dessert – Page 6 – Jellybeans in the City

A delicious taste of home with Tia Carmen’s Apple Crumble

Home is where the heart is, so they say.

Well, given the restrictions on mobility due to the community quarantine, many of us found ourselves stuck at home, though our hearts may be somewhere else.

If you’re yearning to be back in the hustle and bustle of the metro, or to roam free amidst wide open spaces, I’m sorry to say it but you may have long to wait.

In the meantime, why not take comfort in the haven of home by relishing the sweet delights you can enjoy there, with the people closest to you?

That’s the idea that the folks behind the new online store Tia Carmen Fresh Pastries wants to push. The enterprise is named after Carmen Escriva (sister of Saint Josemaria Escriva de Baleguer) who supported her brother’s ministry and championed a love for home.

Launched only last July 14, Tia Carmen produces homemade baked pies and crumbles that bring back happy memories of childhood and sharing good food with loved ones.

Its Apple Crumble (Php550), for example, is a masterpiece flavors and textures. From its buttery, slightly crunchy and crumbly topping that gives way to soft and sweetly-spiced apple filling, it is the quintessential comfort food, that can satisfy the sweet cravings of four to six people.

Did you know that the crumble originated in Great Britain during World War II? Because of the food rationing instituted by the government, the ingredients needed to make pie crusts were in short supply. Some enterprising bakers used what flour, fat and sugar they had into making a crumble topping and a new dish came to be.

The apple crumble is best enjoyed warm, with the aroma of apple, cinnamon and butter wafting to your nose. Add a generous dollop of vanilla ice cream to it and you’ve got an irresistible treat!

(Note: I’ve read in several sources that Americans sometimes enjoy apple pie with sharp cheddar. Curious if the same can be applied to apple crumble, but lacking authentic cheddar in my pantry at the moment, I substituted a few slices of processed cheese on a slice of apple crumble. The result? An interesting interplay between sweet and salty that I won’t mind exploring further.)

If your constitution – or refrigerator – can’t handle a whole pie, or you just want an intimate dessert for two – or just one! – get an Apple Crumble Cup (Php200) instead.

Go ahead and get yourself a taste of Tia Carmen’s Apple Crumble so you can also get a taste of the warm comfort of home.

Tia Carmen’s Fresh Pastries also offers Banana Crumble (Php450 for whole | Php180 for cup) and Apple Pie (Php500).

Its ovens are baking every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with pies for delivery on the same day to ensure freshness.

To order, just fill out this online form. Payments via BPI, Metrobank and GCash are accepted.

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

The Jelly List: Unusual desserts to soothe your stress during quarantine

It’s been four months into the quarantine and with all the craziness that’s happening in and out of the country, many of us are feeling the literal and metaphorical heat.

I’m a firm believer in how the right kind of food improves one’s mood. And it just so happens that stressed spelled backwards is dessert.

Being a sweet tooth myself, of course I have a considerable bias towards desserts. (And words to the wise: biases are not inherently bad!)

Before I let my stress get the better of me, let me calm my mind down and yet excite my appetite as I present my picks for out-of-the-ordinary sweets.

These are usually reinterpretations or interesting tweaks to established dessert recipes, bringing something new to classic faves.

I also picked the ones that are currently available for pickup and delivery since most of us are stuck in our homes.

Frozen Brazo de Mercedes from Ombu Kusina

Ombu Kusina prides itself on its modern takes on Pinoy cuisine and this dessert is a prime example of that. Delightful layers of frozen soft meringue alternating custard filling, ice cream and graham cracker crust will make a great end to any meal.

Ombu Kusina is located at Ground Floor, Sequioa Hotel, Mother Ignacia Street, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 9am to 8pm for dine-in, delivery and pickup. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 84411789 or +63 922 8149086, or email omburestaurant@yahoo.com.

Inang Charing’s Cakes and Pastries now offers Strawberry Shortcake

Is it strawberry season in the Philippines already?

Way, waaaay back into my youth, I only got to taste this luscious red fruit when a family member brought home a precious basket as a pasalubong from a Baguio trip.

Due to its scarcity, eating the fruit fresh was considered sosyal… or shala, as the kids say it nowadays.

Thanks to developments in agriculture and transportation, strawberries are more widely available, making it easier for bakers and dessert makers to incorporate this delectable fruit in their creations.

Such is the case with Inang Charing Cakes and Pastries (read my previous post on this enterprising homebaker here), recently launching its newest offering: the Strawberry Shortcake.

Mhai Capili, the baker behind Inang Charing’s Cakes and Pastries, decided to add this dessert to the menu, taking advantage of the fresh Baguio strawberries being sold in the metro. She decided to test out the recipe forming in her head to see if it will work.

The result is a delightful eight-inch diameter confection made with a light spongy cake layered with thick whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

It is a delight to the senses: The spots of bright red made by the fruit against the light-colored cream and sponge cake draw the eyes. The smell of the fresh strawberries whet the appetite. The contrasts in textures in these elements make for an exciting mouthfeel. And, of course, the bursts of fruity sweetness against the sugary cream filling and cake sates any sweet tooth’s craving.

The best part is that this absolute showstopper of a dessert can be yours for just Php985!

Just order via Facebook or Instagram with a three-day lead time and pay via GCash or BPI bank deposit a day before your preferred pickup date.

Thank goodness there’s no need for me to break the bank, nor travel far, for that shala (or sosyal) feeling you get from eating a decadent slice of Strawberry Shortcake.

Disclosure: I got my cake for just Php785 as I chanced upon Inang Charing’s post regarding the sale price for one of its first-ever batch of Strawberry Shortcakes while I was browsing for dessert ideas for my daughter #ExhibitA’s birthday. You could probably say that I just couldn’t resist. Oh, #ExhibitA (and the whole fam) loved it too. 😋

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

Step into fairyland with this treat from Graffiti Desserts

It was originally thought that the Black Forest Cake (or Gateau, if we are to judge by the complexity of this confection) got its name from the Schwarzwald (“Black Forest” in German). It is a densely forested mountain range in Southwest Germany which was said to have inspired the Grimm brothers to write the tale Hansel and Gretel.

The Schwarzwald is known for its rain-blessed, lush and verdant forests, attracting tourists from all over the world who want to experience that fairytale setting.

Well, imagine ending a meal with that fantasy tableau right on your dessert plate.

New online store Graffiti Desserts recently introduced its signature offering: the Black Forest Floor. This unique creation deconstructs and reimagines the classic Black Forest Gateau as the Shwarzwald’s lush forest floor.

In each cup of this ingeniously crafted dessert are elements of the Black Forest we know and love, but with a few tweaks.

Moist chocolate cake, cherries marinated in amaretto and a layer of cocoa and crushed peanuts make up the “soil” which surrounds a “mud pool” of salted milk chocolate ganache. Nestled amidst candy twigs and pebbles, dried rose petals and a green tea butter crumble which serves as a “moss” covering is a gold tinted dark chocolate cream dome “egg.”

You could say this dessert might just be too pretty to eat but what a loss that would be to your other senses.

From the exotic blend of fruity and rich chocolate scents to the interesting variations in texture inside your mouth, to the explosions of salty-sweet, chocolatey, fruity and candy flavors on your tongue, every spoonful is like digging into the forest floor for buried treasure.

Graffiti Desserts is the brainchild of Rain, a twenty-six-year-old entrepreneur who partnered with classically trained baker to bring about unusual desserts. This new entrant into the busy metro food scene seeks to differentiate itself from other dessert shops by “taking inspiration from every direction, rethinking sweets and changing the dessert landscape in the process.”

Well, I’m already a fan.

I’m also excited about the next product it will launch. I heard it will be similar to the Black Forest Floor – introducing a new spin to an old classic and inspired by nature.

In the meantime, dessert lovers out there can get your hands on your own little pots of Black Forest Floor by sending Graffiti Desserts a message through Facebook or Instagram, indicating your number of orders, name, contact number and delivery address. Online banking payments via BPI, BDO and Metrobank 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:

Chef Jessie’s creations are now available for delivery and pickup!

Fans of Chef Jessie Sincioco will surely be glad that her well-lauded creations will be easily accessible to them as we all enter the New Normal.

From her memorable beginnings as the baking category grand prize winner in The Great Maya Cookfest in 1983, becoming the very first Filipina Pastry Chef in 1990, her hands-on management of upscale restaurants through own company JCS Gastronomie, Inc, to being hand-picked to cook for His Holiness Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s 2015 visit to the Philippines, Chef Jessie has shown time and again that she can adapt to the changing needs of her clientele while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship her food creations have become known for.

With the metro now under a general community quarantine, with some restrictions still being applied to people’s movement, especially when dining out, Chef Jessie has made many of her celebrated culinary ouvres available via pick up and delivery, some of which were sent to me to sample and enjoy with my family.

Ciabatta Bread (Php100/loaf). Italy’s response to the French baguettes, this long, flat and rustic-looking loaf of bread (named after the slippers it resembled, apparently) was only invented in 1989 by Arnaldo Cavallari, but has the look and taste of old-fashioned breads. It’s perfect as an accompaniment to pastas and other savory dishes or as an appetizer when slathered with butter or dipped in to oil and balsamic vinegar.

Chef Jessie’s Special Dip for Bread (Php450 for 220g bottle). Speaking of dips, I also received a bottle of finely chopped red and green bell peppers, pimiento and grated parmesan in herbed olive oil, which went so well with the ciabatta bread. I liked the dip as is but Hubby preferred adding more grated parmesan to the dipped bread. Aside from snacking on the bread and dip while binge-watching on Netflix, we also included this combo to our meal when I cooked up some Creamy Pesto Chicken for the fam’s dinner.

Chocolate Gateau ala Teddy Keng (Php1,000 for 6-in | Php1,500 for 8-in). Chef Jessie’s version of the decadent chocolate cake, this confection is made of alternating layers of light chocolate cake and rich chocolate cream filling all covered with a rich, shiny ganache and decorated with an unfurling flower fashioned from chocolate.

As you can see from the description, this gateau is a chocoholic’s delight! Named after one of Chef Jessie’s friends, The Landmark founder Teddy Keng, the cake is said to be a rich, generous and subtly sweet as he is. Well, high praise indeed!

These culinary delights and more are available at Chef Jessie’s Place, the newly-built building which houses Chef Jessie’s pattiserie, restaurant and corporate offices. You can read more about it here.

Chef Jessie’s Place is located at 1997 Pililla corner Obrero and Tanay Streets, Valenzuela, Makati City, open daily from 9am to 4pm for pick up and delivery. To order, text or call +63 917 8967880, +63 917 8330797 or +63 977 0976649 or email chefjessiesplace@chefjessie.com.

Missing the experience of fine dining? Well, here’s some good news: Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is now open everyday from 10am to 5pm for dine-in. Prior reservations are required at +63 2 88906543, +63 2 88907630, +63 2 77290122 or +63 917 8967880. Read about my fine dining experience at Chef Jessie Rockwell Club here.
Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Papa Diddi’s now offers ice cream cakes

Local ice cream brand Papa Diddi’s released its latest offering just in time for Father’s Day. Dubbed “Sweet Origins”, the handcrafted ice cream company is venturing into ice cream cakes, with 3 initial flavors – its signature flavor, Tres Leches made with condensada, carabao’s milk and coconut milk paired with a vanilla cake, Choco Lovin – a dark chocolate delight made with Batangas tablea punctuated with choco chips, matched with chocolate cake for that full dark chocolatey experience. Roasted strawberry ice cream with vanilla cake completes the new offering.

As the whole ice cream shop is a tribute to the owner’s late father, the company’s main Sorbetero, Paul Perez feels introducing it this Father’s Day is the most opportune time, despite the current lockdown.

“Though honoring our fathers should be an everyday thing, Father’s Day is a great way to show how you truly value your father in your life – and giving him something special – such as an ice cream cake, is one way of showing this.”

Papa Diddi’s is looking at expanding its cake line beyond just ice cream cakes, but to also include traditional cakes and pastries. As local flavors are the usual inspiration for most of its ice cream offering since it started in Maginhawa Street in 2015, the new cake line will follow the same thought – and as Perez teased “we always add a twist, thus our cake line will be something worth looking forward to.”

All the ice cream cakes are packed in 6 x2 inches bronze tin can and are priced at 500 pesos each. Same-day delivery can be made available as long as its orders come before 1PM.

Papa Didi’s branches are located at:

168 Maginhawa Street, Quezon City
Pobstacion, Valdez St. Poblacion, Makati City
4F Eastwood Citywalk 2, Libis, Quezon City
3F The Block, SM North Edsa, Quezon City
UGF SM Southmall, Las Pinas

Papa Diddi’s Handcrafted Ice Cream is a homegrown, handcrafted, heartfelt ice cream, proudly using fresh carabaos milk & select produce from farms, markets and gardens all over the Philippines.

For more details on Papa Diddi’s product offerings, check out its Facebook and Instagram accounts. It also delivers via FoodPanda.

Product details and images provided by Papa Diddi’s in a recent press release.

Have a box of good cheer with MDJ Cookies

It’s been three-and-a-half months since our seemingly well-ordered life has been upended by the community quarantine and I won’t be surprised if we don’t find ourselves a little out of sorts with the world every once in a while.

You know what comforts me when the doldrums come?

A little bit (or a lot!) of something sweet – like a cookie! – can get me right back into a cheerier mood. It’s not just about the rush of sugar in bloodstream. It’s more about the comfort and warmth that emanates from a piece of well-made cookie.

This morning, just as I was about to take a well-deserved break from working with multiple gadgets open and heated discussions scrolling up my screens, a box bearing my name (well, IG handle actually) arrived from MDJ Cookies.

Talk about a welcome sight!

MDJ Cookies (from owner Martine De Jesus’ name) is a tribute to her mom’s baking prowess. Using her mom’s recipes, Martine gets to spread little packets of good cheer through her cookies. As she puts it: her cookies feel like a warm hug you can eat!

As soon as I opened the box, the smell of freshly baked cookies wafted to my nostrils and made me think of my own Sunday baking sessions with my mom when I was a little girl. Oh, such happy memories!

And guess what: the box’s cookie contents are no less cheery. Check them out!

Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip (Php30/pc | Php190/6pcs | Php370/12pcs). The good ‘ole chocolate chip cookie gets an upgrade with use of brown butter and a bit of salt.

Birthday Cake (Php35/pc | Php220/6pcs | Php430/12pcs). There’s something so festive about this cookie… Is it the colorful sprinkles? Or the sweet smell of toasted marshmallows? Whatever it is, it’s good for any day worth celebrating.

White Chocolate Macadamia (Php40/pc | Php250/6pcs | Php490/12pcs). A creamy and milky cookie wonderfully complemented by buttery macadamia nut pieces.

Dark Chocolate Macadamia (Php40/pc | Php250/6pcs | Php490/12pcs). This time, the luscious macadamia nuts come with semi-sweet dark chocolate.

Double Chocolate Fudge (Php40/pc | Php250/6pcs | Php490/12pcs). Double the treat for chocolate lovers!

Red Velvet (Php40/pc | Php250/6pcs | Php490/12pcs). The cookie version of the rich deep-red colored chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.

Peanut Butter Bomb (Php40/pc | Php250/6pcs | Php490/12pcs). Any kid knows that peanut butter and cookies are a winning combination. Add in a piece of peanut butter candy for some real decadent sweetness.

Loaded Crinkles (Php50/pc | Php310/6pcs | Php610/12pcs). A fudgy chocolatey treat for the certified sweet-tooth.

While my faves among these yummy treats are the Peanut Butter Bomb and the White Chocolate Macadamia, all variants feature a moist buttery texture and just the right amount of sweetness to highlight the featured ingredients.

To get your hands on these sweet delights, send MDJ Cookies a message via Instagram or Facebook with your name, address, contact number, delivery date, flavors (with quantity of order) and mode of payment (GCash and BPI are accepted).

Plus, personalize the box with the recipient’s name for just an additional Php20.

Sure, the situation in the metro, and in our own daily lives in The New Normal may seem stressful and daunting; but with a little bit of good cheer, I’m sure we’ll pull through.

Are you a cookie lover, too? Give yourself a box of good cheer and give these a try!

Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

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

#QuarantineCookbook: Banana Loaf Three Ways

It sure looks like the quarantine has turned me into some kind of maven in the kitchen (if I may say so myself; indulge me, please).

With a little bit of extra time that working from home afforded to me, as well as the greater availability of ingredients from online sellers, I found myself getting bitten again by the baking bug.

I decided to try my hand on an old favorite: the Banana Loaf. It’s a simple enough recipe and the ingredients are easily accessible.

It’s also great as a mid-afternoon snack or an after-meal dessert.

Here’s the twist, though: my kiddos and I have varying preferences when it comes to the Banana Loaf. I love it with nuts (for the contrast in texture), while my daughter #ExhibitA prefers it without; my son #ExhibitB, a sweet-tooth just like his mom, would go bonkers for it if it has chocolate.

What’s a budding baker mom to do?

Well, why not have it three ways? I made a plain Banana Loaf, two loaves with nuts, and a loaf with nuts and chocolate. This way, everybody’s happy (especially me, because I get two loaves, hehehe!).

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 ripe mashed bananas
2 tsp lemon juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk substitute (made by combining 1 1/2 tbsp vinegar with enough fresh milk to make 1 1/2 cups of the mixture)
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 135 deg C (275 deg F). Line four 8″x 3″ loaf pans with wax paper and lightly grease the bottom and sides.

In a small bowl, combine the mashed bananas with the lemon juice. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Set both bowls aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, white and brown sugar in a large bowl for three minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.

Mix in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk substitute until evenly combined. Stir in the mashed banana mixture.

Scoop enough of the batter to the first loaf pan to fill it two-thirds of the way. This will be the plain Banana Loaf.

Fold in the chopped walnuts in to the batter until evenly distributed then scoop enough of the mixture to fill two-thirds of the next two loaf pans. These will be the Banana Loaf with Walnuts.

Fold in the dark chocolate chips into the remaining batter then scoop it into the last loaf pan. This will be the Chocolate Walnut Banana Loaf.

Place the loaf pans into the pre-heated oven and bake for sixty to eighty-five minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick you insert into the middle of the loaves comes out clean.

As soon as fully baked, remove the loaf pans from the oven and place them directly into the freezer for forty-five minutes. Doing this will add to the moist texture of the loaves. (I’m not familiar with the exact science behind this but I can’t argue with the results).

Serve and enjoy!

The loaves turned out to have just the right amount of moistness and are not overly sweet.

As it turns out, even #ExhibitA likes the loaf with the chocolate chips. Hmmm…

PS:

If you want to add some more sweetness to the loaves, you can top them with some cream cheese frosting, similar to the one used for my Carrot Cupcakes.

You may also adjust the amount of walnuts or chocolate chips you add into the banana loaf batter for the second loaf pan and so on, or the sequence of adding the tweak ingredients, depending on your family’s preferences (and whose preference reigns supreme!).

Try this recipe out and let me know how it goes!

Looking for other easy-to-cook dishes to try out while in quarantine? Check out my other kitchen adventures:

The Jelly List: Food Deliveries for Your Party at Home

Just because we’re quarantined at home doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate, right?

After all, celebrating important occasions and significant milestones helps us in staying sane in these extraordinary times. We and the people around us need a little break every now and then from the somewhat monotonous routines we’ve established since the quarantine was implemented.

What better way to celebrate than to have a party? And what kind of party can it be without lots and lots of delicious food?

Luckily, you won’t have to sweat it out in the kitchen to come up with delicious party fare. With a few taps on your mobile, you can have your party food delivered to your doorstep for you and your family (or housemates) to enjoy.

Check out these yummy delights that can fuel your house party fun!

Grazing Box from Platterea Luna

With Platterea Luna’s stylishly assembled grazing boxes, there’s no need to trouble yourself in sourcing the elements for an elegant charcuterie experience at home. Each box is filled with a well-curated selection of meats, cheeses and accoutrements, perfect for grazing while catching up with friends.

To get your hands on a lovely Platterea Luna grazing box, course your order through Platterea Luna’s Facebook page or Instagram account, or call +63 977 8211591.

#QuarantineCookbook: Homemade Avocado Ice Cream Cake

Relief from this summer’s oppressive heat and humidity is few and far between.

It makes me want to cool down with some frozen treat. How about you?

Well, since I recently learned how to make homemade ice cream, I set about learning how to add a twist to it: make it into a cake!

And of course, I just had to try it with my favorite fruit: the avocado!

This fruit has been having quite a resurgence lately, appearing in a variety of trendy and previously unheard-of dishes from toasts to pastas. However, the avocado’s real siren call to me is as a dessert. Its rich and creamy texture, as well as its earthy flavor make the avocado absolutely sensational when sweetened, making it a great showcase ingredients for desserts such as this homemade avocado ice cream cake.

It turned out to be so easy!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 cups crushed Christia toasted bread (can be replaced by an equal amount of crushed Graham crackers)
1 stick of softened butter
3 tbsp white sugar

For the ice cream:

1 cup avocado puree (made by pureeing the flesh of two ripe avocados in a blender)
1 300ml can of condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Procedure:

In a bowl, combine the crushed Christia toasted bread, butter and sugar. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom of two 6″ x 2″ cake tins then set aside.

In another bowl, mix together the avocado puree, the condensed milk and heavy cream at low speed until the ingredients are well-combined and the mixture begins to thicken.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tins, gently pressing the mixture into the containers and smoothing out the top using a spatula.

Freeze for at least six hours or overnight.

What you get is a wonderful creamy blend of avocado sweetness and crumbly buttery crust with each spoonful. My kids (and I!) absolutely love it!

Well, it sure looks like I’ve got new favorite dessert!

Plus, wouldn’t you know it! You can use this recipe to make other fruit-based ice cream cakes! You might need to adjust the amount of condensed milk you use depending on the native sweetness of the fruit you’re using. Check them out:

Mango!

Banana!

Strawberry!

If ever you need to bring dessert to a potluck party or want to give out ice cream cakes as gifts, you know you can always whip ’em up in a jiffy.

Which fruits would you like to make into homemade ice cream cakes? Try this recipe with your favorite fruit and let me know how it turns out.

PS: Truth be told, the recipe originally called for Graham crackers but after scouring through three supermarkets looking for this out-of-stock item, I decided to use Christia toasted bread as a substitute. It had a buttery flavor and a more crumbly texture that went well with the ice cream. Still, if you want a more conventional crust for your ice cream cake, you may opt to stick to the crushed Graham crackers.

Looking for other easy-to-cook dishes to try out while in quarantine? Check out my other recipes: