SOFT & FLUFFY Ube Cheese Pandesal

INGREDIENTS:
Ube Cheese Pandesal Slurry:
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp ube halaya
2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Ube Cheese Pandesal Dough:
420 g all-purpose flour
2-3 tbsp all-purpose flour as needed for sticky dough
3 1/2 tbsp granulated white or brown sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter
13 g instant or active dry yeast
1 cup warm fresh whole milk
Virgin coconut oil for greasing
1 1/4 tsp Himalayan or sea salt
1 tsp McCormick ube extract

Ube Cheese Pandesal Sweet cheese filling:
226 g Philadelphia cream cheese
90 g grated mild cheddar cheese
3 tbsp granulated white or light brown sugar
Note: combine all ingredients, scoop 1 tbsp and form balls. Chill before using.

Ube cheese pandesal coating:
24 pieces crushed Nilla wafers

DIRECTIONS:
STEP 1 Make the slurry
1. Mix water, ube halaya and all-purpose flour. Stir until mixture is homogenous.
2. Pass it through a sieve to ensure a smooth slurry without lumps.
3. Pour the mixture into a sauce pan.
4. Put the sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until a slurry is formed.
5. Turn off heat. Set aside and cool completely.

STEP 2 Prepare the yeast mixture
1. Combine warm milk, butter and granulated sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the yeast. Make sure the milk is warm, not hot.
3. Set aside for 8-10 min until foamy.

STEP 3 Make the pandesal dough
1. Combine flour, yeast mixture and ube halaya.
2. Using a spatula, stir until a shaggy dough is formed.
3. Transfer to a work surface.
4. Knead for 10-12 min until smooth and elastic. Sprinkle some flour if too sticky and difficult to handle. Grease hands and bench scraper as needed.
5. Grease the dough then put into a greased bowl.
6. Cover and let rise for 45 min - 1 hour at room temperature. Note: dough with instant yeast may rise faster than active dry yeast.

STEP 4 Shape the pandesal
1. Punch down the dough.
2. Loosen the edges using a bench scraper.
3. Transfer to the work surface.
4. Flatten the dough then roll into a baton.
5. Cut into 12 pieces.
6. Shape dough into a ball. Place cheese filling on the dough ball then push it down. Wrap the filling with the dough. Shape it using the bench scraper shaping technique.
7. Coat pandesal with crushed Nilla wafers.
8. Transfer pandesal to a 13” x 9” baking tray then let rise for 30-45 min.

STEP 5 Bake the ube cheese pandesal
1. Bake pandesal at 350 F for 13 min then cover with aluminum foil.
2. Bake for another 9 min.
3. Leave in the pan for 5 min.
4. Transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy while warm.
5. Store leftovers in a resealable plastic bag/container. Refrigerate if not to be consumed in a day. Ube cheese pandesal will remain soft even when not reheated. It tastes like ensaymada!

EXTRA RECIPE Sweet cheese filling
Ingredients:
226 g Original Philadelphia cream cheese, sliced into cubes
90 g grated mild cheddar cheese
3 tbsp granulated white or brown sugar

Directions:
1. Combine cream cheese, mild cheddar cheese and sugar.
2. Mix using a spatula. Use an electric mixer if you have one.
3. Using a cookie scooper, scoop one tablespoon filling. You will make 12-13 balls.
4. Chill before using for your ube cheese pandesal recipe.