MAGIC COOKIE BARS

½   cup margarine or butter

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1    (370 mls.) can condensed milk

2    cups chocolate chips

1    cup quartered marshmallows

1    cup chopped nuts, unsalted

2    tbsps. sugar (if condensed milk is unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350ºF (or 325ºF for glass dish). I a 13x9” baking pan, melt margarine or butter in oven. Sprinkle graham crumbs over margarine after removing baking dish from oven. Add sugar to condensed milk if unsweetened. Pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs.

Top with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and chopped nuts. Press down firmly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool. Chills thoroughly if desired. Cut into bars. Store.

CURRIED SHRIMPS in Tomato Sauce

2  tbsps. butter

1  tbsp. ginger, minced

1  clove garlic, minced

2  med. Onions, chopped

2  tbsps. curry powder

½ tsp. rock salt

1  big can tomato sauce

1  cup chicken broth

3  tbsps. calamansi juice

½ cup coconut cream

1  kilo shrimps, cooked, shelled and deveined

Saute garlic, onions, ginger in butter over low fire until tender. Blend in curry powder and salt. Add tomato sauce and chicken broth. Cover pan and simmer for 20 minutes Stir in calamansi juice, then coconut cream. Add shrimps. Simmer until done.

FRUIT CAKE BARS

1  cup melted butter

1  cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2  whole eegs

1  cup chopped nuts

½ tsp. baking powder

½ cup raisins

½ cup glazed fruits

½ cup cherry brandy

1  cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. fine salt

Soak the nuts, raisins, glazed fruit in cherry brandy overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven for 325ºF. Line two 9x9” baking pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and the sugar. Mix well. Pour in melted butter and mix well. Add the flour mixture.

Add the fruit and nuts mixture. Pour batter into prepared baking pans. Bake for 30 minutes.

Chill well before cutting into bars.

PUTO BUMBONG

500 grams glutinous rice

250 grams ordinary rice

25   ml. purple food coloring

75   grams margarine

150 grams sugar

75   grams grated coconut

Soak all the rice in a bowl of cold water for six hours then place it through a fine grinder. Mix in the food coloring and hang in a muslin bag for at least 12 hours.

Remove the rice from the muslin bag and pour enough fillings into 2 bamboo tubes, then steam, (there is a special steamer available in the market meant for cooking puto bumbong).

To serve, remove from the bamboo tubes and place in banana leaves about three to four pieces. Spread margarine over puto bumbong and sprinkle with sugar and grated coconut. Serve with hot salabat (tea from ginger) or hot chocolate for the kids.

BIBINGKA

3    eggs

¾   cup granulated sugar

2     cups all-purpose flour

4     tsps. Baking powder

1 ¾ cups coconut milk

½    cup grated cheese

       Banana leaves, wilted

Beat eggs until light and creamy.

Add sugar gradually, beating well after each addition. Sift flour and baking powder together. Beat dry ingredients alternately with coconut milk. Pour batter into two 9” layer cake pans that have been greased and lined with wilted banana leaves. Bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes. Take out pans and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 minutes more. Brush twice with margarine while baking. When done, brush again with margarine and sprinkle with sugar. Serve with freshly grated coconut.