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Pastillas de leche (Bulacan milk candy)
Soft, sugar-rolled milk candies wrapped in paper
San Miguel in Bulacan, north of Manila, has made pastillas de leche from the rich milk of carabao, the water buffalo, for generations, and the town celebrates it every May with a festival. The candies are slow-cooked from little more than milk and sugar, rolled into fingers, coated in sugar and wrapped in coloured paper, often with fringed, cut-paper wrappers for fiestas and Christmas. They taste like a soft, milky fudge that melts on the tongue. Hand them round with coffee or tuck them into gift boxes. Carabao milk is hard to find, so this version uses whole cow's milk boosted with a little milk powder for the same richness. It is naturally egg-free: the milk solids, reduced with sugar, set into a firm paste on their own. Chef's tip: keep the heat at medium-low and scrape the base often. The common mistake is turning the heat up to save time, which scorches the milk and makes the paste grainy.
- Total time
- 95 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 4 ¼ cups whole milkor carabao's milk if you can find it
- 1 ⅜ oz full-fat milk powder
- 7 oz granulated sugar
- ½ tsp calamansi or lime zest (optional)finely grated
To coat
- 2 ⅛ oz granulated sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Whisk 1 ⅜ oz full-fat milk powder into 4 ¼ cups whole milk in a wide non-stick pan until smooth, then add 7 oz granulated sugar.
Step 2: Heat over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the milk steams, about 6 minutes. Do not let it boil over.
6 minStep 3: Simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes and scraping the base and sides, for 40 minutes, until reduced to a thick, pale beige cream.
40 minStep 4: Stir constantly for the last 10–15 minutes, adding ½ tsp calamansi or lime zest if using, until the paste reaches about 250°F, pulls away from the pan in one soft mass, and a small piece rolled between damp fingers holds its shape without sticking.
12 minStep 5: Spread the paste on a lightly oiled plate and leave for 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
20 minStep 6: Pinch off 15 g pieces and roll each into a 5 cm finger, then roll in 2 ⅛ oz granulated sugar. Wrap each in a square of paper and twist the ends. Keeps 5 days in a cool place, or 2 weeks in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 157 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pastillas de leche (Bulacan milk candy) take?
- About 95 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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