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

Facebook

I love how the month of December is my favorite excuse to indulge in sweets. Then again, I don't really need a reason to luxuriate in anything that satisfies my sweet tooth. When I sense my mouth starting to water at the site of a dessert that catches my fancy, there's no stopping me. Eating comfort food should be both fun and guilt-free despite the number of calories you consume and Lyza Syiaco of Sweets For You does a good job at making me feeling like I can down as much of her sweets as I want minus the worry of everything landing straight to my thighs. Putting a smile (and a few crumbs) on her customers' faces is top priority for this 20 year old culinary student, "My goal is to make my customers smile and to give an impression that the sweets were made especially for them. So every now and then, when I bake, I always keep in mind that this dessert should be perfect and of course, delicious." 

I got to sample her revel bars, assorted cupcakes (both of which are her best sellers), as well as her triple chocolate chip cookies.

I've always fancied revel bars - it's a cross between a cookie and a bar and when you unify oatmeal and chocolate, it becomes a tiny block of awesome. I've tasted several revel bars before but I have to say, this is the best one I've tasted yet. Each piece is big in flavor AND in size, which appears twice as big as the ones sold commercially. 

Each serving doesn't skimp on chocolate filling and remains fudgy and gooey on the inside, which for me is important in picking the ultimate revel bar. You'll have to go easy on this one because settling for one piece won't be enough. These babies toss you off into oblivion and next thing you know, you catch yourself eating more than your stomach can handle. It's no surprise this is one of her best sellers! 

Lyza beams with immense passion and youthful enthusiasm caught the baking bug as young as 8 years old and would sell products to school mates, friends and family, "I remember when I was a kid, I always joined my mom whenever bakes. I was the one who would pour milk into her cupcake batter and put marshmallow for the toppings. I am a 100 percent sweet lover, imagine I was 156 pounds back then. I am very "magastos", that's why my parents taught me how to earn my money and how to depend not only on them but also on myself. So I asked my mom to bake a brownies and asked her if i could sell them. They were totally happy because they really felt that I was really standing on my own feet and willing to do anything just to get what I want."  I also love how she's just as delightful as the treats she sells!

One thing I noticed about the cupcakes Lyza makes is that the sugar content doesn't overpower and overwhelm my taste buds. Most desserts, when eaten in excess, gives off the "umay" feeling. This bunch of sweets, however, are an exception. The hazlenut frosting adds a perfect touch to the delicate chocolate base without crossing the chocolate-overload-o-meter.

I don't think there exists a dessert business with cupcakes on the menu that doesn't offer the famed Red Velvet cupcake. You can tell from the photo that the cream cheese on top adds extra moisture to the cake base and the candy sprinkles add a playful touch to it. Light, delicious and lip-smacking are three words I would use to illustrate Sweets For You's take on the "dessert of the year".

Sweets For You also offers paper cake (cake made out of layers of crepe with chocolate ganache filling, and coated with white ganache, candy sprinkles topped off with cocoa dust), cake pops and Oreo cake (4 tier chocolate fudge cake with Oreo cream filling). In addition, Lyza caters to events such as debuts, weddings, baptisms and provides options for giveaways and souvenirs. 

Below are ways in which you may contact Lyza for orders. You can check out her Facebook page to find out more about what sweets you can purchase and get a glimpse of her other products!

People's intense and widely shared enthusiasm for cupcakes has undoubtedly helped make this iced petite cake incredibly sought-after. As a child, I never expected the popularity of cupcakes to surpass most desserts and Kim's Cupcakes is giving dessert lovers another reason to stay loyal to this craze. Kim Jao has been selling cupcakes since she was in high school and had already been joining bazaars and supplying school organizations and a food stall at her school. Interestingly enough, it was her economics teacher who helped her discover her niche, "She taught us how to bake in class back in third year and I got inspired. After that, I started exploring the world of baking. I sold to my classmates and schoolmates back in high school. In college, I supplied for various events and fund raising activities of school organizations. Now that I've graduated, I've been focusing on how to make my business grow and how to get more people to try my cupcakes." 

Kim's Cupcakes are divided into two sets of flavors - classic and special. Classic flavors include Vanilla, Strawberry, Espresso, Cookies & Cream, Lemon Cream and Mint Chocolate all of which are P40 each while her special flavors include Tiramisu, Red Velvet, Chocolate Ganache, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter and Yema are P50. 

Imagine the traditional Brazo de Mercedes in the form of a sandwich - a thick layer of custard in between meringue buns. It's such playful twist to an old favorite! Ces Lopez came up with this quirky idea when she got involved in her son's high school project, which eventually developed into a business. The brazo bars were custom-made and were actually not meant to be sold commercially. It turned out to be a huge hit! As they say, "the best things happen by accident."

The name Supreme Brazo Bars is undoubtedly an appropriate label to give the bars as they are nowhere close to being ordinary in terms of taste, quality and packaging. Among so many dessert choices out there, I asked Ces what stimulated her desire to "revamp" and sell the classic Filipino dessert, "Brazo de Mercedes was my late mom's favorite dessert and it's my homage and tribute to her, and I had fond memories of eating Brazo with her when I was young. Also, I wanted to promote Brazo because it's a traditional Filipino dessert, so that the younger generation would get to know brazo, in a modern and easy way of eating them." True enough, eating this custard dessert in the shape of a bar is presented in a more current and up-to-date fashion. Of course, its hallmark ridge pattern remains and so much flavor is packed into a single bar!

We're all so used to eating the plain brazo de mercedes, but Supreme Brazo also offers flavors such as Strawberry Sunrise, Toasted Coconut Kiss, Walnut Wander, Almond Shindig, Pecan Beach Party, Macapuno Summer Breeze, Hula Macadamia!, Pistachio Festival. Pretty funky names, wouldn't you say so? Growing up, Ces was surrounded by hot ovens and her parents were just as passionate about  baking as Ces is. Venturing into the food business was an all too familiar feeling. Supreme Brazo took off in 2009 and even landed a spot in Spot.ph's 10 Foods To Give and Top 10 Holiday Food Gifts list.