Now who can say no to a serving of freshly-made biko? This sticky and sweet Filipino delicacy is amazing as a dessert with a hot cup of kape or tsokolate, topped with some latik. It’s also a very portable merienda, as you can slice it up fresh out the tray, leave it to cool and it’ll be ready to take anywhere in a matter of hours—it’s no wonder at all that this rice treat can be found virtually anywhere you go in some variation, whether it’s in a humble food stall or in the fanciest restaurants with ice cream on the side.
The sweet rice lends itself perfectly to the almost caramel tones of the cooked sugar and is actually very easy to prepare in the kitchen, hence its popularity in parties, fiestas and even everyday occasions where you want to add a touch of sweetness to the end of a meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups glutinous rice
- 2 cups water
- 7 oz. coconut milk
- 1 cups brown sugar
Topping:
- latik
- banana leaves, lightly heated
Cooking Instructions:
- Wash the glutinous rice, set in a pot and add the water.
- Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer until the liquid is fully absorbed by the rice.
- On a separate pan over medium heat, dissolve the brown sugar in the coconut milk, let it boil until thick.
- Add the cooked rice and mix until very thick consistency.
- To assemble, place the banana leaves at the bottom, and brush with oil, spread the sticky sweet rice on the leaves and flatten evenly.
- Cut in squares (if using square serving dish) or like a pizza (if on a round dish), spread the latik on the center of each slice.
Tips:
- Lightly heat the banana leaf over the stove-top burner or in the microwave to make it pliable and easy to handle.
- Brush some coconut oil (from the latik) onto your spoon or spatula when spreading the sweet rice for easy handling.
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