Halo-Halo

Place pineapple chunks and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir together with a spoon until all the pineapple chunks are evenly coated with the sugar. Cover with a lid, and chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours. (The macerated fruit should be translucent when it’s ready.) Using a cheesecloth and gloves, squeeze the juices out of the pineapple chunks into a medium bowl. (You can use a juicer instead if you have one.) Stir the remaining syrup from the fruit maceration into the bowl, stirring to dissolve any remaining sugar crystals. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Bring sugar and 1 cup of the water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once it’s boiling, turn off the heat, and stir in the dried butterfly pea flowers. Let steep for 10 minutes, and then pour the syrup into a container. Once it’s cooled to room temperature (about 45 minutes), store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Pour the remaining 4 cups of water into a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the tapioca pearls, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon; simmer until the pearls are mostly clear with a white center, 14 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let the pearls sit, undisturbed, until they are completely clear and translucent, 30 to 35 minutes. Using a large sieve, drain and rinse the pearls. Transfer the tapioca pearls to Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.

Place 1 1/3 cups water, brown sugar, salt, and pandan knots in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Once it’s at a boil, add the sliced s aba bananas; cook, stirring occasionally, until the bananas are tender and the syrup has thickened, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the pandan knots. Place the sweetened banana slices and syrup in the refrigerator in an airtight container to chill for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Place the pinipig in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, over low heat until golden brown and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes. Add butter, milk powder, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, and until the butter has melted and the dry ingredients coat the pinipig, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pinipig to a bowl lined with paper towels, and let cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Place 3/4 cup of shaved ice in each serving bowl. In 3 even sections, pour 1 tablespoon each of Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup, red nata de coco syrup, and Pineapple Syrup in each serving bowl. Add about 1/2 tablespoon each of ube halaya, red mung beans, nata de coco cubes, and green kaong on top of the ice in each serving bowl. Add 1 heart-shaped piece of leche flan, 3 strips of yellow jackfruit, 3 sweetened banana slices, and 1 tablespoon-sized scoop of both ube and mango ice cream. Top with 1/2 tablespoon of polvoronified pinipig. Pour evaporated milk into your bowl to your liking (I used 2 tablespoons), and serve immediately. Repeat the process with additional bowls.