Puto or rice cake can be served as mid-day meal(merienda), breakfast or an all-day food item. There are so many variety but this recipe here is commonly the type being cooked and served during celebration especially children’s party along with spaghetti or fried chicken. The size can be as big as the circumference of a drinking glass or can be tiny as a tea light candle.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups MAYA hotcake mix (If cake flour is available, then replace this with cake flour)
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 pcs large eggs
• half cup melted butter
• 6-7 cups water
• grated cheddar cheese or cut into strips
• 2 tsp baking powder

Procedure:

Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl then mix well using hand whisk. Beat eggs using hand whisk then add melted butter and water then mix again. Mix the wet ingredients to dry ingredients then mix well until almost free from lumps then set aside.

Put water in your steamer and bring to boil. Meanwhile, grease the molds with butter. Once the steamer is ready with boiling water, pour the puto mixture into the mold then top it with a pinch of grated cheese or one strip and steam for about 10-12 minutes or until the mixture is cooked. You will know if puto is cooked when the top rises out of the mold, you can also insert a toothpick and it should come out dry. Allow at least 1 to 2 minutes to cool then use a teaspoon to scoop out the puto from its mold. Remember not to cover it with aluminium foil or plastic once cooked as it will moist a lot and will cause the puto to get wilted or saggy and loose its formation. It is also important not to over steam the mixture as it will become brownish and will lose its fluffiness.

This recipe can serve 10 – 15 people approximately 1 whole rectangle aluminium tray.