• 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 cup whole milk, warm
• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Filling
• 1 1/2 cups Ube Halaya
• Ube Halaya
• 12 ounces of evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2.2 pounds purple yams
• 1 10 ounce can of condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine warm water (110°F) with active yeast in a stand

mixer with the hook attachment. Let stand for 10 minutes

until foamy. In another bowl whisk together whole milk,

melted butter and one egg.

In the bowl of your stand mixer with dough hook

attachment, add fl our, sugar, salt and yeast mixture.

Slowly add milk mixture.

Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be sticky

to the touch. Place dough in an oiled the bowl and cover

with plastic wrap and cover with a clean kitchen towel

and allow it to rise in a warm place for about two hours,

until doubled in size.

Prepare Ube Halaya.

Peel and cut fresh yams in cubes and put into a pot, fi ll

with water covering all yams (about 2 inches above yams).

Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, approximately

20-30 minutes.

Strain yams and while warm, press yams through a potato

ricer. You can just mash them but to make a really smooth

ube halaya it is necessary to use a potato ricer.

In a large wok, whisk one can evaporated milk and sugar

until sugar is dissolved. Then add riced yams and one can

of condensed milk.

Stir continuously over medium heat (never turning

burner up) or it will burn and stick to the bottom of the

wok. Keep cooking and stirring until it reaches a thick,

spreadable consistency. You will know when it is done

when your spoon leaves a path behind it as you move

through the halaya. Stir in vanilla. Cool.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into an

18-inch circle. Try to make each circle as close to the

same size as possible. Spread ube halaya evenly over circle

(leave a 1/4 inch bare around the edge of the circle) place

second circle on top, repeat topping with fourth circle.

Put plate on top and make sure that all four layers are

in an even circle, trimming excess. Place a three inch

cookie cutter or glass in center of the circle.

Using a sharp knife, cut the circle into 16 equal strips,

from the cutter to the edge, through all the layers.

Using two hands, pick up two adjacent strips and twist

them away from each other twice so that the top side is

facing up again and gently squeeze ends together tucking

underneath. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough

so that you end up with eight pairs of strips. Let rest for

30 minutes, lightly covered. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with white sparkling

sugar. Bake 35 minutes until golden.