Buko Pandan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (about 12×16-inch) frozen pandan leaf
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups coconut water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon agar-agar powder
• 1 to 2 drops green gel food coloring
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (7.6-ounce) can table cream or 8 ounces light cream
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pandan extract
• 1 (12-ounce) jar nata de coco (coconut gel) in syrup
• 1 (12-ounce) jar kaong (palm nut) in syrup
• 1 (20-oz) can young coconut meat or pulp in syrup

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Let 1 frozen pandan leaf sit at room temperature until thawed, then tie into a knot.
2. Coat an 8×8-inch square metal pan with cooking spray. Line it with parchment paper along the bottom and over two opposite sides to create a sling. Gently wipe off any excess spray on the sides of the pan with a paper towel. (Alternatively, use a glass or ceramic 8×8-inch square pan, no need to coat with cooking spray or line with parchment.)
3. Make the gulaman (jelly): Place the pandan knot, 1 1/2 cups coconut water, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon agar-agar powder in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture starts to boil and the agar-agar and sugar are dissolved 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to boil for 2 minutes more. Add 1 to 2 drops of green gel food coloring and stir to combine. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Discard the pandan leaf.
4. Immediately pour the mixture into the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
5. Refrigerate uncovered until completely chilled, about 1 hour. Grasping the excess parchment paper, pull the gulaman slab out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into flower shapes with a 1-inch flower cookie cutter or into 1/2-inch squares. (If you used a glass pan, just cut directly in the pan.)
6. Place 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 (7.6-ounce) can table cream or 1 cup light cream, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pandan extract in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. (If your extract is not green, you can add a few drops green gel food coloring to this mixture if you would like it to be green.) Add the gulaman and stir to combine.
7. Place a large colander set in the sink. Pour the contents of 1 (12-ounce) jar nata de coco in syrup, 1 (12-ounce) jar kaong in syrup, and 1 (20-ounce) can young coconut meat in syrup into the colander to drain. Cut the young coconut meat into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears.
8. Transfer the contents of the colander to the bowl with the gulaman. Gently fold together with a flexible spatula until combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve cold.

RECIPE NOTES

Pandan leaf substitution: An additional 1/4 cup pandan extract can be added to the condensed milk mixture if you can’t find frozen pandan leaves.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.