In Zamboanga, a dessert called the Knickerbocker is giving halo-halo a run for its money. In lieu of sugary fruit preserves, this tall glass is filled with fresh in-season fruits, nuts, jelly, fruit syrup, ice cream, and whipped cream.
[READ: Food origins: The halo-halo’s macapuno, nata de coco and kaong and how they’re made]
Watermelon is usually favored but you can also experiment with melon, dragon fruit, honeydew, and even papaya as we did in this recipe. Just stack everything together in a tall glass, top with ice cream and nuts and a ruby red piece of cherry.
Summer may be over but in this perpetually humid land, any sweet cool dessert—other than halo-halo—is welcome.
Knickerbocker recipe
Ingredients
½ cup each assorted fruits (watermelon, dragon fruit, honeydew, papaya)
¼ cup ube nata de coco
2 scoops ice cream/frozen yogurt
1 scoop whipped cream (chilled)
1 tbsp nuts of choice
2 tbsp fruit syrup
Cherries, optional
Preparation
- Peel and chop fruits into small cubes. Set aside.
- Whip chilled cream until medium peaks are achieved.
- In a chilled tall glass, layer fruits and nata de coco followed by whipped cream, scoops of ice cream or yogurt, syrup, nuts, and cherry.