I can't remember the last time I made a blog post. I kind of picked up on the dust that was gathering in my blog and realized that I've been away for quite a while. I had set features aside almost 6 months ago, swore that I would put a halt to blogging and decided to focus on school. But as I was reading through my Facebook feed, I couldn't ignore the updates posted by Catherine's Cakes & Pies - photos of their  blueberry cheesecake did nothing but lure me into getting back to the blogging scene. After featuring their apple pie in January 2013, which is the best apple pie I have tasted, I had a gut feeling their blueberry cheesecake was just as exquisite.  How could I not feature one of the top homebakers in Manila once more? Catherine's Cakes & Pies deserved an encore and I had to make an exception.

As soon as Chito "King of Pies" Benito (Don't mind me, I coined that nickname on my own. What can I say? I'm a fan.) delivered his Blueberry Cheesecake to my house, I literally hopped my way towards it as it waited for me on the table. One thing I noticed about Catherine's Cakes & Pies is the way they package their products - each round treat is placed neatly inside a box with an apple green top and then wrapped with a shiny brown ribbon and a card making it perfect for gifts. 

The anatomy of the usual blueberry cheesecake consists of a graham crust as the base, thick cream cheese filling in the middle then topped with a generous spread of blueberry compote. Chito however manages to make this dessert even more sinful than it already is by adding a lavish amount of queso de bola shavings! "I made sure that it's not too sweet so that one will be able to taste the cream cheese. Then I put queso de bola shavings on top to add a subtle but sharp cheese taste and improve how it looks as well," says Chito. This truly is a luxurious dessert on its own. Imagine topping it with vanilla ice cream, although I think I would just be bringing myself a step closer to a heart complication...don't try this at home kids. Ignore that fantasy of mine.

To be honest, I never really enjoyed queso de bola nor did I even dream of seeing it cover the surface of one of my favorite desserts. But after finishing a hefty slice of this, I was convinced otherwise. I started with cream cheese filling which was light, delicate and silky as satin; the blueberry topping had such a smooth texture, almost like velvet which made its way down my throat like a rippled blue wave on the sea; as for the queso de bola, it sharpness is exactly what tied everything together. Just when I thought Blueberry Cheesecake couldn't get any better, Chito conjures up a clever and modern twist to leave us wanting more. I loved how each bite had a kick of saltiness to it - all the flavors had reached an equilibrium, the perfect balance. If Yin & Yang tasted like something, this would be it. 

Looking at the cheesecake, it was almost as though its appearance reflected its taste - sophisticated and fine. No tricks or circus acts here, just different textures and wonderful flavors that blend in so well together and unifying to turn this dessert into its purest form.

Would you look at that knife slide across the cake? Mmmm. 

   

Since my post about Chito's Apple Pie, Catherine's Cakes & Pies has been a part of Rockwell's 3rd Ultimate Taste Test in September (hosted by Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet), SM MOA Mother's Day in May and SM MOA Father's Day in June. All of which helped add to Chito's already growing following of food enthusiasts and dessert lovers. Not to be ignored are the numerous features in print in some of the country's well known magazines such as Appetite Magazine, wherein Nina Puyat had chosen Catherine's Cakes & Pies as team pick for the June 2013 issue, as well Southern Living Magazine and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, with a special mention by Sandy Daza written in May 2013. Food bloggers Lori Baltazar (Dessert Comes First), Leslie Cheng (Shoot First Eat Later) and Berylle Kaye Hong (It's Beryllicious) praised Chito's version of Apple Pie.

To add to the success that Catherine's Cakes & Pies has had in the past months, customers haven't been able to curb their cravings for one of the freshest homebaked pastries out there, "We're really beefing up production to keep up with the increased demand." Chito personally delivers his products for just P45  every Friday and Saturday to Las Pinas, Paranaque, Taguig, Pasig, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati and Pasay. Luckily for those living in Alabang, delivery is free of charge. Woot, woot. 

Blueberry Cheesecake can sometimes be too overwhelming since cream cheese is very rich in flavor. Sometimes one slice would leave an unpleasant aftertaste (or as we Filipinos like to term it, "umay") which ruins the whole point of indulging in such a mouthwatering treat. But, going for round number 2 wasn't even something I thought twice about, I just went for it! In fact, I didn't even notice I had already eaten a whole slice. 

The Blueberry Cheesecake comes in two sizes: 9 inch for P795.00 and 6 inch for P445.00. Check out this link for a complete list of products and their prices. 

Chito Benito has done it once again, putting his Blueberry Cheesecake on my list of top desserts to try. The fact that he is driven to make sure everything he puts on his product list is perfected before it makes waves in the food scene is enough proof that he will conquer the baking industry in no time. To him, it'll be easy as pie.

Catherine's Cakes & Pies 

0917-840-9598 / 659-2591

catherines@hotmail.ph

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