Make Your Own Old-School Pandan Waffles & Gula Melaka Ice Cream

Just in case you fancy an accompanying project to the waffles. The only fancy contraption you need is a waffle maker. You don’t even need to make pandan juice for these because it calls for pandan paste or essence.

Makes 3 x 20cm round waffles

Ingredients:

125g plain flour

50g caster sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 good pinch of salt

1 egg

½ tsp green pandan paste flavouring or 1 tsp pandan essence

½ tsp green food colouring (optional)

200ml coconut milk

5 tbsp neutral cooking oil, like canola, sunflower or corn

Method:​​​​​​​

1. Place flour, sugar, baking powder & salt in a bowl. Whisk to mix.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, pandan paste, food colouring (if using), coconut milk and cooking oil.

3. Dump the wet mixture into the flour mixture and whisk till the batter is smooth. Set the batter aside for 30 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge, covered.

4. Preheat your waffle machine.

5. Grease it with non-stick cooking spray or by brushing it lightly with oil.

6. Pour batter into the waffle maker, being careful not to overfill it, and cook till both sides are lightly golden. Serve with ice cream (below) & a drizzle of gula melaka syrup, if desired. Or eat it on its own with butter & kaya.

Even if you don’t own a waffle maker, you can still whip up this yummy ice cream as it doesn't require any special equipment other than arm strength (though you can use an electric mixer if you have it). Condensed milk gives it body is that it's rich and creamy despite requiring no churning. Caveat: it melts more quickly than usual, so eat it ASAP once it’s served.

Makes about 800ml

Ingredients:

250ml whipping cream

400g tin condensed milk

120g chopped gula Melaka

1 tsp salt

Method:​​​​​​​

1. Place condensed milk and gula melaka in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mixture to simmer and the gula melaka to completely dissolve, stirring often. Add salt, stir & set aside. Allow to cool completely before using.

2. In a separate bowl or using electric stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream on high speed till you get medium peaks. The cream should resemble a gently curved beak of a bird when you overturn the whisk (like softly whipped cream).

3. Slowly drizzle a third of the gula melaka mixture into the whipped cream and using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, fold gently to combine. Gradually add the rest of the gula melaka mixture, stopping occasionally to fold it in, and continue till all of it is evenly combined.

4. Pour into a container, cover and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving. Keeps for a week.

Annette Tan