One Wednesday evening, as I was browsing my feed on Facebook, one of the updates that caught my attention was a photo of cookie dough with the caption "GUESS THE DOUGH". Along with the photo, it said that whoever could guess the flavor right would win a dozen of them. Now, I normally don't join giveaways, but that night, I felt like throwing in a guess or two for kicks. So, I sent a personal message through the page and typed in my first guess: White Chocolate Chunk Cookies. *BUZZ* I felt like I was in a game show and the buzzer went off cause my answer was missing one more word. And so I gave my second guess: White Chocolate Chunk MACADAMIA Cookies. *DING, DING, DING!* WE HAVE A WINNAH! Okay, maybe there wasn't an imaginary man from an amusement park booth congratulating me like I won a teddy bear from knocking out milk bottles with a ball, but it sure felt like it. I was looking forward to eating my prized cookies (no pun intended) and wondered how I'd get the cookies on a weekday since I stayed in Dasmarinas during school days. Luckily, Claudia, the owner, was within the Alabang area yesterday, so she dropped off the cookies. It was a good way to end the week! 

I'm fond of things in the shade of turquoise and when I saw Claudia's label, my psyched-o-meter went up a couple notches.

       I've never had a white chocolate chunk cookie, more so a variant with macadamias in it. Normally, I would eat chocolate chip cookies from the supermarket and made a couple of batches myself in the past cause I'm very selective when it comes to choosing the perfect cookie. This, however, is easily my new favorite! It's hard not to take great pleasure in eating Claudia's White Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Cookies when you have a combination of nuts, chocolate, and moist & chewy cookie dough. This is by far, one of the best chocolate chip/chunk cookies I've ever eaten.

       Eating one cookie makes me feel like I'm eating four. Seriously. It's jam-packed with macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks. And when I say chunks, I mean, CHUNKS! I love homemade cookies, especially when they're thick, bulky and chewy! Claudia definitely doesn't skimp on the amount of nuts and chocolate she puts into the batter and the same goes for the proportions of the cookies. I like irregularly sized cookies more than perfectly shaped ones as it adds rustic overtone to it. 

Imagine yourself eating a bowl of these chewy yummies with a tall glass of cold milk. It's the perfect way to spend your Saturday. 

I couldn't create a cookie tower with more than 3 pieces since they were so stocky. Nonetheless, I would down this edible edifice any day of the week. 

The dough may seem slightly undone, but that's part of the cookie's charm. It's a mix between gooey, chewy and crunchy.

       Check out Claudia's other cookie flavors such as the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie, Snickerdoodles, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and M&M Cookies at her Facebook page listed below. Send a message to her Facebook or via text to order. She accepts deliveries in the Makati area and for pick-ups, pick-up point is at the San Antonio Arcade. 

 Claudia's Cookies                                       

        Ahhh, rum cake -  a traditional holiday dessert that was brought into this wonderful world thanks to English settlers. Way back when it was first introduced, dried fruit was soaked in rum for several days then added to the dough to be baked. I'm guessing that this was how rum cake's darker and heavier counterpart, fruit cake, came to be. However, Sidney Bascon of Simply Pastries by Sidney, once again delights with her own version of the time-honored cake. The Rhum Cake Loaf is actually one of Sidney's bestsellers on her dessert menu. In fact, it's so popular that she marked today as having baked her 200th loaf since Christmas. 

        I am a lover of unpretentious and simple desserts, such as this cake which has a no-frills touch to it, yet is able to pack in a kick somehow. That is definitely the doing of the rum mixed into the batter. 

          Before my aunt even slices this half-loaf, half-cake creation for everyone in my family to try, I look very carefully at its exterior and admire how its edges and sides were perfectly baked to a golden brown color. Don't let its homespun appearance fool you though. It's what's inside the cake that holds a surprise.

            Notice how the lined cracks on top of the cake resemble a lovely stream? In lieu of water, there are traces of rum glaze that was drizzled on the cake to give it that extra glisten. 

        I've tasted fruit cakes before as well as rum cakes in the past, but most of them were either too dense or overwhelming for my taste. The rum was Since then, I wasn't ever planning on sinking my teeth into cakes that was indistinguishable from the ones I've tried before. Despite that, I made an exception after I had a slice (okay..maybe three) of Sidney's rhum cake. I am reminded of homemade butter cake, which I loved eating as a chunky child. Biting into the buttery slice just sent me off into nirvana. The rum, which is alcoholic liquor distilled from sugar-cane residues, yields an audacious thrill to eating something so delicate and gauzy. 

This was my plate and that tiny fork, or as I like to call a "tork", belongs to me. Any body still willing to fight me for this? 

        Initially, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to relish the taste of the cake because of its rum content. Thankfully enough, it had just enough rum to let consumers experience that extra punch without finding themselves flat on the floor from eating too much of this delectable treat.

           You don't have to wait until the next holiday season to enjoy this cake. In fact, it would suit any occasion or family gathering if you're after a modest way to end a meal. Who says you need a bottle of wine and champagne when you have a cake that's luscious, full of flavor and daring all rolled into a loaf of awesome? 

Sidney Bascon

         I am sure there is a part in all of us that dreams of walking down the runway. When I was 9, I thought I would grow to be as tall as my mum who stands tall at 5'7. However, science and my genetic makeup did not grant my wish to increase in height and I remain dainty and delicate, or as others would like to call it, petite. I have no qualms with my vertical measurement and feel every bit confident walking in either flats or a pair of 5-inch heels, nor do I mind people who tower over me when I cross paths with people who are a lot taller than I am. Ever since I stopped growing, I wasn't really banking on ever modeling on the runway..until my friend Rosy Adriano sent me a text asking if I'd be interested to model for Armani Exchange, as her friend Paola Lai, who is working for the said store, was on the lookout. I thought I was being punked, but at the end of Rosy's message, she included a "this is not a prank! HAHAHA!" as though we were communicating telepathically. 

        The stint was all for the love of The New Glorietta Vibe Race the Runway Fashion Show, which was a friendly competition with Turkey for having a Guiness World Record for having the most number of models on a runway with a record of 1,967. I thought, "That's easy. Getting 2,500 people to model will instantly render us victorius." But I was wrong, there was a catch. Several criterion had to be followed in order for each model to be counted as part of the line-up: every person who walked the runway had to walk to the beat of the music, carry the clothes wear and be energetic! I guess none of that mattered as much since everyone had a great time fulfilling their dreams of sashaying down the ramp and proof of that was that the Philippines beat the record with an astounding number of 2,255, close to the 2,500 they brought into the event! Congratulations to every one who was a part of this event - we all made fashion history! :) 

With my friend Karla Chan before we fought our way through the crowd to get to the registration booth. 

Registration bands for Runway 1! 

Now off to the fun part - getting hair and make-up done at the Armani Exchange store. 

Thank you, Mr. Fabulous Hairstylist for making my hair runway-worthy! 

The clothes were basically from the Winter Collection and I was thrilled I got to sport this get-up. 

Psyched that I was given this opportunity, this chance to prove that you don't need to be 6 feet tall to wear beautiful clothing. The most important accessories anyone should wear is confidence and a smile. 

             It's been a while since I last baked. Well, the last time I got my hands dirty (in the kitchen sense, of course) was more than 4 months ago, give or take. When I was in high school, I would bake almost every week trying out different recipes, from cookies to breads to cakes. After my attempt at making rainbow bread, which didn't turn out the way I hoped it would - it was colorful but tough to chew (my baking skills were rusty at that time), I was looking for a sweet and tasty bread recipe to try. After rifling through several different recipes, I settled with ensaymada. That was the first time I tested the recipe. Not only does it have a historical background, it also is a favorite among Filipinos. Originally eaten in most territories in Spain, the ensaymada dates back to the 17th century and was eaten mostly during celebrations. It has a distinct coil shape and is dusted with sugar. They are soft, sweet, buttery and make the perfect partner for a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Some variants make use of queso de bela for a more extravagant pastry experience. 

                     Since my mum and aunt were slaving in the kitchen cooking our Christmas eve dinner, I wanted to bake something different instead of cookies or bread pudding. So, I didn't blink twice and  primed all my ingredients, sifted the flour and set my pans aside. Plus, ensaymada is always a great way to end a Christmas meal. Hence, the puffed up sweet bread you'll see a couple of photos down this entry.

       Yes, that's me kneading the bread. I know my hands look kind of stiff but my fingers were being worked to the bone. The dough looks a lot bigger than it appears on the photo so I guess it's safe to say that my hands had a quick workout. 

They look like fingers, don't they?

            I decided to make two batches of ensaymada - one in big tin molds and the other in muffin pans. That way, one recipe could yield more than enough to feed my hungry family.

Buttered baby ensaymadas right before they hit the oven. 

The mini and regular sized ensaymada. 

Have a wonderful and food-filled Christmas everyone! :)