Biko

Biko is one of my favorite snacks. It's one of the traditional Filipino snacks or dessert during special occasions like birthdays, parties, fiestas, and Christmas. It's a sweet made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and a caramel topping.

Ingredients are the following:

2 cups of kaning malagkit ( sticky rice )
3/4 cup of sugar
3 1/2 cups of diluted coconut milk
1/8 lb of butter

Biko Topping:

1 can of 15 oz. condensed milk
3/4 cup of rich coconut milk
2-3 tablespoon of flour for quick thickening

Directions:

1. Grate and squeeze out milk from 2 coconuts. Save 3/4 cup of the first milk squeezed out (rich milk) for topping.

2. Dilute the rest of the coconut milk to make 3 1/2 cups. Or use 1 can (12 ounces) frozen coconut milk, saving 3/4 cup of the thick milk for topping and diluting the rest to make 3 1/2 cups.

3. Boil rice and coconut milk in a heavy pot stirring constantly to keep from burning (15 to 20 minutes).

4. When the rice is done and almost dry, lower the heat and add the sugar and butter. Mix well and set aside. When cool, add the egg.

3. Spread the rice mixture in a well buttered dish (11 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 1 3/4 inch) and bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 20 minutes.

4. Prepare the topping. Combine all topping ingredients in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat stirring constantly until thick (15 minutes). Pour topping over rice mixture in dish. Increase oven heat to 350 degrees.

5. Bake until top is brown (15 minutes.). Serve and eat.