Ice buko (coconut pops)

We're feeling the last of the summer breeze and the last couple of days have been grey and wet and humid.  Exacly the summer I grew up with back home. 

In the tropics.  Philippines.  Where I grew up.  

I spent most of my childhood in two places.  Subic Olongapo up north from Manila and Quezon which is south of Manila, where my grandparents were.  We'd be shuttled to the south during school holidays and back home after two months.  From the city to the country and back again. 

Two different worlds here, as Subic is monopolised by PX goods (PX meant Post Exchange or import restricted items from the US).  This was back in the day when the Subic was one of the Naval hubs in the Philippines.  While Quezon brings back memories of fresh, from-paddock-to-plate kind of food.  

There's a lot to look back to with childhood and what we ate back then and how food and consumers have evolved over the course of less than 20 years.  Compared to today's generation where there are so much variety and healthier options, one would think how we survived with canned food and loads of sugar in everything from cereals to juices -I'm thinking Tang orange juice here.  But not all my food memories were packed in tins and boxes and came from the freezer.  

Spending the holidays with my grandparents meant eating food from the local market - produce, meat and poultry grown by local farmers (back in the day when organic simply meant fresh, no regulations or certifying bodies), coffee beans grounded right there and coconut juice doesn't come in a tetra pack.  Trips to the market with my grandmother was always a treat where my prize for helping is a bag of freshly boiled peanuts, a glass of "palamig" (usually coconut juice with fresh coconut strips and some gulaman).

And afternoon play at the local playground meant waiting for the street vendors set up their kiosks in the afternoon offering the day's treats - and this ice buko (coconut) pops is just one of the many.  Ice buko (coconut) pops is a creamy, milk-based ice popsicle with some fresh coconut flesh and sometimes with sweetened adzuki beans (red mung beans).  They're the best treat after a day of hide-and-seek-running-climbing-trees-hop-scotch-outdoor-play-etc.

This recipe is inspired by one of my fave Filipino bloggers Jun Blog's -  ice buko with sweetened adzuki.

Thanks to Sophie from The Sticky and Sweet for hosting this month's theme at the Sweet Adventures Blog Hop.    Check out her Mars Bar Slice Cupcakes!    This was a fun theme, reminiscing about food from my childhood and the challenge to recreate them here.    I can't wait to see what the rest have created from their childhood memories. 

Ingredients:

2  330ml tetra packs organic coconut water*

1 397g can condensed milk

1 cup coconut cream

1 pack 494g shredded young coconut


Method:

Prepare ice pop moulds.
Or if you don't own one, prepare plastic cups and food-grade popsicles sticks.

Spoon a tablespoon each of the shredded coconut into the cups/moulds.

In a large bowl or a large measuring cup, mix thoroughly the coconut water, condensed milk and coconut cream.

Pour the coconut-cream mixture into the cups.

Place in the freezer until slightly set, about 30 minutes to an hour.

Place the popsicle sticks into the cups/moulds.

Freeze for another 4-6hours until solid.

Tips and tricks:

* You can use fresh young coconut juice bought from Asian shops or your local fruit and veg grocer.  And use 2 and half cups;

* I used C Coconut Water for convenience.  And after comparing the other brands available, this was the best I could get my hands on.  Most of the brands I found locally had sugar in them.  Check out the comparision review made by Coconut Water Australia to help you decide which brand to use. 

* If you can't get your hands on food-grade wooden popsicle sticks, you can also use wooden cutlery.  I actually used a wooden fork because I like the sticks are wider.

* To remove the popsicles from the plastic cups, place the popsicle under running water until loose.

Now, Sophie has got me reminiscing other things besides food from my childhood.  

 

I asked my Filipino friends and family on Facebook and what chlidhood food they miss growing up, and the response was just classic!  Here's what most of them are craving in no particular order:

1. Magnolia Chocolait;

2. White rabbit

3. Bazooka Joe bubble gum

4. Texas  and Tarzan bubble gum

5. Ice candy - homemade ice pops using fresh fruits pureed with juice

6.  Curly tops;

7. Horlicks malted milk tablets;

8. Haw flakes;

9. Kraft caramels;

10. Ice buko

How about the days when blank cassette tapes the means to get the latest pop music via the radio.  Waiting for my fave song to play on the radio and pressing record.

Typewriters.  Carbon paper.  Aerosol hair sprays (gah!!!). Shoulder pads. Casey Kasem's Top 40. MTV. Duran Duran.  Sony Walkman. The Donny and Marie show. ....  Hahaha!  I should stop!  I'm giving away too much!