New Year's Eve 2010

Unlike in the West, New Year's Eve is a family affair here in the Philippines.  It really is just a continuation of Christmas Eve with a few differences.   Being a "holiday orphan," my friend invited me to spend Christmas Eve with her family, which was very generous of her to do so.  Now imagine my surprise when her parents invited me again to spend New Year's Eve with them!   A repeat invitation in a short space of a week is a good sign that I didn't repulse my hosts during Christmas Eve. 

My hosts have been nothing but generous, accommodating and hospitable to me during Christmas Eve.  I thought it would be nice to make something for them for New Year's Eve.  I decided a crema de fruta would be an appropriate dessert to make for a Filipino family.  

The crema de fruta is traditionally served during the holidays because of its colorful presentation.  It is, essentially, a local version of the English trifle.  However, instead of making it in multiple layers and serving it in a glass, the local version is composed of just four layers: sponge cake, custard, canned fruit cocktail and gelatine as the last layer to give the cake a glassy appearance.  

The origins of the crema de fruta is yet another one of those culinary mysteries of Philippine cuisine.  Something about the name makes me think that this dessert is a derivative of the Spanish dessert tarta de crema y fruta (cream and fruit tart).   Yet, the canned fruit cocktail (usually Del Monte brand) and the sponge cake tells me there's an American influence, as these ingredients were introduced to the local cuisine during the American occupation.

Local tradition dictates that all foods served must be round for New Year's Eve to bring in luck, wealth and prosperity in the coming year.   Keeping the round theme in mind, I decided to used canned peaches instead of fruit cocktail.  Also, peaches look neater compared to  the  uneven shapes of the fruit cocktail pieces.  I prefer to use fresh peaches.  Unfortunately, they are quite pricey over here.

As you can see in the photos above, it is a tradition to wear polka dots or anything  with circles for New Year's Eve.  So polka dots do not completely go out of fashion over here.  They make a comeback once a year.

It certainly wouldn't be New Year's Eve without the horns.  All parents buy their little ones these horns for children  to blow.  Needless to say, New Year's Eve is a very loud affair.  It is one of those few occasions where most of the hearing impaired  are probably grateful for their condition.  

Notice the circles again on my godson's shirt and the horn he's blowing?   Unfortunately, I can't show his cute face.  It simply would not be right to show other people's photos on my blog when I don't show photos of myself.

Excuse the photos, the lighting conditions weren't very favorable.

Of course, there are exceptions to the round theme.  It won't be a Filipino celebration without the lechon (roasted suckling pig).   That is more than enough pork to send my Muslim father to eternal damnation  (no, this concept is not exclusive to Christians, before somebody jumps on me for that) just by looking at these pictures alone!

I still do not know what a lechon tastes like even after a decade as an expatriate here in the Philippines.  Even though my mother is Catholic, pork products were quite rare when I was growing up because of my Dad's dietary requirements.   This was not my first (nor second, third or fourth, etc) time seeing a whole roasted pig laying on a dinner table. However, given my complicated background,  I still find it, for lack of a better term,  "weird."

Now going back to the crema,  I have to admit that I have never warmed up to this local dessert.  The few that  I have tried  were either too sweet,  had a poorly prepared, lumpy custard layer or soggy sponge cake base because  the syrup from the canned fruits was not thoroughly drained. 

If you are a kitchen slacker, you can take the short cut by buying a pre-made/pre-mix sponge cake.  Butter cake will also do. Just slather on the custard, arrange the fruits and top the cake with gelatin.  Most people over here do exactly just that.  Some people even use graham crackers for their base.  That's not recommended, however.  The crackers eventually become soggy and it just becomes all mush.  It simply has a very disagreeable mouthfeel.

Being a kitchen masochist,  I made my own sponge cake base and custard.   Though not  difficult, it is, however, a lot of work.  I can see why most people opt for the shortcut.  Of course, I made a few changes by making creme anglaise for my custard layer for a creamier  taste instead of the usual flour-based custard used for this dessert.  

 

Families  purchase firecrackers, rockets, sparkler's and other explosive pyrotechnic devices on New Year's Eve.   Fireworks slowly begin around eight in the evening and builds to a crescendo as midnight nears to greet the New Year.  By midnight, most of Manila is under a cloud of hazy smoke such as in the photo above.

The photos above do not these fountains of fire any justice.  They truly are beautiful to watch.  You sometimes can't help but wonder how something so beautiful can be so dangerous.  Every household in my hosts' neighborhood had these fountains.

Every family will at least purchase a few sparklers.  Even the poorest families, it seems, light these up on New Year's Eve.  These sparklers are usually reserved for younger children.  Those box of firecrackers were gone in thirty minutes.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU! 

Now, on to the recipe........

Other Ingredients:
1 can of Fruit Cocktail or any fruit you desire
1 box of clear, unflavored gelatin

Drain the syrup well.  Reserve the syrup.


While the fruits are left to drain, make the....
Creme Anglaise 
(source: Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard)
Yields: 2 cups
Ingredients: 
1 cup (240 g) whole milk
1 cup (240 g) heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
6 large egg yolks
6 tbsp (75 g) sugar

Directions:
1. Make an ice-water bath by filling a large bowl of ice cubes.

2. Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until it turns to a pale yellow color.

4. Pour about 1/2 cup (120 g) of the hot milk-cream liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.  Return the yolk mixture to the pan, along with the remaining half of the milk-cream liquid.  Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping the sides and bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.  The custard mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.   Test by dragging a finger through the coated back of the spoon.  If the trace remains, your custard is thick enough.

5.  Remove from heat and strain immediately through a fine sieve into a bowl.  Place the bowl in the ice-water bath to cool the mixture.  Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.


While the custard is left to chill, make the

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

(Source:  What's Cooking America )

Yields: 2 9-inch round layers

Ingredients:

4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup milk
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or 1/2 teaspoon each vanilla and lemon extracts)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F (176.6 C). Lightly spray two (9-inch) round cake pans with vegetable oil spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Cover the eggs (still in their shell) with hot tap water. Allow eggs to sit for at least five minutes to warm them up. NOTE: It is important that the eggs be warm to the touch when they are whipped with the sugar. This gives an extra lightness to the cake.

1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the milk and heat until the mixture is steaming. NOTE: See Lagniappe tips below. Remove from heat.

3. Into a large mixing bowl, crack the warm whole eggs. Using an electric mixer, whip the eggs until frothy. Gradually add the sugar and whip on high speed until the batter is light and thick. NOTE: This takes a good ten minutes.

4. Turn the mixer down to low and add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt).  Mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the egg batter, stopping once to scrape 

down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. 

5. Add the scalded milk and butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and continue mixing on low just until the vanilla is incorporated into the batter. Divide the batter equally into each prepared springform  pan. NOTE: The batter will be quite thin so don’t be alarmed.

6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes  or until the cake is golden brown and springy to the touch. Remove from oven and place the cake layers on a wire cooling rack.   Leave the cake layers in the pan to cool for thirty minutes. When cool, carefully run a paring knife around the edge of the each cake layer, using an up and down motion, to avoid tearing the sides of the cake. Turn the layers out onto a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.

While the cakes are cooling, make the...

 
Vanilla Soaking Syrup
(Source: Sky High by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: 
1. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Simmer until the syrup reduces to 2/3 cup.


2. Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  Cool completely before using.


Assembly:

A. Remove the cake from the pan once it has cooled.

B. Cut the top off the cake.

C. Brush the vanilla syrup over the cake with a pastry brush.  The syrup will keep your cake moist.  Save the cake scraps.

Sliced peaches and maraschino cherries.

A.  Return the cake back into the springform  pan.  Spread the creme anglaise across the cake, at least 1 inch (2 cm) thick.

B-C.  Arrange the well-drained fruits into any pattern you desire.

D.  Remember the unclear and  unflavored gelatin?  Follow the instructions on the package, add some of the reserved syrup from the canned fruit if you wish.  Let the gelatin cool slightly, about 3-5 minutes.  Slowly pour a thin layer of gelatin over the cake just to seal the fruits.  Pouring the gelatin all at once will seep through the cake and will give it a different texture.  When the thin layer of gelatin is firm enough pour just enough gelatin so that the fruits are submerged.  Refrigerate until the gelatin has set.