If I had a choice, I would always opt to have my dessert first.
Weird?
No.
I feel that desserts are the most important and most delicious part of a meal so why wait when you can have it before the main course fills your stomach?
But my Mom said a brownie would suppress my appetite if I have it before I even have soup. Doesn’t apply to me. Ever since I can remember, I always have a healthy appetite.
It’s been a month since I gave birth to JJ. It’s been also a month since I said goodbye to gestational diabetes. Finally! I can have all the dessert in the world.
Below are my favorite desserts in the world. A couple of them are Filipino desserts I dearly miss. Trying my hand at making them this month. I also included links to recipes to these desserts should you want to try them at home:
1) Leche flan
If you are high in cholesterol and diabetic, steer clear of this dessert because this will send you to outer orbit. This one melts in your mouth with the heavenly blend of milk, egg yolk, vanilla and some lemon zest… I haven’t tried making this here in the US because I don’t have a steamer. But in case you’re interested, here’s the link to the recipe from The Pinoy Cookbook. Enjoy!
2) Warm brownie cup
There was a time in my life that I got obsessed with warm brownie cup. So obsessed that after delivering the twins in 2013, I asked my husband to sneak warm brownie cup from a dessert place called La Marea. Oh boy, vanilla ice cream on top of this warm, chocolate goodness is the next good thing to massage. I have improvised a couple of times in making this. All you need to is to make a brownie (choose which recipe you want but I suggest the ones that result to a moist brownie) and then put vanilla ice cream on top.
Relish this while watching a chick flick. Maybe a Mandy Moore film?
3) Halu-halo
A hodgepodge of everything sweet and great; that’s how I want to describe halu-halo. See how all the colors fill that tall glass? That’s how it should be as sweet beans, macapuno (coconut) strips, ube jam, ice cream, banana and all other fruits, nata de coco, leche flan, milk, sugar, ice cream, and shaved ice get mixed up for this wonderful concoction.
4) Buko pandan salad
My favorite being the one in Pampanga from a store called Nathaniel’s! Buko is coconut and pandan is an aromatic leaf. The magic happens when you boil clear, unflavored gelatin and pandan leaves in water. The hardened, translucent mixture is then cut into cubes and mixed with coconut strips, milk, sago, and some sugar. Heaven!
5) Chocolate moron
Ah, no. Don’t pronounce the second word the way you will normally pronounce it. Haha! I haven’t tried my hand in making this one because it can be quite complicated. But the rundown is: glutinous rice is soaked overnight, grounded the following day, soaked again in coconut milk, sugar and chocolate/cocoa powder while being cooked over low heat. Your arms will hurt as you constantly stir the sticky mixture until it becomes thick. Set aside. Direct your attention to the wilted banana leaves (you get the best smell if the leaves are wilted over fire). Brush the inside part with butter, put two or more tablespoons of the mixture. Tie both ends with strings. Do these until all mixture is used up. And then… steam your masterpieces for half an hour. I’m now asking myself: “Where can I buy banana leaves in Montana?!”
6) Cheesecake
New York or not, I loooove them! I once sneaked in a sampler when I was not allowed to eat any because of my gestational diabetes. They were so pretty and I could not help myself from taking them home. Imagine aa party wheel which include the Original version, Chocolate Ganache, Raspberry Swirl, and Cherry Crumb Cheesecake! Can you blame me for giving in?
Happy Dessert Month everyone!
P.S. This entry was written on September 23, 2015. Start: 1:59 a.m.; end: 2:40 a.m. Yeah, I got carried away. Drooling at the photos. Ha!
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T30WC or The 30-minute Writing Challenge is a writing exercise born out of this blogger’s need to maintain a habit of writing. Subjects of each writing challenge is just about anything but should ONLY be written within 30 minutes. For the month of October, we’re featuring different celebrations here at T30WC!
