Thai Pumpkin Custard (Sankaya)

Since my parents arrived last month, we have been doing a lot of eating and discussing recipes. I mentioned to them that I would luv to learn how to make Thai desserts.

We came across the Thai pumpkin custard. I remember how much I luv the custard on top the coconut sticky rice. Since I bought a pumpkin, I decided to try steaming it with a custard filling. But the pumpkin itself tasted too plain. 

Grandpa told me that I used the wrong pumpkin. The pumpkin for the Thai pumpkin custard has to be Japanese pumpkin called kabocha squash. It has sweeter taste which compliments the coconut egg custard well. After grandpa bought the kabocha squash, I tested my Thai pumpkin custard recipe again. It was perfect... naturally sweet from kabocha squash and creamy custard with a hint of coconut aromatic (from the coconut sugar). Grandpa likes to eat the skin because, he told me, it has the most nutrients. I just want the custard!!!

I tested my Thai pumpkin custard recipe three times and all of the pumpkins broke after they were cooked. I'm still not sure why but maybe the pumpkin itself was too soft during the steaming process. Still tasty though. With that said, my instruction includes that the pumpkin sits on a plate while steaming. You got it. Just in case the pumpkin breaks, the custard will stay in the plate.

This is a great Thanksgiving alternative dessert to pumpkin pie. It is also a make-ahead dessert. I'm planning to make just the custard filling and spoon it on top coconut sticky rice. Heaven!!!

Thai Pumpkin Custard (Sankaya)
serve 6-8

1 small (2 lbs.) Japanese pumpkin (kabocha squash)
5 extra large eggs or 6 large eggs
1 cup (7 oz.) palm or coconut sugar
1 cup (8 oz.) coconut milk

1. Hollow out the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Place it on a baking plate with rim. Set aside.
2. In a large (4 cup) measuring cup, whisk the eggs.
3. Add the palm sugar and whisk until creamy.
4. Whisk in the coconut milk.
5. Pour the custard filling inside the pumpkin. NOTE: If there is any leftover custard filling, pour it in a baking cups. Steam as directed for about 15-30 minutes, depending on the amount of the filling.
6. Place the filled pumpkin in a steamer. NOTE: I use this stacked steamer.
7. Steam until the tooth pick inserted in the custard comes out clean, about an hour.
8. Let the Thai pumpkin custard cool at a room temperature.
9. Place it in the fridge to set, about 4 hours to overnight. NOTE: The custard needs to set so leaving it in the fridge overnight is highly recommended. If cutting into the pumpkin while it is still warm, the custard will fall apart.
10. To serve, slice the pumpkin into wedges. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Place the Thai pumpkin custard in a container in the fridge for up to a week.

Allergy Info: This Thai pumpkin custard is free from or can be make without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts (not coconut), or fish.

Chocolate Pudding (dairy and egg free)

I confess. I'm a chocoholic. Isn't it that obvious since I luv to post chocolate related recipes? Anything chocolate, especially the dark ones, I'll try at least a bite. But seriously, who doesn't like chocolate?

Before I started living in my kitchen, I didn't even know how to make a chocolate pudding. I only knew the pudding in the prepackaged kinds that I didn't even bother to read the ingredients. Actually, I didn't even know how to read labels. Once again, I had to make a chocolate pudding because... you guess it... my kids' food sensitivity to dairy and legumes.

Searching the cookbooks and on the internet for a chocolate pudding recipe was super easy. There were tons of them. Some made with eggs. Some even added avocado. The ingredients for each recipe weren't that surprising or anything fancy.

After I tested a few recipes and came up with my own, I never once bought a prepackaged pudding again. I know what's in my chocolate pudding too.

Sometimes I make the chocolate pudding with egg yolks, so my kids can have vitamins in their diet. To do this, substitute two large egg yolks to the all-purpose flour. Use the egg whites to make marshmallow fluff and serve it as topping. Using the egg yolks is a good alternative for gluten free chocolate pudding. Personally, both taste the same. So there you go. You aren't missing out on anything if you can't have gluten or eggs.

I make this chocolate pudding just enough for my kids. Feel free to double or triple the amount. Great for lunchbox too.

Chocolate Pudding (dairy and egg free)
makes 1 cup

1 cup (8 oz.) coconut milk
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (or to taste)
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1. Place all of the ingredients in a small pot.
2. Whisk until combine.
3. Bring the mixture to a soft boil.
4. Continue whisking until the mixture is thicken, about 1-2 minutes.
5. Pass the pudding through a sieve. NOTE: This step is optional, but it makes a very smooth chocolate pudding.
6. Spoon the chocolate pudding into serving bowls.
7. Let cool then enjoy!!!

NOTE: For the Mocha Chocolate Pudding, add 3 teaspoons instant espresso or instant granulated coffee in step-1. To add proteins to the chocolate pudding, add 1-2 egg yolks and be sure to use the tempering technique as mentioned in the pastry cream blog post.

STORING: Keep the chocolate pudding in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Allergy Info: This chocolate pudding is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts (not coconut), and fish.

Lemon Custard Cake

While I was flipping through the William Sonoma Essentials of Baking cookbook, the lemon custard cake really caught my attention. I baked lemon bars last year. Camden didn't care for it, but Brek luv it. I never baked anything lemony again. Lately, their taste buds have changed in the best way. Brek likes blackberries and kiwi while Camden likes lettuce and scrambled eggs. I wanted to bake this cake to see if they would like lemony sweet treats. Plus, I really wanted to try baking this lemon custard cake because of how easy the directions were. I could also modify the recipe to make it dairy free.

A few things that I made changes to this cake, beside dairy free, was that I didn't use lemon zest. Why? Well, all of the lemons I've bought, whether they are conventional or organically grown, are waxed. Who wants to have waxed ingredient in their something sweeter anyway? I don't. Instead of lemon zest, I added the lemon pulp. Not only did I juice the lemons, I also scraped off the pulp so the cake would have a lot of lemon flavor.

In the cookbook, there was a little writing about the texture of the cake. The top layer is a cake, and the bottom layer is a custard. Eating two desserts in one. What more can I ask for. The first time I baked the lemon custard cake for our afternoon snack, my kids and I had a few slices a few minutes after it came out of the oven. Of course, the cake was still warm. The leftover cake went into the fridge for a few days. Then we had it again a few days later for our nighttime snack. I think the cake tasted a lot better when it was cold. When the cake was warm, it was just too soft. When the cake was cold, I could really taste the different layers of the cake and the custard.

When I baked this cake again, I baked it the night before and kept it cold in the fridge overnight. It was ready for the next day's snack. Ummm... I luv making something sweeter in advance.

Lemon Custard Cake
modified from William Sonoma's lemon custard cake
makes 9-inch round cake

3 large eggs, divided
1 cup (8 oz) coconut milk
1/2 cup (4 oz) coconut cream
1/4 cup (2 oz) fresh lemon juice with pulp (from 1-2 lemons)
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) palm shortening
1/2 cup (4 oz) sugar
1/4 cup (1.5 oz) all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degree. Have a 9-inch glass pie plate ready. NOTE: There is no need to spray the pie plate with oil. Nothing will stick to the plate. Promise.
2. Separate the eggs to two different large bowls. Set aside the egg whites.
3. Whisk the coconut milk, coconut cream, lemon juice (with pulp), shortening, and sugar to the egg yolks until the mixture is creamy.
4. Add the flour to the lemon mixture and whisk just until just combine. Set aside.
5. Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until firm peaks are formed.
6. Fold the egg white to the lemon batter until the egg whites are no longer visible.
7. Pour into the 9-inch glass pie pan.
8. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is light brown and the edges of the cake are pulled away a little bit from the pie plate, about 35 minutes.
9. Let the lemon custard cake cool before putting it in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

Allergy Info: This lemon custard cake is free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut or palm), and fish.