Pumpkin Spiced Puto Recipe

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If you are not familiar with Filipino foods, don’t let the name fool you. Although the Philippines was under Spanish rule for 300 plus years, Puto is a steamed rice cake or muffin. The term “puto” actually derives from India. Also a steamed rice dish, in Malayalam “puttu” means portioned. So as we all cozy up with a fresh cup of coffee, we can now enjoy a bite of some Pumpkin Spiced Portioned Rice Muffins. Whatever you want to call it, our Pumpkin Spiced Puto Recipe will give you a new Fall and Winter snack favorite.

Filipino Puto

There are many types of Filipino Puto. The common denominator is that it the are all made from steamed rice. Steamed rice dough that is, not from your Tiger ricer cooker. The different variations will differ in flavor and texture. The most common of the variety is the puto puti or “white puto”. Sometimes it will be made with a slice of cheese on top of it. They are great eaten with many Filipino dishes, or alone as a snack.

Kutsinta is my favorite. It is more so on the moist, gelatin side, and colored with Annatto Seeds. I’ll be sure to add my recipe for Kutsinta soon. Another favorite is the Puto Bombong. My kids love saying this so much that they call all variations of puto, Puto Bombong. This one is a little more difficult to make but I will be sure to get out a viable recipe before Christmas. Here is a list of the different varieties of puto.

Pumpkin Spiced Puto Recipe

The most challenging part of creating a new recipe is figuring out the ratios or proportions of each ingredient. Not to mention, using starches, like tapioca or rice flour has always been a scientific experiment for me. I have always used them in increments until I achieve my desired result. I have never solidified a number for a recipe.

Of course, the added challenge was the pumpkin flavor. I tried both pumpkin filling and puree. I wanted to add enough to get a good pumpkin flavor but you also have to factor in the fact that it is a liquid that will add to the moisture of the recipe. This would inevitably impact my dry mixtures, meaning that I would have to play around with the amount of rice flour. After many trials, I went with the filling. To increase that seasonal flavor, I also add some Pumpkin Spice. This can be found in the spice section of any grocery store. So to anyone who is learning how to cook, never give up! Mistakes might cost time and money but the learning experience is priceless.

For me coconut milk is my staple for the recipe. I have seen many recipes that do not use coconut milk. I like the subtle flavor and consistency that coconut milk adds to the overall outcome. You can use canned coconut milk to make the process even easier, but I like using the frozen Tropics brand whenever I use coconut milk.

Steaming Process

There are many ways that you can steam your mixture. The best way would be through stacked steamer bamboo basket or stainless steel pots. It isn’t crucial, but it is a good idea to wrap the lid of the stainless steel stack with a towel, to keep the water from dripping on your puto. When we have used the bamboo stack, I did not find it to be too much of a problem. Unless I somehow got lucky. In reality, it is not too much of a problem if you carefully remove the lid. Keeping the lid parallel to the pot and slowly moving it away will prevent water from dripping onto your molds.

Molds

I like using the individual, silicone molds when I make puto. The size I use can fit about a tablespoon and a half of batter, to reach the 3/4 mark of the mold. The best thing about the molds is that they do not consist of greasing and after a few minutes of cooling down, you can pull the sides down and plop out the puto and fill it right back up for the next batch.

Steam Timing

Depending on how big your molds are, you are going to steam your puto anywhere between 10 to 15 minutes. So you want a steady boil, rather than a volcano waiting to burst. Bring your water to a good boil and then turn it down to about medium, just before you steam your first batch. Check them at about 10 minutes. You should see that the tops are now breaded.

More reliable than using a timer, stick a toothpick into one of your bigger putos. If comes out relatively clean, they all can come and sit on a cooling rack. If it comes out sticky, with wet ingredients attached to it, then they are not quite done. Check the smaller ones before you close it up though. Also be sure that you have enough water at the bottom. The last thing that you want is to ruin the steam process by adding water. This will obviously change the temperature of the water.

Try substituting the pumpkin ingredients for Ube Halaya for another special treat.

Enjoy and feel free to send us pictures of your creation of our Pumpkin Spiced Puto Recipe! 

Masayang Pagluluto!

Kain na tayo!

Don’t forget your Puto shirt!!! Now available at the Korpino Feed Street Market.