A Recipe for Cap'N Crunch Halo-Halo
♬ Corn for crunch, oats for punch, and it stays crunchy—even in this classic icy Filipino dessert ♬
The recipe box is a collection of recipes and techniques from my favorite cookbooks—everything from up-and-coming titles to tried-and-true favorites from my collection. (Though you may see some original recipes here from time to time, too 😉) You can check out TOD’s archive of past recipes here if you’re looking for some meal inspiration.
Hi, hello. Happy Wednesday to everyone—it’s so good to be back. Thanks again for your understanding. It’s been a little crazy in my world (it low-key still is, with travel, things getting busy at my day job, freelance work, and preparing for an art show next month here in Chicago on Asian food storytelling), so a two-week break was more than necessary.
The temps have been climbing here in Chicago, signaling the first signs of what’s objectively (no, but seriously) the best season to be in the city—one of picnics with friends by the lakefront, sunbathing on the beach, and long walks on the 606. Iced desserts, naturally, hit differently for me during this time; that’s saying a lot as somebody who’ll order an iced coffee even in the middle of a Midwest snowstorm. This is the time for bingsu and strawberry shaved ice finished off with a dusting of li hing powder, for froyo (which I have no shame in admitting that I like)—and if not that, cracking open a can of lychees to eat (syrup and all) with a few large ice cubes in my bowl (a particularly nostalgic treat from my Thai-Chinese upbringing).
Speaking of iced desserts …
Since we’ve gotten lots of new friends here lately, I thought it’d be nice to bring back this throwback recipe for Cap’n Crunch halo-halo. I interviewed Dale Talde (of Goosefeather and Tastemade’s All Up In My Grill) last summer about growing up Filipino-American in Chicago, and how his love for the traditional dishes his mother made at home (think sinigang and adobo) was only rivaled by his fascination for Americana food like burgers, chicken nuggets, and Hot Pockets. (If you’re a new subscriber, you can check that out here).
I’d shared Dale’s recipe for his personal take on halo-halo at the very end of our Q&A, but it’s enough of a showstopper that I thought it deserved its own dispatch. For those who don’t know, halo-halo is a Filipino shaved ice dessert loaded with toppings that span a diverse range of textures and tastes. Though this is very much a choose-your-own adventure kind of situation, there’s some intention required; having an element of crunch, an element of chew, an element of creaminess are what make for a texturally interesting eating experience. (Most Southeast Asian iced desserts employ ingredients like—but are certainly not limited to—corn, palm seeds, roasted peanuts, and sweetened beans to achieve this. If you’d like to learn more, I penned a piece for Dill Magazine several years ago about the topic).
“When I was growing up, we used Rice Krispies as one of our [halo-halo] toppings—and I’m, like, ‘Man, it’s like a whack-ass topping,’” Dale recalled to me over our phone call last summer. “They have no flavor, and after two seconds it’s 100% soaked through with whatever. I was thinking, if we’re going to go down the cereal route, why don’t we put in my favorite cereal—Cap’n crunch? It stays crunchier. It has an interesting texture. There’s way more flavor.”
His recipe begins with a syrup made from coconut water that gets infused with lemongrass and a bit of chili, which is poured over a mound of shaved ice—but not before loading it up with large tapioca pearls, macapuno, nata de coco, jammy braised mango with coconut milk, and a variety of fruit. (Dealer’s choice here. I personally opted for some canned lychees and oranges since that’s what I had on hand, but jackfruit or bananas would work beautifully here). The final and most important ingredient? A handful of Cap’n Crunch scattered over the top for a satisfying element of … well, crunch.
You can find many of these components either online or at your local Asian grocery store; the pantry aisles should boast plenty of canned goodies that would work beautifully in this summertime treat. Have a great rest of the week, everyone. Paid subscribers, don’t think I forgot you—in the spirit of iced desserts, you’ll be getting a fun recipe from Pooja Bavishi’s new book in your inboxes on Friday morning.
Recipe courtesy of Dale Talde
Serves 4 generously
For the mango
1 (14 ounce) can well-shaken coconut milk
1 cup unsweetened dried mango, sliced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the milky lemongrass tea
2 cups coconut water (i.e. Vita Coco or Zico brand)
2 large lemongrass stalks, lightly smashed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves
½ fresh red Thai chili, halved lengthwise with seeds
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
For the halo halo
8 cups shaved ice (ideally from an ice shaver)
1 cup cooked large pearl tapioca
1 cup macapuno strings (aka coconut sport)
1 cup drained nata de coco (aka coconut gel)
1 cup mixed fresh fruit (i.e. bananas, mango, pineapple, blueberries, lychee), sliced/cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup Cap'n Crunch (or your favorite sugary cereal!)
For the mango:
Combine coconut milk, mango, and salt in a small saucepan along with ¼ cup water and bring to a simmer over high heat.
Reduce the heat and gently simmer until the mango is rehydrated but not falling apart, about 20 minutes.
Let cool, cover, and keep in the fridge until it's well chilled, but no more than 2 hours.
For the milky lemongrass tea:
Combine the coconut water, lemongrass, lime leaves, and chile in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the mixture steep for about 20 minutes.
Strain, pressing then discarding the solids.
Stir in the condensed milk until smooth.
Cover and keep it in the fridge until it's well chilled, but no more than 2 hours.
For the halo halo:
Right before you're ready to eat, layer the ice, the mango mixture, and the solid ingredients in four tall, wide glasses or bowls. Pour the lemongrass tea over each bowl.