Bitsu-Bitsu Dabao

Bitsu-Bitsu

Oh the good ol' days as a child.. My Lolo Jorge would always take me to the "palengke" on his bicycle every after siesta so he could shop for the night's meal. Without fail, he would always buy me bitsu-bitsu or palitaw as a reward for going with him (as if it was against my will to go, I enjoyed riding on the bike with him.. Hah!). Growing up, less and less people are selling these snacks. Maybe because the prices of the rice shoots so high up they could no longer afford it? Or maybe because the latter generations of kids prefer fast food. Whatever it is, when I came to America I have been craving for my comfort foods like this one and I have never made this in my entire life. So I "googled" it and found a recipe. The next time I googled it, I can no longer find it. What always appeared on my search were other types of snacks that were also named Bitsu-Bitsu. Probably from the other islands or ethnicity like the Tagalogs or Ilocanos. Hence, I made my very own Bitsu-Bitsu Dabao. :) Five simple recipes in 5 easy steps in less than 30 minutes! Happy cooking!

You will need:

1     c glutinous rice flour

1/2  c coconut milk - add more to reach desired consistency

1     c brown sugar

1/2  c water

Oil for frying

Substitution: In case you do not have coconut milk, make use of the regular milk - in my case, I used Prairie Farms Vitamin D Milk. It works just as good.

Instruction:

1. Mix glutinous rice flour and milk. You may add a little more milk until thick and sticky.
2. Combine water and brown sugar in a sauce pan and boil until caramelized.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil and fry the bitsu-bitsu mixture using a spoon or a small ice cream scooper. Fry until golden brown. Then pat dry with a paper towel.
4. Dump each bitsu-bitsu in the caramel one by one and carefully coat them.
5. Serve it warm or chill for later snacks.

Enjoy Happy Muffins! ;)