| All Filipinos seem to be born with a
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| | Puto a steamed cake made from rice flour,
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| sweet tooth, and most of us never really
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| | often topped with cheese or salted eggs.
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| outgrow it. We're never too old for a
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| | It is often sold with kutsinta, a brown
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| candy bar or a rich filled doughnut.
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| | jelly cake served with grated coconut.
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| That's why desserts have always been a
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| | The two go together because the soft,
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| big part of Filipino cuisine. For many of
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| | grainy texture of the puto contrasts the
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| us, a meal isn't a meal without something
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| | tart smoothness of kutsinta. Both are
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| cold and sweet to top it off. It doesn't
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| | among the simplest Filipino recipes; you
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| matter if your meal consists of rice and
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| | can make a batch of each cake in less
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| dried fish; without dessert, it's simply
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| | than two hours.
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| not complete.
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| | Puto
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| However, our idea of dessert has evolved
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| | Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar
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| a lot through the years. Ask any kid what
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| | 2 cups milk 6 tsps baking powder 3 eggs
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| his favorite dessert is and he'll most
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| | (use only egg whites for a lighter cake)
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| likely say ice cream, cake, or something
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| | Procedure: Combine all the ingredients
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| not really Filipino. If you think the
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| | except the egg whites. Mix well and let
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| same way, maybe it's time you tried the
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| | stand for one hour, then fold in the
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| old favorites and rediscover Filipino
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| | eggs. Pour into baking pan or muffin pans
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| food. Here's a quick guide to local
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| | and steam for about one hour.
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| desserts and some Filipino desserts
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| | Kutsinta
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| recipes you can make on your own.
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| | Ingredients: 1 cup rice flour 1 tsp
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| Rice cakes
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| | lye water 3 cups water 2 cups packed
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| With rice as our staple food, it's really
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| | brown sugar Procedure: Mix all the
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| no surprise that we'd turn it into a
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| | ingredients in a bowl; beat well.
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| dessert as well. In fact, we have more
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| | Half-fill a muffin pan with the batter,
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| than a dozen varieties of kakanin, the
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| | then steam covered over 2 inches of water
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| local term for rice desserts, most of
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| | for about 30 minutes. Top with grated
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| them sold at practically every corner.
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| | coconut.
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| Because they are rice-based, they are
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| | Bibingka
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| seldom eaten after regular meals (which
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| | Bibingka is actually an Indian dish
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| already have rice as the main course).
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| | (bebinca), but the Filipino variety is
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| People prefer them for merienda in the
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| | unique because it uses rice flour instead
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| late morning or afternoon. Some of the
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| | of white. It also comes with a variety of
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| most popular Filipino rice cakes are
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| | toppings such as butter or margarine,
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| puto, suman, biko, bibingka, and kalamay.
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| | cheese, salted eggs, or grated coconuts.
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| Native pastries
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| | Bibingka is a popular snack in the
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| If you're looking for a lighter dessert,
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| | Christmas season, where it is often sold
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| Filipino pastries may be just what you
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| | with puto bumbong (same as puto, but
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| need. Our native pastries cover
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| | cooked in bamboo vessels and flavored
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| everything from small bite-size tarts to
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| | with coconut or purple yam)and other
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| tropical fruit pies. They may seem
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| | Filipino cooking recipes. It is
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| complicated at first glance, but they are
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| | traditionally cooked in charcoal ovens,
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| actually one of the easiest Filipino food
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| | which gives it a smoky flavor. Of course,
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| recipes. In fact, if you're just starting
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| | you can also tweak the recipe and bake it
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| out, pastries make a great beginner
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| | in modern ovens. Here's how.
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| recipe. Start with simple snack tarts
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| | Ingredients 2 c plain flour ¼ c baking
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| such as this one.
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| | powder ¾ c sugar 1 ¼ c coconut milk
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| Easy Caramel Tarts
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| | 3 eggs, beaten ½ c Edam cheese, grated
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| Ingredients: 1 tbsp flour 1 c milk 1
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| | ½ butter, melted ½ c grated coconut 1
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| c golden syrup 1 c brown sugar 1 tbsp
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| | tsp salt
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| white sugar 1 tbsp butter 2 eggs,
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| | Procedure: Preheat your oven to 375oF. In
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| separated
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| | a bowl, dissolve the sugar in coconut
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| ½ tsp vanilla Procedure: Beat the egg
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| | milks and add in the eggs. In a separate
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| whites until stiff, then beat in the
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| | bow, sift the flour, add the baking
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| white sugar. Set aside. In a saucepan,
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| | powder and salt, then sift again. Combine
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| combine the rest of the ingredients and
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| | with the egg mixture and beat well. Pour
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| bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
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| | into prepared pans and bake for about 15
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| Pour into baked pastry shells. Top with
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| | minutes. Top with cheese and resume
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| the egg white mixture and bake for about
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| | baking for another 20 minutes, brushing
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| 10 minutes or until the meringue turns
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| | with margarine occasionally. Give it a
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| brown.
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| | final brush when done, and serve with
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| Puto and kutsinta
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| | coconut on the side.
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