BIKO

Yield:   8 - 10 servings
Time:  50 minutes

Equipment:

Carajay

Deep pan 

Measuring cups and spoons

Wooden spoon

Square baking pan

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Malagkit rice

2 1/2 cups coconut milk or 1 tetra pack coconut cream mixed with 1 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup coconut cream

1 teaspoon toasted then crushed anise seeds (optional)

1 cup coconut cream for latik. (optional)

Procedure:

• Wash and drain the Malagkit rice.
• Place Malagkit rice in the deep pan and add the coconut milk and the salt.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until rice is done.
• In a carajay, combine the brown sugar and the coconut cream. Cook while stirring constantly until thick. 
• Add crushed anise seeds if preferred. (optional) 
• Add the cook Malagkit rice to the coconut and sugar mixture and stil until well-combined. 
• Spread the cooked biko in the square pan. Top with latik.**

** To make latik: in a small pan or carajay, cook 1 cup coconut cream over low fire stirring constantly until small solid particles form and separate from the oil. Continue stirring until the latik becomes crispy and golden brown. Do not burn. Remove from heat and strain. Spread the latik on top of the biko and slice into squares.

Tip:  Refrigerate the biko for about thirty minutes for easier slicing. Rub the knife with oil or butter to avoid the biko from sticking to the knife.

KUTSINTA

Yield:  2 dozen small pices
Time:  20 -25 minutes

Equipments:

Steamer

Measuring cups and spoons

Mixing bowl

Muffin pans

Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups water

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon lihia (lye)*

Procedure:

• Prepare and preheat steamer.
• Combine water, brown sugar, all purpose flour and lihia in a mixing bowl.
• Mix until sugar is dissolved and there are no more lumps.
• Pour mixture into small muffin pans. Fill each muffin cup full.
• Carefully put the pans in the preheated steamer and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes or until set.
• Remove from steamer and cool slightly.
• Unmold and serve with freshly grated coconut.

* Lihia (lye) can be bought in the public market from vendors who sells food extracts.

PICHI-PICHI

PICHI-PICHI is made of grated fresh cassava. It is originally rolled in grated fresh coconut but since grated coconut can spoil easily, we Pinoys came up with a more modern and popular version to prolong its shelf life and  make it more delicious and attractive by rolling it in grated or shredded cheddar cheese and added some flavoring and food colors. Like the puto, it can be flavored in many different ways. Let your imagination go wild. Sky is the limit :)), as i have said, don't be afraid to experiment and create or come up with your own version.

EQUIPMENT:

• Steamer
• Grater
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 2 round pans or muffin pans or puto molders
• Disposable plastic gloves
• Mixing bowls
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Saucepan
• Strainer

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups grated cassava
• 2 cups pandan water**
• 1 1/4 cups sugar 
• green food coloring
• freshly grated coconut

PROCEDURE:

•  Peel and grate cassava to make 2 cups.
• Combine in a bowl the grated cassad cassava and pandan water.
• Add in the sugar and stir well to dissolve. 
• Tint the mixture with green food coloring.
• Divide the mixture and pour into two round pands or pour into individual puto molds or into muffin pans.
• Steam in a preheated steamer for about 45 to 50 minutes if using round pans otherwisw cooking time will be shorted if individual outo mold or muffin pans are used.
• Pichi-pichi is done or cooked when it is set or becomes clear in color.
• Using disposable plastic gloves, scoop a tablespoonful of the cooked mixture while still hot and using 2 tablespoons, shape into a ball. Roll each ball in the freshly grated coconut.

** To make pandan water:  Put 2 1/2 cups of  water and 3-4 pandan leaves in a sauce pan. Boil until the water becomes fragrant and sweet-smelling. Strain and let cool before using. You may opt to just use plain water and just add 1 teaspoon pandan extract to the mixture instead.

VARIATIONS:

• Roll each pichi-pichi in grated cheddar cheese instead of rolling it in grated coconut.
• Add ube extract and tint with violet food coloring to make ube flavored pichi-pichi and roll in grated boiled ube yam.
• Add vanilla extract and tint with yellow food coloring and roll in golden toasted coconut niblets for a nutty taste.
• You may opt to roll the pichi-pichi ball in shredded semi-sweet chocolate or in chocolate sprinkles. 
•  To make your pichi-pichi look more mouth-watering and attractive, place in fluted or paper cups.
• Don't forget to keep your left-over covered and refrigerated to avoid spoilage.

KAKANIN

Kakanin is an all time favorite sweet Filipino delicacies whose main ingredient is either made of flour or ground  rice like puto, glutinous rice like bico and palitaw and sapin-sapin or grated root crops like grated cassava (pichi-pichi, cassava cake) and ube tubers (ube haleya) . Kakanin is eaten as snacks or merienda as it is usually served in between meals paired with favorite palamig, cofee, tsokolate (local version of chocolate drink made from tablea) and salabat (ginger ale). Kakanin is either cooked steamed, baked or boiled.

PUTO- can be made using all purpose flour, rice flour or the classic ground rice soaked in water. The use of  all purpose flour can yield a very soft puto with a fine texture. It can be topped with slices of cheddar cheese and sliced salted eggs, shredded or grated cheese, filled with ground pork asado, and can be mixed with a variety of ingredients for more color, flavor and texture. The idea is endless...let's start with plain puto. Ready, get set, go......

EQUIPMENTS:

• Steamer
• Mixing bowl
• Strainer
• Muffin pans or plastic puto moulders
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Wooden spoon or wire whisk

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk or coconut milk
• 1 cup water

PROCEDURE:

• Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt.
• Add the sugar, milk, water. Mix well making sure there are no lumps.
• Fill puto molds or muffin pans 3/4 full.
• Place in a preheated steamer and cook for 15 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch or insert a toothpick into the center, the puto is done when the toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove from steamer and let cool thoroughly and unmold.

FOR VARIATION:

• Add slices of cheddar cheese, sliced salted eggs or top each puto with both sliced cheddar cheese and salted eggs before the puto halfway during cooking.
• Top each puto with fresh grated coconut.
• For added flavor and color you may opt to add one teaspoon ground anise to the main ingredient or whatever flavoring you wish and a drop of food coloring of your choice. (example: a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a tint of yellow food color to make puto vanilla, a teaspoon of pandan flavoring and a drop of green foof color to make puto pandan , a teaspoon of ube flavoring and a drop of violet food coloring to make puto ube.
• You may also opt to add chocolate chips or melted chocolate to your puto batter before cooking for those who love chocolate
• You may opt to top the puto with shredded or grated cheese.
• You may opt to replace 1/4 cup of milk with 1/4 cup of melted butter for a creamier and tastier puto.

The bottom line is don't be afraid to experiment and don't forget to share with me your results. Happy eating.