Bibingka (Galapong)

Bibingka is a delicacy in Philippines that is tangent with Christmas. It is normally sold on the street during Simba De Gallo together with puto bumbong and tsaa. Simba de Gallo is the sixteen days of early morning mass before Christmas eve. Back in my town, Imus Cavite, we're blessed with a special shop that offers this delicious delicacy everyday for 365 days a year. I remember stopping by the store ordering this after every Sunday mass with my family.

Bibingkang Galapong for Easter. Photo by SDeluz

There's a number of bibingka recipes out there that is easy to make. This is one of those with the exception that it is made of galapong. milled glutinous rice is known as galapong. Milling - that is, washing and soaking the rice first, and then proceeding to milling proper - is generally preferred as this removes the unpleasant powdery texture found in glutinous rice which has been dried first and then converted to flour.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup coconut milk 

3/4 cup sugar 

1/8 cup melted margarine 

1 cup rice flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

banana leaf for lining

For topping:

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup sugar for topping

butter

1 salted egg, sliced crosswise

Procedure: 

1. Add sugar to melted margarine. Mix until creamy. 

2. Add beaten eggs to the mixture.

3. Combine salt and flour, baking powder in a separate bowl; add to egg mixture alternately with the coconut milk.

4. Add melted margarine, coconut milk, and baking powder. 

5. Pour into banana leaf-lined mold. 

6. Bake in 375 degrees Fahrenheit (200 deg C) for 10 minutes.

7. In the meantime, mix coconut cream and sugar in a bowl.

8. After 10 minutes, take it out from the oven and brush top with butter. Layer with salted eggs. Spread the coconut milk and sugar mixture next. Return in the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

9. Again, take it out from the oven and distribute dessicated coconut on top. Return in the oven and bake until golden crust is formed or toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Tip: In using banana leaf for the mold, make sure to cut out the middle hard part of the leaf. You can use hair dryer in molding the leaf in the pan.

For the recipe of salted egg or itlog na maalat, click here.