Kutsinta (Steamed Rice Cakes)

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Tapioca flour
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Lye water (lihiya)
• 1 tablespoon Annatto (atsuete) seeds
• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Grated coconut

Instructions

1. 1In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon of annatto (atsuete) seeds with 1/2 cup of warm water. Let this sit for 15 minutes to allow the seeds to release their color.
2. 2Strain the colored water into a large bowl, discarding the annatto seeds. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to this bowl. Next, add the 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup of tapioca flour, and 1 cup of brown sugar to the same bowl. Whisk everything together until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
3. 3Carefully stir in the 1 teaspoon of lye water (lihiya) into the batter. Lye water can be irritating, so handle it with care.
4. 4Lightly grease 12 small heatproof molds or ramekins. Pour the batter into each mold, filling them about three-quarters full.
5. 5Arrange the filled molds in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover the steamer and steam the kutsinta for 30 to 40 minutes. They are ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
6. 6Carefully remove the molds from the steamer. Let the kutsinta cool in the molds for about 10 minutes before gently inverting them onto a serving plate. Serve the kutsinta with the 1 cup of grated coconut.

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