Recipe Review: Bibingka

As posted before, my friend Kate of Escaping Suburbia received a recipe from her husband's auntie for Bibingka. This weekend I decided to make it since I am feeling better now. Well, my journey of finding everything I needed for this recipe began on Friday night when I took my daughter to the grocery store with me to find everything I needed. I could not believe this grocery store (a major grocery store, mind you) did NOT carry Mochiko Rice Flour. I thought, you guys have an Asian food aisle and NO Mochiko? What is wrong with you?? And they said they might get some in but were not positive. I ended up going home with what I did have and the next day my husband ran to another grocery store in town and found some Mochiko there.

I made the Bibingka last night and thought maybe I had mixed it wrong because it was soupy like and the butter I had added didn't seem to mix well. I went ahead and poured it into my 9x13 pan and baked it for about 45 minutes per the directions of the recipe. The only thing I altered on the recipe was I used light brown sugar instead of white sugar. Normally I like to use dark brown sugar but I grabbed light by mistake. In any case when I pulled it out of the oven the edges were all crunchy and brown looking and the top looked golden and delicious. I let it sit for about 15 minutes and then cut out a slice for myself and my daughter. We tried it and it was like being back in Nana's kitchen, taking a bit of this ooey gooey cake that brought back so many childhood memories. It's delicious! I am still looking for a Puto recipe that is like the one I used to get at Fajilan's, but I haven't tried any of the ones I did find yet. We shall see! That is next on my agenda. Thank you Kate and please give Auntie S. my thanks and tell her I said it was WONDERFUL!
I called my Nana today and she told me something I never knew- she has never baked in her life. Unlike me, the baker in the family, my Nana prefers to cook on the stove and not have to measure things out. I told her about the Bibingka and told her it was similar to a Kangkanin she made in the past. I told her when I come home I'll teach her how to make it in the oven and she said she'll teach me how to make her brown sugar rice Kangkanin. How I miss her...and despite the miles separating us, I feel so fortunate that I can still at least speak with her over the phone and connect with her. She's 85 years young and still going strong.

Aha!!! Bibingka cake recipe!

As you know, I have been looking for a Filipino dessert. Thanks to my lovely friend Kate of Escaping Suburbia, her father-in-law is also Filipino and her DH's 92 year-old auntie sent her an email of a recipe of the Bibingka cake recipe I wanted to try. I know this is not exactly what I am looking for but this is what my Nana made at home and it's SOOOOOO good. With a stick of butter though, it's not for the health-concious person!

Babingka:

l box rice flour (Mochiko)

3 cups milk

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup dried coconut

Mix all together and bake in a 7 X 13 rectangular pan till top splits and edges are browned.

350 degree oven, spray pan first.

How long to cook?

From Kate's MIL: I think it was about 45/50 min. Good luck..... the inside has to be
sticky to the touch.

Diana's Desserts also has a similar recipe with a picture of Sweet Rice Flour & Coconut Cake (Butter Mochi) that I want to try as well. Because this weekend we are having cake for my daughter's birthday party, I will probably only make Kate's MIL's recipe above and save the Diana Desserts one for another time.

I'm drooling at the thought of having some Bibingka!! YUM!

Edited to make some corrections! Sorry!