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Biko

There is another kind of cake that I love and it is rice cake, specifically Filipino and Japanese rice cakes. this cake is basically made from rice, but comes from a variety of shapes, forms, and cooking methods from different cultures, mostly from Asia. There is a rich variety of these lovely sweet treats that will likely appease everyone, from basic bland puffed European rice cake to elaborate Korean tteokcake. However, let pick up something nourishing, delicious and simple to prepare, let us start with biko.

Biko is a rice cake from the Philippines that is made of glutinous rice, coconut milk and brown sugar; sometimes it is topped with latik, caramelized coconut milk syrup, for a special biko recipe. This type of rice cake is basically part of kakanin recipes, Filipino sweet rice cakes, usually eaten as snacks and/or dessert.  The word kakanin is derived from the kanin the means cooked rice. This is a very simple recipe but one needs to lean who to properly cook a certain variety of rice called, malagkit or glutinous. But other than that, this is easy to make. So, here we go:      

Regular Biko Recipe

The recipe yields 16-20 servings.

Preparation Time:                          10 minutes

Cooking Time:                                40-50 minutes

Waiting Time:                                 6 hours

Ingredients:

4 cups (1 kilo)                                Malagkit or glutinous rice

4 cups                                            water

4 cups                                            coconut milk

3 cups                                            brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon                                  salt

1/2 teaspoon                                  Anis seeds

or

1 thumb                                          ginger, crushed

Procedures:

1.  In a large mixing bowl, place in the rice and run cold water. Rinse it by scrubbing the wet rice between your hands and then drain. Repeat rinse and drain until the water is almost clear.  Cover with water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Drain and place in a pot or rice cooker. Add water and boil until done.

2.  In a large sauce pan under medium-heat, combine the coconut milk, brown sugar, salt, ginger or Anis seed, mix well with a heavy-duty wooden spoon and quickly bring to boil to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, stir constantly until thick.

3.  Add the cooked malagkit or glutinous rice, blend well. Continue cooking at low-heat, constantly stir until very thick and very hard to handle.

4.  Remove from heat, remove the ginger, and transfer to a platter, or form small mounds.

  

NTS:

   Arrange mounds in a plate lined with banana leaf.

   Run banana leaf over heat or flame to make it more pliable.

 

Feel free to share your thoughts, any corrections, suggestions and reactions, as it will definitely guide and inspire create better content. Thank you so much.

As always enjoy!

Reference and Inspired by:

1. My mother’s cooking notes.

2. Tom S.

Cherry Cheesecake

Cheesecake, is it a cake or a pie? If it is a pie should it be called Cheesepie?

The general definition of a cake is any solid block of mass or substance, so, anything could be a cake from crab-cake, urinal cake to even yellowcake uranium, which I am sure is neither edible nor tasty. Then we have the definition for standard pies, which are round, a few inches tall, with a wider filling made from fruit and/or custard, and then a thinner crust of either pastry or crumb.

With cheesecakes, it is cylindrical mass and have filling and crumb crust. The additional ingredient of cream cheese is not a disqualifier, as any additional ingredients added to a standard pie. Hence, cheesecake is a cake, and it can’t not be a pie.  

It is a double delight to know it is both, as this sweet dessert recipe is dedicated to a not just double but a triple level delightful person, with an infectious laugh that matches her expressive beautiful eyes named Kendall. This is her favorite kind of cheesecake that complements her cherry personality (wink for the pun!). This recipe is specially made easy to accommodate a talented hardworking mama, like Sisi’s mom. So, here we go:

No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake

The recipe yields 10-12 servings.

Preparation Time:                          30 minutes

Waiting Time:                                 6 – 8 hours

Ingredients:

Crust

1 1/4 cups                                      Graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon                                  white sugar

1/3 cup                                           salted butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon                                  cinnamon (optional)

Filling

1 pack of 225 grams                      cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup                                           white sugar

1 tablespoon                                  unflavored gelatin  

3 tablespoons                                fresh milk

1 pack of 250 ml                            all purpose cream, chilled

Topping

1/4 cup                                           whipping cream (EV brand)

1 tablespoon                                  confectioner sugar

1 cup                                              cherry filling

Procedures:

1.  Make some ice. Freeze whisk and 2 bowls, overnight.

2.  Prepare the Crust. In a bowl or a zip lock mix crushed graham crackers, sugar and butter, then add cinnamon and mix. Press the crust mix on a 9-inch pie plate with release bottom or spring form with a glass bottom. Chill

3.  Prepare the Filling. In a bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until light and well-blended. Set aside.

4.  In a small heat resistance bowl, bloom the gelatin over the fresh milk; let it sit for 1 minute. Over a low heat, melt and stir for 3 minutes. Add and beat the hot gelatin into the cream while hot.

5.  In a separate bowl, whip all purpose cream until light and stiff. Then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Carefully, pour onto the chilled crust. Chill of 2 hours.

6.  Prepare for Topping. Place the prepared ice into the pre-frozen bowl. Then, place another pre-frozen bowl over the bowl with ice. Add and whisk the whip cream. Gradually add confectioner sugar. Whisk vigorously until thick. Pipe the whip cream on the cheesecake’s borders. Top with cherry filling and syrup. Chill for 4-6 hours.  

  

NTS:

   Cheesecake can be stored in the freezer-chiller for a week.

   May use alternative filling such as cherry, like blueberry and strawberry

 

Feel free to share your thoughts, any corrections, suggestions and reactions, as it will definitely guide and inspire create better content. Thank you so much.

As always enjoy!

Thank you Kendall for the inspiration!

Happy BIRTHDAY Chica!

I LOVE you Sisi!

Hi to Brayden.

Reference and Inspired by:

1.  Kendall H.

2.  Magnolia Cheesecake packaging.