Recipe File: Doing business has never been this sweet

MANILA, Philippines - The Maya Kitchen shares these easy, tasty treats that are sure to get your home-negosyo to a good start. Ube powder and flavoring adds a new twist to everyone’s old favorite, maja blanca. Pandan lends a fragrant aroma and distinct color to cake bars while lemon and almonds dress up a bread roll.

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Pandan Cake Bars

Ingredients;

Pandan juice:

2 stalks pandan leaves 

1 cup water

Cake:

5 pcs.whole eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. pandan flavoring or extract

1/2 tsp. food coloring green

2 tsps. melted butter

1 cup Maya Cake Flour

Butter-cream Icing:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2cup whipping cream

pinch of green food color

1/2 cup pandan juice

1/2 tsp. pandan extract

1/2cup butter

rice crispies

Procedure:

Prepare pandan juice: In a saucepan, boil water with the pandan leaves until fragrant. Cool.

Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Grease, line and grease a jelly roll pan. Set aside

In a mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Add sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff peaks stage. Stir in egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Lastly, add pandan flavoring, food color and melted butter to the egg yolk mixture. Sift flour over mixture and fold lightly. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Unmold cake and peel off paper lining, cut into bars, set aside.

Prepare butter-cream icing: Blend sugar, cream, food color, pandan juice and extract. Chill for a few minutes. In a bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually pour in the chilled mixture while continuously beating until smooth.

To assemble: Spread one layer with some of the icing and sprinkle with rice crispies. Top with another cake layer. Frost top of cake and decorate with the remaining icing and rice crispies. Chill before serving.