Cascaron, deep fried bread dough, is a popular merienda (snack) option in the Philippines. Filipinos love fried food. I love anything fried!
Cascaron or “Bitsu-Bitsu”, deep fried bread dough; crunchy outside; soft and sticky inside. It’s made from mochiko flour, a kind of sweet rice flour. Cascaron is a sweet crunchy snack that should not be confused with the other bread dish called bitso-bitso or bicho-bicho which uses all purpose flour instead of mochiko flour.
Place grated coconut in hot water. Squeeze until the water turns opaque or milky.
Place a dish towel or fine cheese cloth over a bowl and pour coconut and water into the cloth.
Drain coconut milk into bowl, then squeeze remaining coconut in the towel until all the liquid is squeezed out.
Mix drained coconut in flour and add milky coconut water until dough is soft but not too sticky.
Shape dough in balls of 1 inch diameter and fry in 2-3″ of oil until golden brown.
Drain dough balls on paper towel then put them in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Boil cold water and brown sugar in a small sauce pan until it reaches the soft boil stage this is done by placing a drop of syrup in a bowl of cold water. If it retains it shape and is soft, it is ready.
Pour over dough balls. Toss fried dough balls in the syrup until all are completely covered.
Remove from bowl and place them in a platter to cool. You can skewer them on to bamboo sticks for a nice presentation.
Place grated coconut in hot water and squeeze until the water turns opaque or milky.
Place a dish towel or fine cheese cloth over a bowl and pour coconut and water into the cloth.
Let the water drain, then squeeze remaining coconut in the towel until all the liquid is squeezed out.
Mix drained coconut in flour and add milky coconut water until dough is soft but not too sticky.
Shape dough in balls of 1 inch diameter and fry in 2-3" of oil until golden brown.
Drain dough balls on paper towel then put them in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Boil cold water and brown sugar in a small sauce pan until it reaches the soft boil stage this is done by placing a drop of syrup in a bowl of cold water. If it retains it shape and is soft, it is ready.
Pour over dough balls. Toss fried dough balls in the syrup until all are completely covered.
Remove from bowl and place them in a platter to cool. You can skewer them on to bamboo sticks for a nice presentation.
Recipe Notes
Put just enough vegetable oil in a large frying pan to cover the dough balls. Make sure that when you fry them, the oil is hot. Put a piece of dough in the pan to test and if the dough sizzled and rises to the top, then it’s ready. Place dough balls in the pan, but don’t overcrowd.
Buko Pie is a popular Filipino delicacy from the southern regions of Luzon especially in Laguna Province. Tourists and locals travel to Laguna for the pie. They buy extra to take home. It’s a traditional pasalubong or homecoming gift.
Buko Pie is a 2 crusted pie filled with creamy coconut juice, soft young coconut meat, evaporated milk, sugar and cornstarch. Buko Pie is an excellent mid-afternoon snacks, paired with your favorite coolers.
2 cups grated buco (young coconut meat) – You can buy this frozen at Asian Markets
1 cup buco water/juice – You can buy it in cans or frozen at Asian Markets
1 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare an 8-inch pie plate.
Filling
– In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch then add milk and buco water. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
– Add vanilla and grated buco meat. Cook for another 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
For the Crust
– In a bowl combine flour, sugar and salt.
– Cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
– Add a tbsp. of water one at a time. Mix with a fork until the dough is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
– Form into two balls, one of which should be bigger than the other.
– Roll out the bigger dough to form a 9-inch circle that is about 1/4-inch thick. Fit this dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Fill with the buco mixturethen set aside.
Roll out the smaller dough into a circle, big enough to cover the top of the pie. To seal the sides of the pie, pinch the top and bottom crusts together.
Using a fork or knife, prick holes on the top crust so that steam can escape while baking.
Brush the top crust with eggwash. (beat egg to make egg wash)
Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare an 8-inch pie plate.
– In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch then add evaporated milk and buco water. Cook over medium heat until thickened.
– Add vanilla and grated buco meat. Cook for another 5 minutes and set aside to cool.
Crust
– In a bowl combine flour, sugar and salt.
– Cut in the butter and shortening until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
– Add a tbsp. of water one at a time.
Mix with a fork until the dough is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
Assembly
– Form into two balls, one of which should be bigger than the other.
– Roll out the bigger dough to form a 9-inch circle that is about 1/4-inch thick. Fit this dough into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Fill up with the buco mixture filling then set aside.
Roll out the smaller dough into a circle, big enough to cover the top of the pie. To seal the sides of the pie, pinch the top and bottom crusts together.
Using a fork or knife, prick holes on the top crust so that steam can escape while baking.
Brush the top crust with eggwash. (beat egg to make egg wash)
Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
