Kalamay Hati

Kalamay Hati is made with glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and muscovado sugar. Perfectly sweet and sticky, this rice cake is delicious as a midday snack or after-meal dessert!

Kalamay is a proud symbol of many local traditions across the Philippines. Many regions have their versions, made with various flavors, including sapin-sapin, kapit, and bibingkoy. Sweet, chewy, and comforting, you'll find these sticky rice cakes at big celebrations as well as simple, everyday snacks.

Kalamay hati is a sticky rice dessert made from glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and muscovado brown sugar. It's thick and glossy, and has a soft, chewy texture, a deep golden brown color, and a rich coconut flavor. Although easy to make, it does require some elbow grease, as the mixture needs to be stirred and turned in the pan for about an hour, until you can hardly lift the spoon and the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot.

A popular delicacy from the Negros islands and Visayas region, it's an integral part of Filipino celebrations and gatherings such as town fiestas, birthdays, and special holidays. The name kalamay (sticky rice cake) hati (split) comes from the old practice of selling the sticky concoction in halved coconut shells (bao) sealed with paper tapes.

Ingredient notes

• Glutinous rice flour- traditionally pilit (glutinous rice) is soaked in water overnight to soften and then ground to a smooth mixture called galapong. To make the process easier, the recipe uses glutinous rice flour, also called sticky rice or sweet rice.
• Coconut milk- serves as the liquid base. Adds a rich, creamy flavor.
• Muscovado sugar- provides a golden brown color and deep caramel flavor. You can also use panutsa or dark brown sugar.

Kalamay Hati cooking process

1. In a pan over medium heat, add coconut cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid starts to thicken.
2. Lower the heat and continue to cook.
3. As oil starts to separate and solids begin to form, regularly stir and scrape sides and bottom of pan to prevent burning. 
4. Continue cooking and stirring until the curds turn golden brown. 
5. Drain latik from the oil and store in a container until ready to use.
6. Line a wide serving dish with banana leaves and brush the banana leaves with coconut oil.
7. In a wide non-stick pan, combine coconut milk and glutinous rice flour. Whisk together until smooth and lump-free.
8. Over medium heat, cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and forms a smooth dough.
9. Add muscovado brown sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is evenly brown.  Continue cooking for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the mixture is very thick, sticky, and can barely be lifted from the pan.
10. Line a serving pan with wilted banana leaves and then brush leaves with coconut oil from the latik for added flavor. Transfer the kalamay mixture to the prepared pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to spread it evenly. Use a lightly oiled knife to smooth the top.
11. Brush the surface with coconut oil and top with latik.

• Use a non-stick pan to make stirring easier.
• Skip brushing the kalamay with coconut oil when serving cold, as the oil will harden into a greasy film.

On a side note, one of my recipes is in Appetite Magazine!

Back in August, I received an email from the magazine's editor-in-chief, Nina Daza-Puyat (yes, the daughter of the legendary Nora Daza!), requesting permission to feature my chicken skin chicharon recipe for the home projects section of their magazine.

You could imagine my disbelief. Moi? Being contacted by THE daughter of MY idol for my recipe? MY recipe! I thought I was being punked!

As it turned out, the email was indeed real. We exchanged a few more messages over the next few weeks, and then today, she informed me that Appetite's October 2015 issue, featuring my recipe, is now available in stores. She'd love to send me a copy here in the U.S. I was so excited that I even waited; I bought the app version of the magazine so I can check it out as soon as possible.

OMG! What a fine job they did; the step-by-step photos were spectacular. Please hurry to your nearest newsstand and get your copy today! Along with the chicken skin chicharon, the magazine is packed with recipes and meal ideas to try at home. There are also about five ingenious versions of paella which will be perfect for your upcoming holiday celebrations.

Make sure to include this in your Noche Buena line up of desserts and enjoy!