Yema Balls

Photo above shows (jaundiced) yema balls and ube balls. I experimented for the purpose of using them as filling for ensaymada, per Bobong's suggestion.

I looked for recipes for yema, but many have mashed potatoes...don't know why, but my instincts told me there should be none. I then checked out a youtube vid. . No recipe there, but I had something in mind, and I think the cook and I felt the same way about yema not having potatoes. So I made up my own. However, since this was experimental, I thought I'd try to shortcut the cooking process by using microwave. And when the resulting yema was somewhat chewy, I thought of adding granulated sugar and reheating some more to make it easier to bite into once cold (gritty, though). Then instead of coating the yema balls with caramelized sugar, I did not bother because it would be a filling anyway. (The first batch I experimented on I rolled in granulated sugar, but that batch was too dry because I was waiting for the yema to turn brown. Big mistake.)

The process is simple enough, but not practical for big batches.

I did some more experiment because I wanted to come up with yema as I remembered them: brown and soft, not chewy. Those were the yema that I remember being wrapped in cellophane as small pyramids. I think I came close to it in my succeeding experiments, but that will be for another post in the near future.

Ingredients:
1 can condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar

Instructions:

Pour the content of 1 can condensed milk into a big microwaveable bowl (if you use a small one, it might boil over and spill). Put on your gloves as this can get hot. Microwave for 1-2 minutes on high while keeping watch (microwave ovens vary, you know). If you see it starting to boil and rise, stop and stir.

Once it has started to boil, microwave in increments of 10 seconds and stir. There will be a point in time that it can't rise anymore, kinda just deflates, but repeatedly do the microwave-stir cycles until the consistency is thick but still very runny(this is a jaundiced dulce de leche at this point). Do not wait for this to get brown, because then it will be too dry and will be hard when it gets cold (that happened to my first attempt)

Take out the bowl. Get the eggs and separate the whites. (Use the whites for something like meringue, macaroons, or sans rival, or plainly fry them or add to soups). Add the yolks to the dulce and microwave again until it creates bubbles again (this way you know the egg was cooked). Stir and repeat until it becomes almost like paste. Add the sugar and stir, microwave for 10 seconds and stir and repeat. Check once cool enough to handle if it is tacky but does not stick to your skin.

Cool completely and shape into balls.