maja blanca

category: dessert
serving: 6

maja mais or what we usually call maja blanca is one of the easiest dessert to make. it is basically made of coconut milk with condesed milk and cornstarch. i got this recipe from ms. connie veneracion's foodblog where i constantly visit to get inspiration in cooking... this dessert was inspired by her maja maiz entry.

i remembered the first time i prepared this dish, it was an instant success... yes... because it's really easy to prepare. you can even add pineapple tidbits to it for a more fruity taste. some of the maja recipes i searched in the net used fruit cocktail and some added cheese. but i prefer the simple one, the original one. For an even richer maja, double the amount of coconut milk and omit the water... but this is not for those with ultra-sensitive digestive systems. for the coconut milk, i used the powdered one since it is readily available here in uae and it's much more aromatic compared to the fresh or canned coconut milk. it will always be a matter of preference - fresh coconut milk with more time consumed or preserved ones with less effort.

"if you opt to use fresh coconut milk, you’ll have to start with freshly grated mature coconut. in the philippines, we call it niyog. place the niyog in a glass bowl and add a cup of lukewarm water. use as much or as little water, depending on how rich you want your coconut milk. some people have low tolerance for it. with your hands, squeeze the niyog tightly to get the milk. or, you can put the niyog in a piece of cheesecloth (katsa) then wring the cheesecloth to get the milk." (http://www.pinoycook.net/)



ingredients:
1 c. of cornstarch
1 250 ml. can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. of coconut milk
1 c. of water
a pinch of salt
1 425 g. can of cream-style corn
1/2 tsp. of butter, softened

directions:
grease the bottom and sides of a 6″ x 10″ ceramic baking dish with the softened butter.

disperse the cornstarch in the water until completely dissolved. add the coconut milk, salt and cream-style corn. set over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until thick and no longer cloudy.

remove from the heat and add the sweetened condensed milk. return to the stove top and cook over low heat, stirring until the milk is fully incorporated into the cornstarch mixture.

pour into the buttered dish and leave to cool for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving.