Kuchintang Pula’t Puti

melts in the mouth—so nice and smooth! The best I’ve tasted. Aling Nene’s secret? “Ang kuchinta ko ay may kakang gata,” she says.

Puti

½ k glutinous rice and ½ k regular rice (soak in water for 2 hours then grind)

1 k regular sugar (adjust sugar according to taste)

2 tbsp lihiya

2/3 c kakang gata

1½ c water

Combine ingredients and mix well.

Prepare steamer, preferably bamboo.

Line steamer with cheesecloth.

Once water boils, pour half the mixture onto cheesecloth and steam white portion of kuchinta for 30 minutes or until it hardens.

Pour pula mixture of kuchinta over the by-now steamed white kuchinta.

Continue to steam for 15 minutes.

Unmold, slice and serve with niyog.

Pula

1 c achuete water

100 g light brown sugar

1/3 c kakang gata

To the remaining half of the mixture, add 1 cup achuete water, 100 g sugar (light brown) and 1/3 cup kakang gata.

Biko

1 k malagkit, cook in rice cooker using the Mount Fuji method—water line is same level as the first line or bend of the middle finger; do not overcook

¼ k pinipig

Once the rice has mostly absorbed the liquid, sprinkle pinipig on top of malagkit; cover and leave rice cooker until done (light of rice cooker turns green).

1 k coconut milk, first extraction

1 k golden brown sugar

On a nonstick wok, cook kakang gata gently over low heat, mixing gently for about 20 minutes.

Add brown sugar; cook, stirring until mixture comes to a boil.

Add malagkit with pinipig.

Keep mixing over low heat.

Tip: “Ang masarap na biko ay makunat. Ang sekreto ng biko ay ang paghalo— pag mabigat na haluin, lumalaban, makunat, hanguin na ito.”

Transfer to coconut leaf-lined bilao.

Top with latik.

Latik

2 c kakang gata

In a saucepan, pour 2 cups kakang gata.

Keep stirring over low heat until latik is formed.