The Happy Home Cook: Tocino del Cielo
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Tocino Del Cielo (Photo by Elizabeth Ann Quirino)
Christmas reminds me of the days when I was taught how to bake Tocino del Cielo by my late mother-in-law Remedios Pineda Quirino, whose roots were from Sta. Rita, Pampanga, and Tarlac. The term ‘tocino del cielo’ is Spanish and literally translates to ‘bacon from heaven’. They’re not made from bacon, but are quite heavenly, made with immense amounts of egg yolks, butter, and syrup.
Holidays and special celebrations are not complete for our family unless I bake these treats, to carry on the tradition of Mama, and to remember her in our hearts. Mama had a latero (artisan) in our Tarlac province, handcraft the special aluminum molds, which were about one-inch in diameter. I never got to ask her if I could have her Tocino molds, so I now use mini muffin tins or small ramekins to make this divine dessert.
This recipe makes 12 Tocino del Cielo pieces and is from my cookbook How To Cook Philippine Desserts, Cakes and Snacks by Elizabeth Ann Quirino, available on Amazon.com.
Servings: 12 pieces
Prep time: 1 to 2 hours
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Equipment needed:
· Heavy stockpot – medium-sized (about 4 quarts)
· Small ramekins or muffin tins – 1-inch diameter
· Mixing bowls – large
· Wire whisk
· Sieve
· Large roasting pan
Ingredients
For the caramel syrup:
4 cups granulated sugar
3 cups water
For the custard:
25 egg yolks
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Procedure
To make the caramel syrup:
· In a heavy stockpot set over medium heat, combine the sugar and water.
· Bring mixture to a boil, and cook until it forms a heavy syrup. Remove from the heat and divide the syrup: take ¾ cup and spoon about 1 to 2 teaspoons into each of the muffin tins. This syrup lining will form the caramel top of the tocino del cielo.
· Set aside the remaining syrup, letting it cool on the counter for 1 hour until it is room temperature. (Do not mix into the custard until syrup has cooled down or eggs will cook too soon).
To make the custard:
· In a large bowl, whisk the yolks. While whisking, slowly pour a stream of about ¾ cup of the remaining room-temperature syrup and blend well. There should be more egg yolks than syrup.
· Lastly, add the softened butter to the egg-syrup mixture. Blend well until the mixture becomes a thick yellow custard.
· Strain the custard through a sieve as you pour it into each syrup-lined cup of the muffin tin.
To bake the Tocino del Cielo:
· Preheat the oven to 325 F.
· Place the custard tins in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with enough water to reach halfway up the outside of the muffin tin
· Cover the entire pan with aluminum foil.
· Bake the custard tins in the bain marie or water bath.
· Bake at 325 F for 50 to 55 minutes. Test if the custard is done by piercing the center with a toothpick or tip of a sharp knife; if it comes out clean, the tocino del cielo is done.
· When done, remove the tocino del cielo from the oven and let it cool on the counter for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight to firm up.
To unmold the Tocino del Cielo:
· To unmold, run a small, sharp knife around the edges of each cup to loosen the custard. Turn the tocino del cielo over into individual foil mini muffin liners (since there will be a small amount of syrup, foil liners work best). Chill the Tocino del Cielo in the refrigerator till ready to serve.
· To give as gifts, arrange 12 individual pieces of Tocino del Cielo in foil muffin liners and place them in a sturdy tin or other durable, decorative container.
If you liked this recipe, find more Filipino favorite sweet treats in my cookbook How To Cook Philippine Desserts, Cakes and Snacks by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. Sold on Amazon.com
Elizabeth Ann Quirino, based in New Jersey, is a journalist, food writer and member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). She blogs about Filipino home cooking and culinary travels to the Philippines on her site AsianInAmericamag.com.
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