Have just had dinner but feel hungry reading up on this. I have five children and since the three girls started living abroad I’ve had less things to do…and just reading this really makes my day. So many things to try!! I hope the kutchinta comes out well….toodledoo…
Yes, the original putong ube used to be in Santol. They’re not only in Marikina but in Pasig as well. They can help you package it properly if you will be bringing it out of the country – you’ll just have to ask them. They make good cakes as well.
Saw Michelle’s Putong Ube stall in SM Mall of Asia yesterday. More locations/options for those of us suddenly intrigued, after reading this blog!
Betty Q, thanks for the recipes, i will difinitely try the ube puto and baby cutcinta soon, although i tried making cutcinta before, but it was a disaster, maybe because i used silicone molds thats why…. thank u again!
dhayL…your cuchinta…was it difficult to unmold….if it is, then maybe it wasn’t steamed enough or not enough lihia. Are you in the US? Did you use the Chinese lihia or Pinoy one? I didn’t have much success when I used the Chinese lihia I bought in the Chinese grocery store! I’ve ALWAYS used the Pinoy one my mom brings over here until I run out of that one and I had to buy the Chinese brand….will never , ever do that again!
Let me know how the cuchinta turns out!
do you know what’s the history of Puto Pao? I guess you know it…
hi eeryone, i was just reading up on your posts and betty q’s puto recipe caught my eye… would love to make it sooner rather than later… thanks for sharing… been looking for a puto recipe for the longest time… finally, i found something that might actually work… will update you guys if i do good (which i hope to achieve) or not…
thanks again for sharing…
Hi MM, I am one of the thousand silent lurkers in your blog. I really enjoy reading it, it help me destress. I enjoy baking and like to watch food related show. I am currently residing in Houston and would like to get in touch with BettyQ through the net, can you furnish me with her e-mail address? Thanks.
Hi Pinky, I don’t give out email addresses unless the other party says yes, you might want to go onto a NEW post and ask betty for an email address, then she may have a better chance of responding to request… thanks!
Hi MM thanks for the reply, I will do that.
Hi, Betty Q if its ok for you kindly give me your e-mail address please I would love to get in touch with you and ask you recipes of my favorite kakanin. I am also living in other country very much craving for our native snacks way back home.
Thanks in advance.