Category Archives: Timeless Treats

I set out to find my favourite versions of these treats that withstand the test of time.

Brightly golden Ensaymada sunshine

Posted in Baking Recipes, Bread-making, Filipino Food-love, The Breakfast Bin, Timeless Treats, Yeasted breads by

If you’re wondering where I’ve been this past week, I’ve been in the hospital. I got sick with the dengue fever and had to be confined for seven unfortunate days in the hospital, four of which were spent fighting off recurring high fevers. It was my first time being hospitalised and I hope I never have to go back for many many many years to come. I find it ironic how I never get seriously sick ever and the one time that I do it lands me in the hospital. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but I’m thankful to be home now.

Today I’m going to share with you what I feel is one of the best things that ever came out of my oven: the ensaymada. I’ve made a handful of bread since I started blogging, and most of them have been good bread. However none of them have made me feel this particular way. The moment I saw how perfect these ensaymadas looked fresh out of the oven, I began gushing over them like I have never gushed over bread before. I was excited, giddy, but most of all, I was proud. I was proud of myself because this felt like an accomplishment. I was proud of myself for choosing and succeeding in making something truly close to home. For all the foreign breads I’ve made and loved, this one definitely takes a special spot in my heart. Continue reading for the recipe

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Low-fat Oatmeal Banana Bread for my soul

Posted in Baking Recipes, My Comfort Food, My favourite things, Quickbreads & Loaves, The Breakfast Bin, Timeless Treats by

I’ve been having such a rotten streak lately and I absolutely hate it. Since my last post, a couple of things happened that have left me feeling like someone drowning in a fountain of emotion, and today finally, I am drained and fatigued. You know how in the height of your emotions, you feel like you have so much fight inside you it could lift a mountain? Well when it ebbs, all that is left is a hollow tiredness. The fight in me just went poof and in a moment I am certain I will begin to realise how much time and energy I have wasted being stupidly upset.

Oddly enough, this blankness feels so much better than all those times I had my fists balled up to my sides and my teeth gritted. I’ve cried maybe a month’s worth of tears in the last few days alone, and my eyes feel swollen and are kind of misty as I stare at the screen, but the important thing is, it feels like the storm is over. I actually feel like my old in-control self again. Sometimes I feel like The Hulk when I let my heart get the better of me, because things start going crazy. Somewhere in the aftermath of my emotional meltdown, I think I subconsciously made the decision to simply face whatever is about to happen even though I do not agree with any of it. But if it doesn’t happen in the way that I have been resisting, then thank God. But whatever the future brings, I will have to deal with it in the best way I possibly can.

This morning, I sat down for breakfast and the banana bread I made a few days ago was staring right back at me. Now I’m not the type of person who channels my frustrations on food. You won’t see me nursing any heartaches with a tub of ice cream, or stuffing my face with chocolate and candy after a hard day. You’d be more likely to see me running or punching stuff; sometimes sleeping to clear my head, or simply reading in a quiet place to escape reality. But today I understand more than I have ever before why people go to food for comfort, because for a reason I cannot explain, the moment I took a bite of this bread, I felt immensely better.
Continue reading for the recipe

A slice of apple pie a day keeps insanity away

Posted in Autumn baking, Baking Recipes, Must-Makes from Martha, Pies & Tarts, Timeless Treats by

Things have been crazy around here.

The effects of the flood have not, to put it mildly, been pretty. In fact, looking at the aftermath of it is depressing. We’ve packed a lot of old clothes and shoes for the relief drive, but on a personal level, the damage and loss we have sustained in our own family company is also brutal. Let’s just say we’ve been cleaning for three days non-stop and haven’t even made it to a quarter of the stocks and other things that need to be rescued. The paperwork on my desk is slowly piling up, neglected in favour of other more dire priorities. I reckon it will take about a month to get everything back in their original state, but I hardly feel like I am in a position to complain. I have to be resilient, just like everyone else. Just like those who received a worse beating from this storm.

A more optimistic picture after this horrible flood. I don’t have the heart to document anything else.

It amazes me how two very opposite things can happen in the same week– on the same day even. On Thursday the rains finally heaved its last sigh and it took only a few hours for the flood in our area to disappear completely. In the morning the streets had looked like a lake and come afternoon it was dried out, leaving not even a single sign that there had been a deluge. But it has certainly left something in me at the end of this week: a severe tiredness; and some paranoia with any sound that resembles that of rain. Every time the trees outside my window so much as rustle, I look up to see if it is raining again. Things are not normal yet despite how they may appear; not by a long shot.

But a dash of good cheer: One of the more admirable things about people is their ability to pick up the pieces after the storm is done and move on. That’s always the case isn’t it? You either carry on with your life and do the best you can, or let the negativity weigh you down and carry you off into a bad place. I choose the first option of course, and though it may be tiring at times, no one ever disallowed taking breaks to shake off the weariness.

Today is a Sunday, and in preparation for another long period of cleaning this coming week, all I want to do today is watch The Newsroom, play Rockband 3, visit a bookstore, and write about apple pie. Not necessarily in that order.
Continue reading for the recipe

There’s sunshine and glitter in snicker doodles

Posted in Alice Medrich, Baking Recipes, Cookies, From the books, Timeless Treats by

The first time I ever heard of snicker doodles, I thought, what a cute name! It’s like one of those names that practically screams happiness; as if anytime soon, someone will just swoop right in riding on a unicorn, eating a snicker doodle with an upturned pinky, all rainbows and butterflies. At the time I had no idea what a snicker doodle tasted, let alone looked, like, but I liked it. I liked the sound of it.

Snicker = a half-suppressed laugh (which I’m not terribly good at :D )
Doodle = absent-minded scribbles and drawings (one of the things I do best haha!)

Continue reading for the recipe

The Chocolate Chip Cookie they call ‘The Chewy’

Posted in Baking Recipes, Cookies, Experiments & experiences, Timeless Treats by

Let it be known, before anything else, that I am torn about these cookies.

Taste-wise these cookies are perfect. They have that clearly ringing caramel flavour that doesn’t feel too overwhelmingly sweet. The chocolatey-ness of the chips adds a very nice touch. All the flavours are brought out more by the salt, which on occasion you can actually taste deep within every bite. Taste-wise these are nearest to my ideal chocolate chip cookies among all the cookies I’ve made.

My only problem is the inconsistency of my results.

Continue reading for the recipe

{Dearly Dreaming Dorie} How Peanut Butter Crisscrosses invaded my life

Posted in Baking Recipes, Cookies, Dearly Dreaming Dorie, From the books, Timeless Treats by

As a child, I used to hate peanut butter. I don’t know if it’s because of the way that it sticks to the roof of my mouth, or how the very gooey brands tend to make a mess when spread on a piece of toast. I’ve always found it odd since I actually like peanuts a lot. This passiveness toward peanut butter extended until my teenage years, and I only “rediscovered” it, if you will, in the past two years.

Ever since I started long-distance running, a lot of other runners advised me to have a cup of coffee with a peanut butter sandwich and a banana hours before each race. Apparently they help keep you energized while you tackle the long road ahead. I had no problems with the coffee and banana part, but I was skeptical about the peanut butter sandwiches. After that first bite however, I began to wonder why it was I did not like peanut butter in the first place. Nowadays one of my favourite granola bar flavours is peanut butter.

It’s a good thing my Dad is a big fan of the stuff, because he makes sure we always have a bottle stowed in the pantry. It’s useful for when a craving hits, or for when you finally embrace your love for peanut butter and decided to make something out of it. But why is it that the first thing I always think about making with an ingredient I have never used before is cookies?

Continue reading for the recipe