Puto (Steamed Rice Cake) - Pandan and Cheese Flavors

Puto Pandan

I have been making cheese puto for quite a while now. It was a recipe, or should I say a list of ingredients I got from one of my old friends when I was just new here in Qatar. I have written it in one of my journals which I kept for years. When I was cleaning up last year, I managed to find the journal again and thought of making the puto from that list of ingredients. Oh wow! It was so good! I really did not expect it to be that so, but it is. Everyone who tried it loved it, and that's how I got back my interest in cooking and started baking. To date, it still is one of My Expat Mommy's bestsellers and though I personally think that puto is such a boring dish, sometimes I wonder, what was so good about that puto that people just can't get enough of? hahaha!

CHEESE PUTO
(makes about 80pcs with my bite-size molds)
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups refined sugar
2 tbs baking powder
1 tbs vanilla
4 tbs melted butter
grated cheese 
6 eggs
2 small cans evaporated milk
1 cup water
Method:
In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. 
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the milk. Beat until you have a smooth but thick batter. 
Add the water, beat until you a slightly thin batter is achieved. Then fold in the melted butter. Stir until the butter is fully incorporated with the mixture and you do not see any more traces of butter on the top layer.
Add the grated cheese.
At this point you may start heating the steamer.
Pour in the batter into the puto molds almost to the brim. Place in the steamer and steam for about 10-12 minutes. When the puto is almost cooked, you may also add cheese toppings as desired.
Turn off heat and remove puto from the molds. This should not be hard since the molds will easily release the puto once cooked.
Serve with your favorite merienda (snack) or drink. Enjoy!


PUTO PANDAN
(makes about 40pcs with my bite-size molds)
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 tbs melted butter
1 1/4 cup pandan water
cheese for topping (optional)
1/4 tsp green coloring (optional)
Method:
To make pandan water, you will need 2 pandan leaves and 2 cups of water. Boil the leaves until the flavors are infused into the water. (You may also use pandan extract, but I still haven't seen one in the stores here in Qatar.)
In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients then beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the pandan water and continue beating until you achieve a smooth batter. 
Add the melted batter. Mix until the butter is fully incorporated into the mixture and you don't see any traces of butter on the top layer.
You may also add the green coloring at this point if desired. Mix until the color is totally infused into the batter and a balance has been achieved.
Pour into the puto molds and steam for about 10-12 minutes. At about 8 minutes into the steaming time, add your cheese topping if desired.
Turn off heat and remove from molds. 
Serve and Enjoy!


Mommy Tip: for the ones you will not eat right away, store in an airtight container once totally cooled.




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