How to Make Pastillas

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Pastillas, or pastillas de leche, are a sweet and sugary dessert that is well known and loved by many people in the Philippines. You can make this dessert without cooking at all, or you can do a bit of cooking to make this delicious treat. If you want to know how to make pastillas, just see Step 1 below to get started.

Ingredients

2 cups of powdered milk
1 can (14 oz.) of condensed milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of margarine

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making No-Cook Pastillas

1
Pour the powdered and condensed milk into a bowl. Just pour 2 cups of powdered milk and 1 can (14 oz.) of condensed milk into a bowl. This recipe should make about 80 candies.
2
Mix the powdered and condensed milk together. The mixture may be a little thick and hard to mix together, so have patience and a thick and sturdy spoon.

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3
Add the margarine to the mixture. Add 1 tablespoon of margarine to the mixture; alternately, you can use real butter. This will help add an extra creamy flavor to the treat. Mix it in with the other ingredients.
4
Shape your candy into circles or cylinders. Choose the shape you'd like for your pastillas; they can be circular, or they can be more cylindrical, like Tootsie Rolls. Just use your hands to give them their desired shape; you can wear gloves if you want to. Place the shaped candies on a plate.
5
Pour the sugar on a plate. Pour half a cup of sugar on a plate.
6
Roll the pastillas into the sugar. Make sure that all parts are covered.
7
Wrap the pastillas in cellophane. You can cut the cellophane in advance to get the desired shape. Then place the pastillas in the cellophane and wrap the ends of it.
8
Serve. Put the candies on a party plate and enjoy. You can have them for dessert or serve them as a snack whenever you like.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cooking Pastillas

1
Combine the condensed milk, powdered milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Make sure to stir the ingredients thoroughly as you heat them until they turn to a paste.
2
Bring the mixture to a boil.
3
Add the butter. Continue to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
4
Remove from heat. Take the pan off the stove and move the mixture you've cooked into a bowl. Let it cool for at least 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is cool enough to be touched but still a bit warm.
5
Shape the mixture. Use your hands or a knife to shape the mixture into bite-sized candies. You can make a circular shape, a cylinder, a cube, or whatever shape you want. You should make about 80 pieces.
6
Roll the candy lightly in sugar. Use your hands to make sure each piece is lightly but evenly covered in sugar.
7
Wrap the candy in the cellophane. Place each piece of candy in the center of a cellophane square and roll it into a cylinder or whatever shape you like, and tuck the ends of the cellophane into the roll.
8
Serve. Enjoy this tasty candy at any time of day.

Community Q&A

Question

Is adding margarine optional?

Community Answer

Yes, this is entirely optional.
Question

What kind of milk to be used?

Community Answer

You need both powdered and condensed milk. The brands do not matter.
Question

How long do pastillas last?

Community Answer

They usually last 2-3 days, based on my experience. Store them in an air tight container.