PUTO PAO

The latest craze in Filipino snack food. Combine puto and siopao and you get puto pao.



Puto Batter:

• 2 cups cake flour (or 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 3/4 cornstarch)
• 1/4 cup sugar substitute like Splenda (or 1/2 cup sugar)
• 2 tbs baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk or fat free half and half
• 4 egg whites, beaten until soft peaks form
• shredded mozarella cheese or other quick-melt cheese
  

Directions:

1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add milk and stir until well mixed.


2. Fold in egg whites.


3. Fill muffin pan or ramekin half full, add a teaspon of filling (see below) and then add a little bit more batter to cover the filling. Sprinkle cheese on top.


4. Steam for 20 minutes.

I like oggi's way of preparing the muffin pan (although she uses puto mould's but I think it will work with ramekins and muffin pans, too). she lines the pan with banana leaf cut out in rounds. I will try this next time.



Siopao Filling:

Typically, the filling is made of shredded pork or chicken sauteed in onions, soy sauce and sugar. I used leftover beef roast and shredded the beef, adding yoshida gourmet sauce 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the desired taste. I sprinkle a pinch of crushed pepper for a little kick.