Making Tikoy from scratch is really easy but I realized that I only make it during the week of Chinese New Year. I think it’s the association of this CNY staple to the event that makes it more enticing to eat. My kids love it…except the littlest one (It’s a texture issue 😂).
You probably can tell we love tikoy with the number of variations I have done. Most of us like the plain White and the Ube but my daughter loves the Layered Tikoy and the Brown Sugar versions. And here I go again with another one. But I promise you, this is worth your time.
Babysitting a steaming Tikoy is not fun. The thing is, I get paranoid whenever I have to steam something that requires longer than half an hour. I have to keep checking the water level to make sure it doesn’t run low or worse, dry out. Hence, this idea of baking Tikoy in the oven (using bain-marie method). It’s exactly the same way of cooking Creamy Leche Flan, just a little longer. Still, you can cook this the traditional way (steaming on a stovetop).
The bits of macapuno (Coconut Sport) gave it a good texture and brought the sweetness to a different level. It’s not too sweet as you might think because I eased on the white sugar to compensate for the syrup’s sugar content. This is so delicious, I tell you! While I was at it changing the norm, I also tried cooking it without the beaten eggs. Surprisingly, I loved it more than the typical way – a tad firmer and not oily. Leftovers will make a good addition to Ginataang Halo-Halo whether in addition to or as a replacement for the bilo-bilo. You gotta try it!
From now on, I will be sticking my tikoy in the oven rather than steaming it on top of the stove. I just need to check it once the timer goes off, without worrying the water might run out. And because of this, I think Tikoy will cease being a once-a-year thing.
Baked Tikoy (Macapuno)
Equipment
- 9×5 inch loaf pan or 8 inch baking pan
- Another baking pan (with sides), bigger than the pans above (if baking)
- Steamer (if steaming is preferred)
- Piece of foil, to cover the smaller pan (where the tikoy is cooked in)
Ingredients
- 1 400 g pack glutinous rice flour
- ¾ cup white sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ⅔ cup bottled sweetened macapuno drained
- 1 Tablespoon oil canola or vegetable
- 1 tablespoon oil for greasing pan
- 1 egg beaten for frying* (see Notes)
Instructions
- Using kitchen scissors, snip the macapuno strings into about ⅓ inch lengths. This doesn’t have to be exact as long as it’s manageable enough to not be sticking out of the pan while cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven (2nd slot from the bottom).
- In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, salt, water and macapuno and mix very well until well combined.
- Liberally grease the bottom and sides of the baking pan (9×5 or 8 inch baking pan ) with oil. This will ensure easy tikoy removal once cooked. Pour in the mixture and cover the pan tightly with a piece of foil
- Place the pan inside the bigger baking pan. Fill the outer pan with hot tap water, reaching about halfway through the pan containing the tikoy mixture. It’ll be cooked in a water bath (bain-marie). Carefully place the covered pan in and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the middle part is fully cooked when a toothpick is inserted.
- Completely cool at room temperature. Run a small knife (plastic works great) around the pan to ease the tikoy off. Unmold and double wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerated for at least one day before frying**. (see Notes)
- To fry the Tikoy: Add a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick frying pan. Slice the tikoy thinly and dip each piece in the egg. Fry using medium-low heat until lightly browned on both sides. Place it on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb extra oil.
