Gluten Free
This is my first attempt to make a fusion food of traditional Filipino and American holiday dish. Fusion cuisine is an art of combining elements such as ingredients or techniques of different culinary traditions.
In this case, I made one of Filipinos popular Christmas desserts Biko (sticky or sweet rice cooked in coconut milk) and instead of the traditional topping that we Filipinos call latik which is a caramelized coconut milk and brown sugar mixture (which is actually healthier) I used the pecan pie topping mixture and baked it.
The result was coco-sweet chewy rice cake with nutty-caramel texture topping. It was quite indulging!
BIKO (Rice Cake) with PECAN CARAMEL TOPPING
Yield: 2 of 8-inch Dish Pans
For Biko, you need—
* sweet rice or sticky rice – 3 cups (at any Asian store)
* water – 2 cups (to cook sweet rice with)
* coconut milk – 2 cans (at any Walmart Asian isle)
* brown sugar – 2 cups
* salt – ½ tsp
For Caramel Topping, you need —
* eggs – 3
* sugar – 3 cups
* corn syrup- 2 cups
* butter unsalted – 2 tbsp
* vanilla – 2 tsp
* salt – ¼ tsp
* pecan – 1 cup
To prepare —
1. Using a rice cooker, cook 3 cups sweet rice in 2 cups water. If using regular pan, start cooking rice in medium heat then turn to low once water dries out. You’ll know it’s done when it’s chewy soft already. Set aside.
2. In a separate pan, mix together 2 cans coconut milk and 1 ½ cups brown sugar and let it simmer.
3. Transfer sweet rice in a bigger pan, add ½ tsp salt and stir.
4. Add the caramel (#2) into the sweet rice few scoops at a time. Do not pour it all at once. Continue stirring.
5. After the last scoop of caramel, add the remaining ½ cup brown sugar in the sweet rice. Stir.
6. When the liquid is fully absorbed, transfer the rice cake in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Spread it evenly.
7. In separate bowl, mix together all the topping ingredients. Add the pecan last. Mix well.
8. Pour the topping mixture over the rice cake.
9. Bake it at 350 0F for 20-30 minutes. This dessert is served warm or at room temperature.
Thank you for reading, happy cooking!
