DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION OF BAKED PASTILLAS WITH CARABAO’S

MILK BY THE BAKESHOP AND PASTRY OF BULACAN STATE UNIVERSITY

JENEBETH D. SEVILLA & NERISSA C. CALARA

College of Hospitality and Tourism Management (CHTM)

Bulacan State University, City of Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines

ABSTRACT

Pastillas, literally known as milk candies, is an integral part of food culture, and one of

the favorite sweet delicacies or desserts among Filipinos. Traditionally such sweet munchies are

made from carabao’s milk and sugar, now with different flavors. The well-known ‘Pastillas De

Borlas’, smooth in texture, creamy, shaped into small cylinder, and wrapped into tin and shiny

paper is worthy of recognition in specifically in Bulacan and in Pampanga. This study examined

the developed and production of baked pastillas with carabao’s milk produced by the Bulacan

State University (BulSU) bakeshop and pastry. The study specified the development and

production of the produce as well as the carabao’s milk as a highlight ingredient of the product.

The researchers subjected the merchandise into microbial testing including its aerobic plate

count, total coliform count, total yeast and molds count, and staphylococcus aureus count. Using

survey questionnaires on randomly selected clients of the BulSU baked shop and pastry, the

acceptability of the product was attained. The product Passed the standard value showing the

sensory attributes with an overall mean of 4.5 and with the verbal interpretation of Best.

KEY WORDS: baked pastillas, development, production, delicacy

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

INTRODUCTION

Millions of people around the world love sweets. In many ways, they look forward to a

bite taste of sweets or a balance of savory, bitter, sour, and salty tastes. Other reason is to

overcome hunger, sleepy times, stresses, if not to make them physically and mentally active.

Sweets and delicacies have been tempting packed grub to kids while to grown-ups, they have

craved for these delicacies. They were quite laborious to make and not all households make their

own. Most would rather buy. In the Philippines, confections qualify when something is made to

another or using new ingredients. Such innovation is a real labor of love and they are ‘Filipino

originals'.

Sweets are one of the famous delicacies, one of which is the ‘pastillas’ made of carabao’s

milk, a well-known product in San Miguel Bulacan. Sweets industry have been the grassroots

(the main source of income) in the place. Elders have kept on telling that their pastillas were

unique and popular because of their main ingredient, the carabao’s milk. Since theirs is an

agricultural place, carabao has become their place’ tackle this is why there was abundance of

milk making them produce pastillas made of carabao’s milk. Plumped with sugar coats smooth

in texture, creamy, shaped into small cylinder, and wrapped into tin and shiny paper, ‘Pastillas

De Borlas’ was one of Bulacan and Pampanga’s most popular delicacies.

In the millennial generation, the fusions of different foods had come out into a

new developed and produced creation, delicious and appetizing for the people. Such sweets were

produced through slow cooking or by simmering the milk, formed cylinder in shape, rolled in

sugar, and wrapped until dough had its consistency. In the study, upon reaching the dough

consistency stage and before wrapping the pastillas, the researchers used a baking method to

prolong the shelf life of the product. The study sought to clarify how the pastillas with carabao’s

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

milk was developed and produced at the BulSu bakeshop and pastry. To determine the microbial

quality, the researchers subjected the merchandise into microbial testing including its aerobic

plate count, total coliform count, total yeast and molds count, and staphylococcus aureus count.

METHODS

The study was quantitative in nature. The research focused on the acceptability of baked

pastillas of BulSU bakeshop and pastry. A sample product was tested for microbiological

assessment for its shelf life. In addition, a set of questionnaires was distributed and collated from

client testing the product’s acceptability.

For the ingredients, the researchers prepared the following: 200 grams of carabao’s milk;

200 grams of condensed milk; 1000 grams of powder milk; 50 grams of dayap zest; and 150

grams of sugar for coating. They cleaned and sanitized the utensils, needed materials, and the

area of work with chlorine solution to assure cleanliness and absence from contamination of any

bacteria.

As to the finished product, it was subjected to microbial analyses at BulSU-DOST Food

Testing Laboratory for survey evaluation. Before the survey, the researchers secured a

permission to the university president and other officials to conduct a survey from the client of

BulSU bakeshop and pastry. Using a 5-Point Likert Scale, the respondents rated the product

based on its color, aroma (carabao’s milk flavor), tastes (sweetness), and texture.

After the questionnaires were retrieved, a matrix was prepared where all the responses

were tallied prior to statistical analysis using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS

version 21.0). Frequency and percentage distribution were used to describe the clients’

acceptability of the product, as well as their recommendations and suggestions classified based

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

on their ideas, and summary of the microbial quality of the baked pastillas with carabao’s milk.

The study was conceptualized and done in the middle part of the Academic Year 2019.

THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

• Brainstorming
• Interviews
• Concepts
• Preparation of
• Ingredients for Developed Baked
baked pastillas
baked pastillas Pastillas with Carabao’s
• Microbial
carabao’s milk Milk produced by
analyses
University Baked Shop
(200 grams carabao’s milk, • Survey
and Pastry
200 grams condensed questionnaire
milk, 1000 grams powder • Statistical tools
milk, 50 grams dayap, 150
grams granulated sugar)

The above conceptual framework consists of Input, Process, and Output (IPO) structure.

The first frame, the Input entails brainstorming, interviews, concepts, and ingredients for baked

pastillas. The Process, on the other hand, includes preparation of baked pastillas, microbial

analyses, survey questionnaire, and statistical tools. Finally, the Output contains the developed

baked pastillas with carabao’s milk.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The baked pastillas was found rich in iron, calcium, and phosphorus that the human body

needs. The microbiological properties of the sample product were analyzed. Varied tests were

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

done to meet the standard value to include Aerobic Plate, Coliform, Yeast and Molds, as well as

the staphylococcus aureus counts.

Table 1. The Microbiological Properties of Baked Pastillas

Types of Test Actual Value Results

Aerobic Plate Count Less than 10³cfus/g sample Passed

Total Coliform Count Less than 10²cfus/g sample Passed

Total Yeast and Molds Count Less than 10²cfus/g sample Passed

Staphylococcus aureus count Less than 10²cfus/g sample Passed

Table 1 shows the tests and the careful analyses done to meet the standards of

microbiological test, which were Aerobic Plate count with an actual value of less than 10³cfus/g

sample, Coliform count with less than 10 ²cfus/g sample, Yeast and Molds count with less than

10² cfus/g sample, and staphylococcus aureus count with an actual value of less than 10² cfus/g

sample. All the tests made passed all the parameters of microbiological analyses with in the

(BFAD) Bureau of Food and Drug Microbiological Standards, Department of Health.

The baked pastillas with carabao’s microbiological quality could be attributed to the

freshness and good quality of ingredients. Sanitizing procedure were also applied to ensure and

secure not to contaminate the product and maintain its excellence.

To test the product’s acceptability of the sensory attributes, the following scale was used:

1 to mean ‘poor’, 2 to mean ‘fair’, 3 to mean ‘better’, 4 to mean ‘good’, and 5 to mean ‘best’

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

 The baked pastillas also undergone sensory evaluation to test its acceptability. Results

showed the following: in color, the mean score was 4.0 with a verbal interpretation of good. As

to the texture, the mean score was 4.9 with the verbal interpretation of best. As to the taste, the

mean score was 4.7 with the verbal interpretation of best while in aroma, the mean score was 4.4

with the verbal interpretation of good. As to the overall acceptability, the mean score was 4.5

with the verbal interpretation of best. Based from the respondents, the results were achieved as

shown in the table below.

Table 2. The Sensory Properties of Baked Pastillas

Sensory Attribute Mean Verbal Interpretation

Color 4.0 Good

Texture 4.9 Best

Taste 4.7 Best

Aroma 4.4 Good

Overall Acceptability 4.5 Best

Based from Rana-Parducho’s (1982) study, milk candies made from carabao’s milk were

found high in fat, protein, and more yielding than cow’s milk. Past and present studies revealed

that the carabao’s milk was good for entrepreneurial purposes.

CONCLUSION

This research studied the acceptability of baked pastillas with carabao’s milk produced by

BulSU baked shop and pastry. The natural aroma and taste of carabao’s milk was one of the

traditional food hungering ingredients of the Generation X’s (people born from 1961 to 1981)

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

young age. Based from the sample subjected to the microbiological analyses and the sample

passed all the parameters of microbiological quality. Based on the observation of the researchers,

the shelf life of the baked pastillas with carabao’s milk ranged from 6 months to 1 year

depending on the type of packaging and storing of the products. The developed product based

from the data gathered from the respondents’, every sensory attribute was rated best. From the

sample presented to the respondents, few suggestions were given specifically on the product’s

color. It recommended that for the creation to have a distinction from cookies, the color must be

distinct considered for a baked product. Distinctness in color could be done by a bit reducing the

sugar coat in baked pastillas with carabao’s milk.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Even Filipinos love a bite size of pastillas, the product had had few suggestions.

Researchers were suggested to improve the product by: (1) lessening the pastillas’ sugar coat, (2)

taking uniform sizes of the product, (3) having the pastillas’ color distinct (similar to other

cookies), and (4) making the product’s small cylindrical in shape making it original. It was also

recommended that other researchers consider doing the original recipe considering other

attributes aside from the texture, appearance, color, aroma, and shelf life which was tested in the

present study. It was also endorsed for future researchers to try other wrapper (‘pabalat’) for the

product to become more popular gifts (‘pasalubong’) among locals and tourists (‘balikbayans’)

visiting the province of Bulacan and nearby communities in the region.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Filipino-food-recipes.com Not just a recipe site! (2019). What's Your Favorite Kakanin or Native

Delicacies? www.filipino-food-recipes.com

Out of Town Blog (2019). Philippines Most Loved Native Delicacies: Top 10 Kakanin in the

Philippines.

Pinoy Adventurista (2019). The Art of Bulacan Pastillas Wrapper Making. Retrieved September

10, 2019 from: https://www.pinoyadventurista.com

Rana-Parducho, Rosita (1982) Pastillas De Leche from Carabao’s and Cow’s Milk. Retrieved
September 10, 2019.

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Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988

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Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3501988