Goldilocks' Best Kept Secrets Revealed

My early memories of Goldilocks, aside from the bedtime story, are my birthday cakes. Always excited to celebrate my birthday, I look forward to the gifts and of course, the cake, as I have a different theme every year -- from superheroes, to Easter bunny (yes, my birthday would often fall on Easter), to ballerinas, to Disney princesses, and more. Suffice to say, like me, Goldilocks has been a part of every celebration in the lives of Filipinos, be it birthdays, weddings, baptisms, graduations, anniversaries, or just about any get-together for delightful sharing and thoughtful giving through good food.

To be able to have lasted this long in the business, Goldilocks' success (and recipes) must be heavily guarded, so I was surprised to receive an invitation that said Goldilocks' best kept secret will be revealed. True enough, Goldilocks launched The Goldilocks Bakebook with the intent of sharing its best loved recipes and the Goldilocks legacy.

The brains and brawn behind Goldilocks, sisters Milagros and Clarita, and their sister-in-law, Doris, shared a passion for baking, cake-decorating and cooking and opened the first Goldilocks store along Pasong Tamo, Makati in May 1966. The two sisters pursued the same passion towards perfection, by carefully developing each Goldilocks recipe, and by building the company to what it is today. Through the years, Goldilocks has been capturing the hearts (and stomachs) of Filipinos here and abroad with the Goldilocks’ Signature bakeshop favorites, such as fluffy mamon cheesy ensaymada, ever-soft chiffon cake slices classic polvoron and mocha roll, among many others.

Cheesy Mamon

Luscious Cassava

In celebration of 45 Goldilicious years, Goldilocks writes a new chapter in its storied legacy – honoring its past while establishing a heritage for the future – through the Goldilocks Bakebook.

The Goldilocks Bakebook is a historic collection of 108 recipes, 211 pages of eye-catching photos, and an overview of the company’s beginnings. The bakebook took 7 years in the making, endless kitchen-testing, and the invaluable effort and dedication of a hardworking team in order to pass on a priceless legacy to loyal Goldilocks consumers and followers.

Colorful Rice Cakes (Puto)

Yummy Mocha Roll

Freddie Go, Sr., Chairman of the Board of Goldilocks, envisioned and began the groundwork for this fitting tribute to Mrs. Milagros Yee and Mrs. Clarita Go, the two women who have tirelessly and relentlessly pursued the perfection of each Goldilocks product.

Sweet Crema de Fruta

Merengue and Polvoron Cake

Flipping through the pages of the Goldilocks Bakebook, I was delighted to see their precious recipes and at the same time, the story and people behind the Philippines' leading bakeshop. I am excited to try the recipes one by one and make my own sweet Goldilocks moment. But the book is far from being just another recipe book or coffee table book as The Goldilocks Bakebook is a unique recipe in itself, a product of love, devotion and gratitude to millions of Filipinos who have made Goldilocks a part of their lives.

Having my Goldilocks Bakebook signed by

(l-r seated) Clarita Leelin-Go and Milagros Leelin-Yee

The Goldilocks Bakebook by Milagros Leelin-Yee and Clarita Leelin-Go (with Food Styling done by Chef Heny Sison and Food Photography done by Neal Oshima) is available in all National Bookstore branches, and select Goldilocks outlets. Get your copy now. Got mine already and will start trying out the recipes in time for the coming Christmas holidays.



Filed under EVENTS and FINDS

Sweet Dreams Are Made of These

For those of you who have been following my blog and reading my entries, you probably know by now that I am not a sweet tooth so I would almost always skip dessert. This time though I wasn't able to escape the sweet temptation because all there was to eat were desserts -- heavenly chocolate desserts.

The sweets-laden buffet at Manila Hotel

Colorful and inviting creations for kids and adults alike

Tried Manila Hotel's Heavenly Chocolate Buffet at Cafe recently and I was floored by the wide array of chocolates and chocolate pastries. At the center of the buffet is a giant dual fountain of cascading dark and milk chocolate sauces, surrounded by a delicious display of pralines, cookies, cakes, fudge brownies, creme brulee, chocolate gateaux, crepes and chocolate coated fruits.

Dual chocolate fountain: dark chocolate on the left,

milk chocolate on the right

Espresso Walnut Cookies: coffee you can bite

White Chocolate Pralines with Strawberry Swirls

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: pure heaven

Opera: dramatic vanilla cake, chocolate layers & fruits

Chocolate Croissant

Chocolate Profiteroles: eclair-based chocolate with pistachios

I felt like a kid who visited Wonderland on Christmas day when I saw all the gorgeous sweets on the buffet spread. Even the whimsical figures on display were enticing -- figures inspired by the recent visit of Cirque du Soleil, made of chocolate as well but not for eating, unless some sneaky kids snatch it off the counter.

Cirque du Chocolat

Strawberry Mousse in margarita glasses

Light Choco Ganache: sinfully light

Chocolate & Strawberry Mousse: delectable concoction

Dark Chocolate Rolls

There's even an ice cream counter at the side -- a must-try is the Ferrero ice cream -- with lots of toppings to choose from.

Ferrero Ice Cream with chocolate syrup: to die for

Cheery toppings: mini chocolate chips, candies & mallows

The rich chocolate concoctions, which are guaranteed to bring you sweet dreams, were expertly created by Manila Hotel's Executive Pastry Chef Rolando "Mac" Macatangay.

Chef Mac: the sweet tooth fairy

Chocolate Rice Crispies

Chocolate Mousse with fresh strawberry

Chocolate Crinkles

The Heavenly Chocolate Buffet is available at Manila Hotel's Cafe Ilang-Ilang from 3- 6 pm and is offered until October 31. Which means that I have to stay away from the sweet temptations until the end of the month. But that's just me. Don't stop yourself and indulge while you still can.

Forgive me for using too many visuals here (seeing the goodies again made me hungry), I just think that is the best way to blog about chocolates. :)

Filed under FLAVORS

Banapple of My Eye

It was Thursday, the appointed day to meet up friends at a restaurant in Greenhills and I was stuck in an old cab in EDSA for more than an hour. The north-bound lane was expected to have good flowing traffic since it was still morning but surprise, surprise -- it was the other way around, south-bound being almost free of vehicles. It was only when we reached the flyover to Ortigas Extension that the highway was suddenly cleared and the heavy traffic obviously caused by the buses taking up most of EDSA. And so I arrived at Banapple, the restaurant in Connecticut, Greenhills, almost two hours late.

Banapple: fruity name and logo

Full at lunch time on an ordinary day

Banapple is a cute name for a restaurant. I've heard about it from friends before but only got the chance to try it last week. Based on its name, one would think it offers just fruit shakes and pies but looking at the menu would reveal a line-up of mouth-watering comfort food enough to cheer me up. Almost immediately, my tired and harassed self (from my traffic ordeal) was in the mood to enjoy asatisfying meal. Hmmm...what to order?

For starters, I ordered the Banapple House Salad; for main course I got their bestseller which is hickory barbecue ribs, served with buttered vegetables and rice; and for dessert (am not really a dessert person) I was willing to take a bite of the Banoffee pie.

Colorful bookshelves add to Banapple's happy vibe

The very inviting cake display

As I waited for my orders to be released from the kitchen, I feasted my eyes around the interiors of the restaurant, which is reminiscent of old Granny’s gingerbread house -- bright colors, homey bookshelves, and quirky chandeliers. Their tables are quite fancy, too, all of them made in colorful marbles mosaic, in the image of a fruit or a flower. I wanted to blurt out, "Um, miss. Can I have three of these tables to go?" The owners must have wanted a homey facade with a rustic feel, so when people were waiting for their cakes to go, they could sit down, read a magazine, have a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy themselves.

Colorful marbles mosaic tables in Banapple

Banapple interiors

GJ and Maricel Jimenez are the proud owners of Banapple, a hard-working husband and wife team, who consider Banapple a labor of love. It is their simple and humble wish to provide customers with basic comfort food to brighten their days, to cheer them up, and provide good nourishment to their bellies. Banapple began when Maricel quit the corporate world to spend more time with her children. She would bake cakes and pies at home, which her husband would then present and supply to restaurants and coffee shops. A TV feature on their excellent baked goodsjump started the business and the couple decided to transfer their little operation down the road, along busy Katipunan near the schools. Since the bright and cheerful ambiance started attracting more people, more comfort food was added to their current offerings, and the first Banapple branch was born. Since then Banapple has proudly put up a branch along Tomas Morato, and a second one in Katipunan just across the road from the first one while their latest baby is located at the the Northeast Square on Connecticut Street in Greenhills, San Juan.

Banapple started with cakes & pies baked from home

And then my orders arrived and I must say, it was worth the short wait.

The Banapple House Salad is a happy mix of fresh greens, corn, cucumber and bell pepper bits, with shredded mozzarella plus surprise bits of honey peanuts and crumbled banana chips. Drizzled with balsamic-caesar dressing, the salad offers the right blend of sweetness, saltiness and creaminess. Light and delightful, it is now on my list of fave salads.

Banapple House Salad

The Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs is a delectable, extra tender country ribs grilled in hickory smoke and glazed with their homemade hickory barbecue sauce -- flavorful, smoky and semi-sweet. Rice is served warm, with corn relish, that complements the ribs. The meal is good enough for 2 people to share but can be finished by 1 hungry person.

Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs

The must-try Banoffee pie looks rich with the 3/4 inch thick cream on top plus the chocolateshavings. Pure temptation on a plate! Sweetness is just right, cream is not icky. Banana filling is not over riped and mushy unlike other Banoffee pies I've tried before.

Banoffee Pie

My verdict? Banapple did not fail me in my expectations based on feedback from friends who have tried the restaurant before. And because I can only eat so much calories in one day (yes, I started counting my calorie intake a couple of weeks ago), I am definitely going back to Banapple to try the other palatable dishes and cakes that they are offering. Can't wait till my next visit.