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Who doesn’t love pastillas de leche? Made primarily with milk and sugar, the sweet treat has been relied on many times to make other desserts like ice cream, pie and cheesecake. On its own, pastillas de leche, which literally means milk pills or tablets, has been transformed so many times and in so many different and ingenous ways. Here are four new incarnations of our favorite treat we surveyed while perusing the stalls at Tiendesitas Delicacies Village (Ortigas cor E Rodriguez Jr Avenues, Pasig; www.facebook.com/tiendesitas; +63 2 6355680. Daily 11am-12am).
1. Stuffed Pastillas
Shaped like a square hopia, these pastillas bars from EJ’s Pastillas from Baguio are stuffed with either ube or yema. Because of its shape, it is more compact, has more body and bite, and satisfies your milky craving much faster. Available at VMJ Greens, PHP6 each and PHP140/box.
2. Toasted Pastillas
Don’t mistake these golden-colored poppers for croutons! These toasted pastillas, from Julo’s, are not like the others that have been rolled in sugar then torched or baked. These have been tossed in butter then oven toasted, making it a bit dry but super delightful. Available at VMJ Greens, PHP140 a pack.
3. Flavored Pastillas
Given its simple composition, pastillas makes for an easy canvass for a myriad of flavor infusions. EJ’s Pastillas from Baguio (PHP8/each) has mixed theirs with typical favorites like ube, pandan, chocolate and strawberry, while Sitsirya gets more playful with varieties like shredded carrot, ripe jackfruit and young coconut with screw pine extracts. EJ’s Pastillas from Baguio available at VMJ Greens, PHP8/each; Sitsirya avaiable at Sitsirya stall, PHP190 for a box of 36.
4. Bottled Pastillas
For times when you just want to devour a spoonful of pastillas and don’t want to let wrappers get in the way of momentary bliss, you have this bottled pastillas. Available at Sitsirya stall, PHP135/small and PHP260/big.
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