If there’s one thing Filipinos love as much as food, it’s Christmas. In fact, Filipinos love Christmas so much, our holiday season starts as early as September 1st! And bibingka is the perfect example of a classic Filipino Christmas meal. As the famous Ben & Ben song of the same name says, we can find bibingka sold by street vendors, especially near churches, during the Christmas season.
Usually, one enjoys bibingka with another type of rice cake, bumbong, especially after Simbang Gabi. Hot drinks, such as coffee or chocolate, are also the ideal companion for this gift. Treats like bibingka often bring many precious moments, warmth and spending time with loved ones. Food is memory, and by cooking it effectively, bibingka can bring back some of our best.
The traditional bibingka recipe may seem pretty daunting at first; after all, who has clay pots or Bibingka ovens at home? But this bibingka recipe is simple and can be made in any typical domestic kitchen. All you need are some ordinary cake pans and a kitchen oven. And with rice flour instead of regular galapon, you’ll have your own bibingka in no time!
Bibingkahan
Bibingka is a type of rice cake native to the Philippines. Needless to say, we Filipinos love rice. We have it with almost every meal, and dessert is no exception. This is why kakanin has become such a popular Filipino snack. A combination of the words kanin (rice) and kain (to eat), kakanin refers to a group of glutinous rice cakes that Filipinos know and love.
Andthere are so many ways to enjoy bibingka! Here are just a few of my other recipes that put a spin on the popular treat:
- If you’re more of a fan of biko or add, maybe this bibingkang malagkit recipe is more to your liking. Personally, I think this recipe is more of a modified biko. Its sticky texture may be difficult to work with at first, but in the end you will end up with a delight.
- is a type of bibingka from the Ilocos region. This one tastes a little more like a mixture between cassava cake and espasol. Still, its chewy texture and sweet taste combine nicely with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa.
- What if you want the original bibingka but in a smaller goodness? My bibingka muffin recipe gives you all the flavor bibingka has to offer, but in cupcake sizes.
The royal bibingka
Whatever type of bibingka you
prefer, any of the recipes mentioned can make it easier for you to enjoy them! What kind of bibingka, or even kakanin, is your favorite?
How to cook bibingka The first step to
cooking bibingka
is to preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl: rice flour, baking powder and salt. Mix them well and set them aside.
Now it’s time to cream your butter. Cream refers to the process of making a light and fluffy soft fat. To do this, whisk your butter with a whisk while gradually adding sugar. This gives your butter a creamier, almost whipped, cream-like texture. The sweet smell of butter and sugar is impossible to resist!
Break your 3 pieces of raw egg and beat again, until you have incorporated all the ingredients. Once this is done, now is the time to combine them with their dry ingredients; Add them to the same bowl and keep mixing. Then, pour your coconut milk and fresh milk. You need 1 cup of the former, while only 1/4 cup of fresh milk will do. Beat all your ingredients together for a minute or two more.
Now it’s time to prepare your bibingka for its first round in the oven. Place your pre-cut banana leaf on a cake or baking sheet. The blade should be wide enough to cover not only the bottom of the pan, but also the sides. Pour the mixture into the pan covered with leaves and put it in the oven, letting it bake for 15 minutes.
Once the timer has run out, remove your bibingka from the oven. Doesn’t it smell absolutely delicious? The use of a banana leaf also lends itself to fragrant aroma. But at this point, his bibingka is not yet ready to be eaten. Top your rice cake with sliced salted egg and grated cheese. At this time, your oven still needs to be kept on, you will still need to use it!
With your new layer of toppings, put the bibingka back in the oven. Let it bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or wait until the top of your rice cake turns medium brown. Whichever comes first, take it out of the oven afterwards and let it cool.
Brush your bibingka with butter and sprinkle sugar on top. If you’re more of a fan of coconut, you can choose to top it up with that instead of sugar. And so, your bibingka is ready to be enjoyed!
Let us know what you think!
