chocolate chip – Jellybeans in the City

Send love despite the distance with Ben’s Cookies

It sometimes seems that this time of being separated from our loved ones will never end.

While we look back on the days when we can venture out of our homes to spend time with our friends and family and look forward to the days when we can do so again, the fact remains that, for the time being, our best expression of love is to protect them by keeping to a safe distance.

That doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t bridge the distance to our loved ones with some sweet thoughts and sweet gestures.

For instance, how about sending a box of Ben’s Cookies?

This cookie brand itself was borne out of a mother’s love. Cookbook writer Helge Rubinstein set up a business baking and selling cookies in a stall at UK’s Covered Court in 1983 and named it after her son. Today, it has branched out beyond the UK and even reached our shores when it opened its first store at the Podium Mall in 2019.

Each palm-sized cookie creation is moist and chewy, made with chunks – not chips – of premium chocolate, unsalted butter, wheat flour, fresh eggs, cane sugar and nuts, all freshly baked everyday.

Ben’s Cookies come in crave-worthy variants such as:

Other variants include: Fruit & Nut, Peanut & Milk Chocolate, Oatmeal & Raisin, Cranberry & White Chocolate Chunk, Lemon, Triple Chocolate Chunk and Speculoos.

At Php90 per cookie, Ben’s Cookies are sure to deliver sweet joy to whoever will receive them.

Gift them to your special someone in prettily packaged in lovely tin cans (Php545 for 4 pieces | Php945 for 8 pieces).

You may also get an even sweeter deal by getting a Small Ben’s Box (Php495 for 5 pieces + 2 free) or Large Ben’s Box (Php990 for 10 pieces + 5 free).

With the holiday season coming, now is the perfect time to send your love with Ben’s Cookies.

Order now for your loved ones at Ben’s Cookies website. You may also drop by any of these branches:

Ground Floor, Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Ground Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Second Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City

Baking hacks with Betty Crocker Muffin Mixes

With more than a year since the start of the pandemic, some people stuck at home have started pursuing baking as a hobby.

It’s a great way to whip up freshly baked snacks and desserts for the family to enjoy without breaking the bank.

Plus, speaking as a home baker myself, there’s this sense of accomplishment that comes with knowing that I have produced something delicious.

However, some would-be bakers may need to ease in to their baking adventures, especially if they don’t have the time or the budget to stock up on the needed ingredients, or if they don’t have a grasp of the basics in baking at the moment.

Fortunately, Betty Crocker has a line of muffin mixes that can introduce newbie bakers to the joys of baking. Betty Crocker Muffin Mixes consolidate the dry ingredients needed to produce muffins, conveniently packaged in portable pouches or boxes, needing only the addition of eggs and liquids, and of course, baking, to produce mouthwatering baked goodies.

They’re easy to store in the pantry and take out when you want to quickly whip up a snack, or pack into your food bags to take with you when you travel. Whether you’re at home or on the go, having Betty Crocker Muffin Mixes on-hand means a yummy baked treat is never more than a few minutes away. Just follow the instructions on the package, and, soon,you’ll be enjoying your fluffy and freshly baked muffins.

Check them out:

Betty Crocker Triple Berry Muffin Mix.

Living in a tropical country makes it hard to keep mixed berries on hand. With Betty Crocker Muffin Mix, you get triple berry bits mixed in with the other dry ingredients, ready to be transformed into a sweet and fruity dessert.

Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix.

Chocolate chip is arguable the world’s favorite cookie flavor. With Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix, it can be enjoyed in muffin form.

Betty Crocker Banana Nut Muffin Mix.

Perfect as an after-meal treat, this combines bananas and nuts into a fluffy muffin.

Betty Crocker Cornbread & Muffin Mix.

A savory baked good, this is a great side dish to barbecues for a Southern meal or a light and fluffy snack.

Even if you’re a baking newbie, you can whip up muffins for the fam to enjoy with Betty Crocker Muffin Mixes.

Valentine Cookies from Scout’s Honor, Santolan Town Plaza

Valentine’s Day may be over but it’s not too late to treat your loved ones to a sweet treat.

This is what I did this past weekend when Hubby and I made a stopover at Santolan Town Plaza and I espied a branch of Scout’s Honor in the area.

Scout’s Honor is an artisanal cookie store inspired by the Girl Scout cookie concept. Its cookies are made fresh daily with premium ingredients, certainly a treat for dessert lovers. Having expanded its menu to include hot comfort food, Scout’s Honor outlets became places where kids and adults can hang out in comfortably.

I decided to bring home some cookies for my kiddos to brighten their day.

Fortunately, I was able to get two pieces each of limited-edition Valentine cookies, Scout’s Honor’s beloved cookie flavors shaped into cute hearts available within February:

Ultimate Chocolate Chip (Php60/pc).

Cashew Macadamia (Php60/pc).

Rocky Road (Php60/pc).

Ultimate Red Velvet (Php95/pc).

To make an even dozen, I ordered two more pieces each of other Cub Scout Cookie flavors:

White Cranberry Oatmeal (Php60/pc).

1969 (Php60/pc).

For my Hubby’s toddler niece who was visiting our home that afternoon with her parents, I got a dozen of 1 Bite 2 Bite cookies (Php95) which consisted of four pieces each of Milk Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Fledge for the little one to bring home.

As luck would have it, I was able to get some treats for my fur-baby as well as Scout’s Honor also offers peanut-butter flavored Dog Treats (Php95). It’s a well-deserved for my beloved pooch and Guardian of Casa de Jellybeans.

Why don’t you bring home some sweet treats for your little ones to show your love today?

This Scout’s Honor branch is located at Ground Floor, Santolan Town Plaza, Col. Bonny Serrano Avenue, Little Baguio, San Juan City, open daily from 11am to 7pm.

Other branches are located at:

Second Floor, Uptown Place Mall, 36th Street Corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Ground Floor, Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Level 1, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
Ground Floor, Pedro Gil Wing, Robinson’s Place Manila Ermita, Ermita, Manila
Upper Ground Floor, Main Building, SM City Fairview, Novaliches, Quezon City

Awesome pairing of cookies and coffee from Bake Boss and TOV Coffee

It’s a weekday afternoon, you’ve just had your lunch and you’re contemplating on what will power you up for more hours of doing remote work.

For me, its quite simple: cookies and coffee!

Both give me a boost of energy and wakefulness that’s sure to get me over that midday slump.

Fortunately, I got some sweets and TOV coffee packets from Bake Boss that really hit the spot.

Bake Boss is managed by local entrepreneur Earl Reyes, who launched this online bakery in May last year to pursue her passion for baking and make some money during the lockdown due to the pandemic. (Check out my post about Bake Boss’ Chocolate Banana Muffins and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies here.)

True to her entrepreneurial spirit, Earl expanded her offerings to include new desserts under her Bake Boss label and even drip coffee which she branded TOV Coffee after the Hebrew word for “good”..

My Bake Boss cookie treats included:

Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (Php240/box of 8). The chewy, cinnamon-spiced oatmeal cookies got a chocolatey upgrade with the addition of decadent dark chocolate chips.

Brookie (Php240/box of 8). The lusciously moist and chocolatey brownie now in cookie form.

For you brownie purists out there, Bake Boss also offers Dark Fudge Brownies (Php240/box of 12) so you can indulge yourself with bite-sized pieces of rich dark fudge chocolate.

Paired with my sweets are cups of coffee made with TOV Drip Coffee (Php45/packet), an easy way to enjoy freshly brewed coffee anytime you want. Solo servings of ground coffee beans are conveniently packaged in bags which can be torn open and hooked onto the sides of coffee mugs. Hot water is passed through the bags and the resulting brew gathers at the bottom of the mug, ready to drink and enjoy.

TOV Drip Coffee is made with coffee beans from Sagada and is available in variants that are sure to appeal to coffee connoisseurs:

Home-grown brews such as Kalinga, Benguet and Barako which showcase our local coffee artistry
Blends enriched with infusions such as Double Chocolate, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Cookies & Cream and Bailey’s Irish Cream which brings us new notes to enjoy with our cuppa without the sugar

Drip Coffee also has the flexibility to be made into other coffee creations such as:

Iced Americano: just let the coffee drip over ice cubes
Ca phe sua da: place two to three tablespoons of condensed milk into the cup and let the coffee drip over it

So with just my cookies and my drip coffee after lunch, the rest of the day will surely perk up!

Send your orders to Bake Boss via Facebook or Instagram two days prior to delivery. Cashless payments via GCash are accepted.

All of Bake Boss’ goodies are freshly baked everyday and can be delivered from Paranaque to anywhere in Metro Manila via Grab, Lalamove, Happy Move, MoveIt, Angkas, Mr Speedy and others (delivery fee charged to buyer).

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature article.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Three reasons to say “I love you” with Ben’s Cookies this Valentine’s Day

Despite not being a regular holiday (one that gives us a day off work) – Valentine’s Day still is one of the most anticipated celebrations every year.

As a day dedicated to love in all its forms, it evokes warm and fuzzy feelings, and encourages expressions of emotions ranging from affection to grand passion.

However, some may not have the capability or the opportunity to say “I love you” to those who are near-and-dear to them. For those people, may I propose this solution: #SayItWithBens.

Ben’s Cookies is the brainchild of cookbook writer and chocoholic Helge Rubinstein who named the business after her son.

Here are three reasons why gifting your special someone with Ben’s Cookies is a good idea:

1. Ben’s Cookies are made with all the good stuff.

These palm-sized cookie treats are made with chunks – not chips – of premium chocolate, unsalted butter, wheat flour, fresh eggs, cane sugar and nuts, all freshly baked everyday.

2. They come in delicious variants.

Love comes in wondrous variety and so do Ben’s Cookies. Check them out:

Milk Chocolate Chunk.

Dark Chocolate Chunk.

White Chocolate Chunk.

Praline & Milk Chocolate Chunk.

Triple Chocolate Chunk.

Speculoos Cookie.

Other cookie variants include: Fruit & Nut, Double Chocolate & Nut, Peanut & Milk Chocolate, Oatmeal & Raisin, Cranberry & White Chocolate Chunk, Lemon, Orange & Milk Chocolate Chunk, White Chocolate Chunk & Macadamia and Double Chocolate Chunk.

3. The more (cookies), the merrier.

These cookies are available by the piece at Php90 each.

You can also get them packaged in lovely tin cans (4 pieces at Php495 or 8 pieces at Php835).

However, you get a pretty sweet deal when you get them by the box (Buy 5 and get 2 free at Php450 or Buy 10 and get 5 free at Php900).

So bring a happy twinkle in your beloved’s eyes this Valentine’s Day by giving them the sweet delight of Ben’s Cookies.

To grab the Ben’s Cookies present for your sweet Valentine, drop by any of its stores:

Ground Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Second Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Ground Floor, Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City

You can also call +63 917 5267711 or order online.

Ultimate Christmas Treats – Ben’s Cookies

Looking for a way to spread the holiday cheer?

How about gifting your nears-and-dears with a box of Ben’s Cookies?

From its beginnings in 1983 as a stall in UK’s Oxford Covered Market, Ben’s Cookies have extended its reach to the Philippines when it opened its first store in The Podium Mall in July 2019, followed by branches in SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall. It brought with its those signature palm-sized pieces of moist and chewy delights made with chunks – not chips – of premium chocolate, unsalted butter, wheat flour, fresh eggs, cane sugar and nuts, all freshly baked everyday.

Ben’s Cookies is the brainchild of cookbook writer and chocoholic Helge Rubinstein who named the business after her son.

With such a history, we can say that each cookie is made with love. Check out some of its cookie creations:

Milk Chocolate Chunk. The chocolate chip cookie may be the grandaddy of all modern cookies but this one may be considered The Godfather because of its heft.

Dark Chocolate Chunk. The Milk Chocolate Chunk’s darker and more sophisticated cousin, perfect for dark chocolate lovers.

White Chocolate Chunk. A more delicate version of the Milk Chocolate Chunk, this is a cookie you reach for if you want a break from the usual.

Double Chocolate and Nut. This baby’s got twice the chocolate goodness, further enhanced by the addition of crunchy walnuts.

Speculoos Cookie. To end all speculation, this cookie brings the spiced and nutty sweetness you crave for.

Other cookie variants include: Double Chocolate Chunk, Triple Chocolate Chunk, White Chocolate Chunk and Macadamia, Orange & Milk Chocolate Chunk, Praline & Milk Chocolate Chunk, Lemon, Cranberry & White Chocolate Chunk, Oatmeal & Raisin, Peanut and Milk Chocolate, and Fruit & Nut.

These cookies are available by the piece at Php90 each, or by the box (Buy 5 and get 2 free at Php450 or Buy 10 and get 5 free at Php900) or by the tin (4 pieces at Php495 or 8 pieces at Php835).

Go ahead and spread some sweetness and good cheer by giving out these yummies to fam and friends.

To get your Ben’s Cookies, drop by any of its stores:

Ground Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Second Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Ground Floor, Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City

You can also call +63 917 5267711 or order online.

The Jelly List: Cookies for Christmas!

Whether for personal enjoyment or for gifting to loved ones, cookies are this season’s ultimate treats. Have your sweet bits of joy from enterprising bakers delivered right to your doorstep!

Christmas is just around the corner, foodies!

Who would have thought that the COVID19- caused craziness would last until the end of the year?

Keep your chins up, though. There’s still hope of better things to come.

In the meantime, give yourself reasons to smile by indulging in sweet bits of decadence: cookies, of course!

From their origins in 7th century Persia, their resurgence in the New World in the 17th century, to their domination of the global dessert scene, cookies have grown to become the sweet indulgence of choice foodies worldwide.

If you’re a cookie lover, you’d be happy to know that you won’t have to travel far or even leave home to get your just desserts. You can simply order from these online bakeshops and have your cookies delivered to you.

1. Sugar Creations by Alex

Satisfy your cookie cravings with these pretty confections, particularly that potent combination of cookie and S’mores in pastry: the smookie!

To order, call +63 988 5447945, or send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

2. Inang Charing Cakes and Pastries

I’ve sung praises for Inang Charing’s Triple-Flavored Cheesecake and Strawberry Shortcake in previous posts. However, it also offers a Salted White Chocolate Caramel Cookie that boasts of complex flavors and textures.

To order, send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

3. MDJ Cookies

Cookies can feel like warm hugs that you can eat. At least, that’s what MDJ Cookies strive to be. Get yourself a Loaded Crinkle and you’ll agree that it comes pretty close!

To order, send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

4. Extra Butter

Sometimes, bigger is better! With a palm-sized cookie from Extra Butter, like its fully loaded Double Chocolate Milk, there’ll be a lot of cookie goodness to go around.

To order, fill up this form.

5. Kica Bites

Fancy a return to the homey goodness of an all-time favorite cookie? Grab a piece of Kica Bites’ Original Chocolate Chip and enjoy the sugary buzz.

To order, fill up this form.

6. Bake Boss

Cookies do help in spreading the joy of the season. Take Bake Boss’ chewy and buttery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, for example, which is perfect to serve to the little ones along with a glass of milk to elicit a few smiles.

To order, send a message via Instagram.

7. Casa Bakes

Christmas is a season for celebration and your cookies can be part of the cheery mood. Get yourself a monster-sized Birthday Cake Cookie and enjoy the festive combination of white chocolate and colorful sprinkles.

To order, send a message via Instagram.

Given the variety of cookie options available this holiday season, you can easily treat yourself and your loved ones with yummy cookie creations. By ordering from these enterprising bakers, not only will you be sating your cookie cravings, you will also be supporting small businesses and the dreams of their owners.

And that’s a sweet thought, isn’t it?

Happy holidays, foodies!

Photo credit: header image by Jennifer Pallian on Unsplash

Check out my other adventures compiled into Jelly Lists:

Spread the sweet goodness of Kica Bites cookies

A little bit of sweetness can go a long way, wouldn’t you agree?

A little bit of a warm hug, a little bit of a winsome smile, a little bit of a happy thought… All these are little bits of joy that we can spread around, especially during these trying times.

After all, the quarantine can’t lock down our merry vibes, can it?

That’s why we should take every opportunity to spread little bits of sweetness to the people around us.

Take the cookies from Kica Bites, for example.

Made with love by newlyweds Kim and Carla (hence the name “KiCa”) who discovered baking as their “quaranthing,” these confections are the sweet treats that are sure to brighten everyone’s day.

Baked in small batches in their HQ in Rizal, Kica Bites cookies come in two signature flavors:

Original Chocolate Chip (Php209 for box of 6 | Php269 for box of 10). It’s hard to resist biting into a buttery cookie studded with chocolate chips, with just a hint of a crisp at the edges and chewy center . So why bother resisting?

Triple Dark Chocolate with Walnuts (Php229 for box of 6 | Php289 for box of 10). Get ready for chocolate overload with this fudgy chocolatey cookie!

Can’t choose between the two flavors? Why don’t you go for a Mixed Box (Php279) with five pieces of each cookie variant?

So the next question is: how can these sweet cookie delights find their way to you?

Simple: just fill out this order form, then wait for the order confirmation as well as Kica Bites’ payment details. Pay via BPI, Union Bank or Gcash then send proof of payment. Kica Bites cookies may be delivered from Rizal to anywhere in Metro Manila everyday or within Cavite on weekends.

These cookies are great for dessert a meal or as an accompaniment for your cuppa on your coffee break.

With the holidays fast approaching, you can spread some joy and love by giving a box of cookies to your nears-and-dears so that they can bite into some sweet goodness too!

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Treat yourself to some sweet happiness from Casa Bakes by Kayla

Let’s admit it: we can all use a bit of happiness right now. If the past few months has taught us anything, it’s to grasp at every bit of simple happiness we can to help us keep our sanity during these crazy times.

Well, how about the kind of happiness that comes in this box?

Twenty-eight-year-old bank employee Kayla Torres used to be too busy to do much at home prior to the lockdown. When the community quarantine was put in place all over the metro, she found her days a bit gloomy. To cheer herself up, she took up her old hobby of baking cookies.

“Baking and eating cookies brighten up my day,” she shares.

After trying out cookies from other internet shops (chewy ones are her fave), she decided to make her own version. When she started posting about her creations on social media, they drew the attention of friends and family who want to buy those sweet delights.

And so began Casa Bakes.

Kayla’s new passion project currently offers the giant chewy cookies she so loves – the kind that’s monster-sized and packed with all sorts of good stuff that will fill your mouth with sweetness and your heart with joy. These are:

Chocolate Chip (Php215/box of 3 | Php400/box of 6 | Php575/box of 9). There’s a reason this cookie variant is always top of mind among many cookie lovers. From its sweet buttery smell, the burst of rich chocolate sweetness from the chocolate chips to the feel of the moist and gooey center that contrasts with the slight crisp at the the bottom and sides, this cookie deserves its place among the classic faves.

Reese‘s Chocolate Chip (Php230/box of 3 | Php415/box of 6 | Php590/box of 9). How can you possibly improve on a classic? Apparently, with a generous helping of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips! The good ole’ chocolatey goodness of the chocolate chip cookie gets an upgrade with the decadent peanut butter flavor mixed in.

Birthday Cake (Php230/box of 3 | Php415/box of 6 | Php590/box of 9). A whole party packed into a cookie so you can celebrate your birthday any day you want. What can be more festive than white chocolate chips and a dash of sprinkles? Get ready to put on your party hats with this cookie.

Can’t make up your mind on which of these cookies to sate your sweet cravings on? Order a Surprise Surprise (Php225/box of 3 | Php410/box of 6 | Php580/box of 9) and get a taste of each yummy variant!

So how can you get your hands on these monster-sized bits of bliss? Simply send a message to Casa Bakes on Instagram to reserve your slot for the next batch. Online payments via Union Bank and BPI are accepted.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Mom-and-Daughter Dinner at The Chocolate Kiss Cafe

Despite the resto being a fixture in many an Isko or Iska’s memories of college days in the UP Diliman campus, I have, ironically, only eaten at The Chocolate Kiss Cafe twice in my life, and both times took place years after I graduated. This is probably because my student allowance can not accommodate a meal at the poshest (at the time) restaurant in the campus.

The most recent instance was after attending the #KahayupanSaDangal exhibit at the nearby Bulwagan ng Dangal. My daughter and I decided to have dinner at #ChocKiss (as the kids call it nowadays).

Although there was ample parking space around the UP Bahay ng Alumni where the resto is located, it was sparsely lit. Even the walk to the second floor lacked proper lighting.

The resto’s interiors, however, were amply lit and had a cozy atmosphere. Covers of popular music were played live by violinist Royce Aviguetero and guitarist Bobot Mabalot in the background as we dined. On the walls were displayed whimsical and colorful artworks by Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) member Yas Doctor.

We split orders of Ceasar Salad (Php210), Beef Salpicao (Php315) and a slice of Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (Php145). The salad lived up to “the good stuff” positioning of the resto; the resto’s own-recipe Ceasar Salad dressing gives good flavor to the greens, bacon bits and croutons. The beef dish was passable: the cubes of ribeye steak were tender, well-seasoned and were well-complemented by the garlic rice and steamed veggies. The cheesecake, however, was a bit of a letdown: the chocolate chips distract from the rich flavor we expect from a New York-style cheesecake, resulting to a too-sweet cake.

We were supposed to order the Carrot Cake that ChocKiss is known for but the last remaining slice was already reserved for another diner. But hey, that’s what next visits are for, huh?

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe is located at the 2nd Floor of the UP Bahay ng Alumni along R. Magsaysay Street (across the UP Film Center), UP Diliman Campus, Quezon City. For reservations, call +632 433 1140 or +632 434 3577 or email goodstuff@thechocolatekiss.com.

The other branch is located at the 2nd Floor, Urban Turf, UP Town Center, along Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City. For reservations, call +632 946 3276.

Click here to visit The Chocolate Kiss Cafe website.