The Sapin sapin is a layered dessert made of glutinous rice and coconut in Filipino cuisine.
The dessert is recognizable by its layers, each colored separately, as ‘sapin’ means ‘layered’ in the Ibanag language.
It is composed of glutinous rice flour, locally known as malagkit, coconut milk, sugar, and colorants.
Usually it is sprinkled with latik* or toasted dried coconut flakes.
A traditional sapin-sapin recipe requires different flavors mixed in each layer such as: ube halaya (purple yam) in the purple layer and langka (jackfruit) in the yellow or orange layer, while the white layer remains unflavored.
The commercial version tends to have only food colorings and no added flavors to cut costs and speed up production.
Ingredients
- 23 oz glutinous rice flour
- 14 oz coconut milk
- 5.6 oz sugar
- as needed yellow food coloring
- as needed purple food coloring (or blue + red)
- as needed grated coconut (desiccated)
- as needed coconut oil
Tools
- 1 Baking Pan 8 inches
Steps
Combine the flour with the coconut milk and sugar.
Work the mixture and divide it into 3 bowls.
Add yellow food coloring to one bowl and purple to another.
In an 8-inch pan, spread some coconut oil and the first purple layer. Steam for 10 minutes.
Spread the yellow layer on top. Continue steaming for 10 minutes.
Complete with the white layer and steam for another 15 minutes.
Once cooled, invert the dessert onto a plate.
Toast the coconut in a pan until browned and sprinkle it over the dessert.
If you prefer to use *latik as a decoration, here’s the recipe:
In a pan over medium heat, add 1 cup of coconut cream (kakang gata) and bring to a boil.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid begins to thicken. Lower the heat and continue cooking. When the oil begins to separate and solids start to form, stir and scrape the sides and bottom of the pan regularly to prevent burning. Continue cooking and stirring until the curds turn golden.
Drain the latik from the oil and store them in separate containers until ready to use.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
*What is latik?
Latík refers to two different coconut-based ingredients in Filipino cuisine. In the Visayan region, it refers to a syrupy caramelized coconut cream (coconut caramel) used as a dessert sauce.
In Northern Philippines, it refers to the solid byproducts of coconut oil production (coconut curds), used as a topping for a variety of desserts, as in the case of sapin sapin.
