Bibingka

What to do when bored out of your wits waiting for a late afternoon seminar to commence? Bake bibingka, of course. :P I've been craving it since I got these banana leaves from somewhere I don't remember. I froze them and I've been meaning to use them but haven't found the time till today. (Haven't found the time = Too lazy to get off my butt)

It doesn't look much like the authentic bibingka I get back at home... I had to substitute a lo of ingredients along the way. I'd have made my own kesong puti if I had access to buffalo/carabao milk, but I didn't, I don't, and I won't. I would've made kesong puti's brother, paneer, if I wasn't too lazy to drive to the supermarket for some whole milk (we only have soy here at home). So I ended up using the four Mexican cheeses we had in the fridge.

Forgot that I used up all my baking powder last time I made the princess bear cake:

...so I ended up substituting with baking soda and cream of tartar.

Coconut was grated from scratch though. Not by me, by the dear husband. ^_^ He grated some a couple of weeks ago when I asked him to and I froze 'em. It's handy to have around. :-)

In the end, the taste satisfies my craving. All is good and well <3

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Bibingka
Adapted from my dear mom's recipe and Simply Anne's recipe

2 cups rice flour
1/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
3 each large eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1 1/4 cup coconut cream

salted duck eggs, for topping
freshly grated coconut, for topping
white sugar, for topping
muscovado suger, for topping
kesong puti (I substituted Mexican cheeses), for topping

banana leaves, prepared for lining (wilt over flame until top side is shiny)
extra butter, for brushing on liner

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cake molds/pans with banana leaves and brush with butter. Set aside.
2. Sift together flours, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add white sugar gradually then add the butter.
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and the coconut cream into the sugar mixture. Mix until well blended. Pour batter over prepared molds.
5. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted at center of cake comes out clean.
6. Top with sliced salted duck eggs and pop in the oven for another 5 minutes.
7. Top with your desired topping combination. (I broiled mine after putting all the toppings to get some smoky flavor in.)

Ta da! Home-made bibingka!

Now to hunt for some bibingka claypots to make the real thing...

I'm off to my seminar! ^_^