Puto Donuts with Cheese Glaze, Bacon, and Salted Egg

In Manila, a few things are inescapable: crippling traffic, political driven tirades on social media, and viral worthy food. (an oozing cheese tart, anyone?) But with the growing popularity of desserts blowing up in social media, a few local favorites have grown out of favor. Gone are the days of middle aged ladies donned in colorful sarongs hawking treats comfortably perched on their heads. Now, you’re more likely to find these once ubiquitous delicacies in commercial bakeshops.

A default term for native rice-based sweets, puto is widely believed to have been derived from the Indian puttu. Unsurprisingly, we share this unique side dish with Malay countries around Southeast Asia. Similar to its predecessor, the Filipino adaptation is made with ground rice, steamed to cook, and can be served alongside rich stews or on its own. We reimagine the traditional rice cake as a puto donut, albeit without the frying. Generously doused with an unctuous cheese glaze and sprinkled with crunchy bacon and sharp salted egg, providing a contrast to the sweetness of the bread.

Puto Donuts with Cheese Glaze, Bacon, and Salted Egg

Yield: 12 servings

Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes (15 mins prep / 2 hours freezing / 15 mins cooking)

Ingredients

2 packs puto mix

½ cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

¼ cup cheddar cheese

4 salted egg yolks, frozen

bacon, for garnish

Procedure