Bibingka Recipe

Bibingka is a type of rice cake from the Philippines traditionally eaten during the Christmas season. Despite the similarity in name, the Philippine bibingka is not the same as the Goan dessert called bebinca or bibik, which is a type of layered pudding and made with regular flour. According to the anthropologist E. Arsenio Manuel, bibingka, like biko (another Philippine dessert made from glutinous rice), originated from the Chinese. The name comes from the Hokkien root word "bi" (米, 'uncooked grain').

Ingredients:
Baking powder – 1 tablespoon
Banana leaves – 6 pieces; round shape; about 9 inches in diameter
Butter – ½ cup
Coconut milk – 1 ½ cup
Eggs – 3
Sticky rice flour – ½ cup
Rice flour – 2 cups
Salted egg – 1 piece; cut into wedges
Sugar – 1 cup
Toppings:
Butter – 1 tablespoon
Cheese – cheddar cheese or Edam cheese; 1 tablespoon
Grated coconut – 1 tablespoon
Sugar – 1 tablespoon

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. While preheating the oven, brush butter onto the banana leaves.
3. Line the pans with banana leaves.
4. Beat the eggs.
5. Combine the eggs with butter and coconut milk and mix everything thoroughly.
6. Put rice flour, sticky rice flour, baking powder, and sugar together in bowl and again mix thoroughly.
7. Combine egg and rice mixtures.
8. Pour mixtures equally into the pans.
9. Top the mixtures with salted eggs.
10. Bake for 25 minutes.
11. When the rice cakes are already baked, brush butter onto them.
12. Place the rice cakes in a broiler until they turn slightly brown at the top. This may take about two minutes.
13. When done, add toppings to the rice cakes.
14. Serve or eat it while warm.