Yema

These little balls are made with the simplest ingredients—eggs and sugar—yet they taste so good that one piece is never enough. When forming them into balls, dust hands with sugar to keep the mixture from sticking to your palms.


Makes 40 balls  Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cooking Time 1 hour


For the filling
36 egg yolks
12 whole eggs
1 kilo white sugar

For the caramel coating
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar


1  Combine egg yolks and whole eggs withwhite sugar in a double boiler. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is thick.
2  Cool mixture, then form into balls and sprinkle with sugar. Keep yema balls in the refrigerator while you prepare the caramel coating.
3  In a heavy duty saucepan, mix  white sugar, water, and cream of tartar. Boil until sugar has completely dissolved and turned caramel in color.
4  Then dip each yema ball in the syrup. Work quickly before the caramel hardens. Set dipped yema balls on a pan greased with oil or lined with a nonstick Silicone sheet. Cool completely.


Photography by David Hanson  | Food Styling by Gene Gonzalez of CACS | Prop Styling by Sharlene Tan Props from Rustan’s Department Store