Otap

Laminated like a puff pastry, then flattened hard so the layers bake out instead of up.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (butter).

Ingredients

• 300 g plain flour
• 200 g butter, cold, in thin slices
• 120 ml ice water
• 60 g desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 150 g caster sugar, for rolling

Method

1. THIS ONE IS LAMINATED -- butter folded into dough in layers, like a rough puff. That lamination is what makes an otap shatter rather than crumble.
2. Rub a quarter of the butter into the flour and salt, then add the water to a rough dough. Rest it 20 minutes.
3. Roll to a rectangle, lay the remaining butter slices over two thirds, fold in three, turn 90 degrees. Repeat three times, chilling 20 minutes between each.
4. On the last roll, scatter the coconut over and fold it in.
5. Roll out to 4 mm and cut ovals. Press each one firmly into the caster sugar on both sides.
6. NOW FLATTEN THEM AGAIN, hard, with the heel of your hand. A puff pastry is meant to rise; an otap is meant to go sideways, and if you skip this you get a sugary vol-au-vent.
7. Bake at 190C for 15 to 18 minutes until deep gold and the sugar has caramelised at the edges.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Philippines · All recipes