Yanga, Katrina D.U.

BSTM NT2-0 Bibingka is a type of rice cake from the Philippines traditionally eaten during Christmas season. Bibingka is made with rice flour and coconut milk or water. Other ingredients can vary greatly, but the most common secondary ingredients are eggs and milk. The traditional preparation is very time-consuming. A specially made terra cotta container is lined with a single large section of a banana leaf. It is placed over preheated coals and the rice flour and water mixture is poured into it, taking care not to spill it into the container itself. Another piece of banana leaf is added to the top and covered with more preheated coals. Biko (Rice Cake with Caramel Topping) Biko is a Filipino rice cake made from sticky rice (locally known as malagkit), coconut milk, and brown sugar. Like other rice cakes, this is referred to as kakanin (derived from the word kanin which means rice) and is often eaten as dessert or meryenda (mid-afternoon snack). Traditionally, this delicious rice cake is placed over banana leaves in a bilao (round woven bamboo tray) and garnished with latik (cooked coconut milk residue) on top. In addition, Biko is served during special occasions such as birthday parties, family reunions, and town fiestas. CASSAVA CAKE It is made from grated cassava (Kamoteng Kahoy) mixed with coconut milk, eggs, butter and topped with a creamy milk mixture. If the mix is more concentrated and with a lot of the grated cassava, the cooked cake is firmer, more chewy and quite filling. If the mix is watery and with not a lot of cassava, the texture is soft and spongy. Cassava, or Tapioca is also known around here as Yuca -- usually cooked as fried chips, just like the banana or potato. They're mixed with other root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, taro, and parsnips, lightly salted and served with a creamy dip.

Leche Flan

The dessert Flan, also known as Caramel Creme, is of Spanish origin. It is quite popular in South and Central America and done just like our Flan. Traditionally, a llanera, which is an oval shaped aluminum tin pan is used. The custard is flavored with vanilla extract or lime/lemon zest, then cooked in a steamer on the stove top or in a bainmarie inside the oven. Caramelized sugar or arnibal is first made at the bottom of the pan before pouring in the custard mixture. This process gives the custard the caramelized top because it is flipped like an upside down cake when served. Bukayo is a Filipino sweet delicacy made from strips of coconut meat and sugar. Growing up back in Manila, I remember 2 particular kinds(and in Malabon, they were both called Bukayo): Bocarillo - Flat and in dry form where the sugar is crumbly and not very chewy. The real Bucayo - Very sticky and very chewy - that comes round in ball form, or flat and cut in rectangles.

PUTO
Steamed Rice Pudding Puto, the Filipino rice cake is made from cooked rice that has been soaked and ground up to make the rice dough or galapong. Then coconut milk, sugar and leavening is added before steaming. It is the equivalent of the Chinese's Steamed Rice Cake.

Kutsinta or Cuchinta is one of the popular Filipino sticky rice cakes, reddish-brown in color, made from rice flour and served with shredded coconut. I use both glutinous and regular rice flours, dark brown sugar and the key ingredient : Lye water.

KALAMAY WITH ARNIBAL This Filipino sweet rice dessert is a sticky rice cake in a simple syrup or flavored sugar syrup. The sweet rice flour is cooked with coconut milk, sugar and latik or fried coconut curd. Then, the latik is enveloped in the cake rather than sprinkled on top. A simply syrup is cooked separate where the cake bite size pieces are floated to keep them separated, thus, easier to serve. But if you would rather do the Kalamay without the arnibal,

Pinoy Maja Blanca, or Maja Mais is a creamy corn cake cooked on the stovetop. The corn on the maja recipe has since evolved, as originally, maja is just plain, thick, coconut cream squares. Some are even paste-like and looks more like the glue used in making bakery paper bags (supot). The secret to a good maja is the ingredient you put in it. If you use plain coconut milk, it will taste just like that. If, however, you use coconut cream or kakang gata, evaporated milk or heavy cream, you'll get a nice, real creamy, tons of calorie - cake.