Yema

It is hard to resist these little golden balls of creamy, custard goodness enclosed in a tender, brittle caramel coating. The old-fashioned yema candy is no longer always available. This is one of my son's favorite, I suppose he inherited his sweet tooth from me! :)











Ingredients:

• 1 cup egg yolks ( approximately 6 egg yolks)
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon dayap juice (lime juice)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• oil

Double boiler
Cookie sheet
Scoop or teaspoon

Yema Syrup:

• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup water

Procedure:

1. Combine egg yolks, condensed milk, and dayap juice in a double boiler. Stir continuously while cooking over low heat.

2. Mixture is cooked when it is thick and lumpy. Add a spoonful of butter to the thickened mixture and mix well. Let cool.

3. Brush the cookie sheet with a little oil. To prevent candy mixture from sticking, oil the palm of your hands as well. Scoop portions of the egg yolk mixture. With the hands, roll these into 1 1/2-inch balls. Set aside on oiled cookie sheet. Insert a toothpick into each
yema ball.

4. Prepare the syrup
a. In a small pan, over low heat, burn one to two teaspoons of the sugar. Remove from heat. Stir 1 cup sugar into the the burnt sugar; return pan to low heat. Add water and bring mixture to a low boil without stirring. The burned sugar gives the syrup its golden color.

b. syrup is ready after about ten minutes of low boiling. To test, with a teaspoon, scoop a small amount of syrup and dip it in a saucer of water. If the syrup forms into a hard ball candy, it is ready to coat the yema balls. Remove from heat.

5. Dip yema balls into the syrup. Work fast because the syrup solidifies within a few minutes. Put the yema balls back on the greased cookie sheet and allow the syrup to cool and harden. Serve on a candy tray or wrap in cellophane and store in a candy jar.

6. For a simpler version of the yema, omit syrup. Just roll the yema balls in sugar and serve unwrapped on trays or boxes.