Over the summer, I’ve bumped into parents asking me where their children can study baking. Many have a particular preference—cupcakes. I had no answer for them, until a friend and student of mine, Ana Ong, showed me pictures of Glyden San Pedro and his cupcakes.

 

Glyden is a young and budding baker who on three occasions competed as a member of the team that represented the country at an international pastry tilt, under the tutelage of the finest chefs from Pastry Alliance of the Philippines.

 

He is now an instructor at Lyceum Manila and conducts classes at his own baking studio called Dessert Draft. His lessons focus on desserts that people can start a business with, ranging from basic to advanced techniques. From there, you’ll be equipped to start experimenting on your own creations.

 

Quiet and soft spoken, Glyden is one of those people you’d like to be successful. Love for baking is his biggest investment; he bakes on demand, whatever the client requests, and he says he loves every minute of it.

 

Ana brought him to my kitchen where he whipped up an apple pie with caramel sauce and an Oreo mud pie, going through the motions as though he were playing. His cool and carefree approach to his craft was refreshing.

 

Apple pie

 

Making use of my leftover apples, he made apple pie by literally dumping all the ingredients together, like a child at play.

 

For the crust, he put 1 cup flour, ½ tsp salt, 1/3 cup shortening and ¼ cup butter in a bowl. He cut through it with two knives, then proceeded to add 6 tbsp cold water, working on it until it came together. He had us chill the crust, and moved on to the filling by combining 3 apples, cubed (a mix of red and green); ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and juice of ½ lemon. He mixed everything until the sugar was dissolved; then he set it aside.

 

Glyden then rolled out the dough for the crust with a rolling pin, and laid it out on a 6-inch pan.

 

He topped the crust with apples and made the streusel by combining ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup oatmeal, ¼ cup brown sugar (though ideally he would have used confectionery sugar). He once again worked his way through the mixture, crumbling it until it resembled a coarse meal, and topped the pie with it. The pie baked for 55 minutes on a preheated 350ºF oven.

 

While waiting, I asked him to make a sauce and he immediately obliged. He put ½ cup white sugar in a saucepan. He waited until the sugar melted and was caramelized. He then added ¼ cup cream and 2 tbsp butter. Glyden mixed it until the sauce had a nice sheen. Our caramel sauce was ready.

 

Decadent Oreo

 

On the corner, I saw a pile of my favorite Oreos. I love Oreo! I asked Glyden if he could make something out of the biscuits. Sure, he said, let’s make a decadent chocolate cake layered with Oreos. While Ana and I chit-chatted away, he baked.

 

He melted ½ cup butter and 120 grams Malagos chocolate in a saucepan. In another bowl, he mixed 3 eggs and ¾ cup sugar, then combined it with the chocolate mixture. He then sifted ¾ cup flour, ¼ cup cocoa powder and 1 tsp baking powder together. These were also added to the chocolate mixture.

 

On a 6-inch casserole dish, he poured half the batter, put a layer of Oreo and poured the remaining half and put a few more pieces of Oreo. He baked it at 350ºF for 35 minutes, then finished it off with cream and a drizzle of caramel.

 

Served warm with vanilla ice cream and more Oreos, of course, slathered with caramel, it was a winner.

 

This Saturday, Glyden will be conducting a cupcake class. This is your chance to send your children to see if there’s a future for them in the pastry world. Who knows, your baby might someday turn out to be a baking whiz, just like Glyden.

 

You may reach Glyden at 0916-3495336; or visit www.facebook.com/dessertdraft.

 

Below, he shares two of his popular cupcake recipes:

 

Banana Maple Bacon Cupcake

¾ c butter

1 c sugar

4 tbsp maple

3 pcs eggs

1 ¼ all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ c mashed banana

1 tsp vanilla

½ c white chocolate chips

¼ c walnuts

2 pcs bacon

 

1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.

4. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with mashed bananas.

5. Fold in chocolate chips, bacon and walnut

6. Divide cupcake batter among cupcake cups. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350ºF.

 

Whipped Ganache (This ganache is delicious!)

 

120 ml cream

25 g Nutella

150 g chocolate

 

Heat cream and add Nutella, add chocolate and refrigerate overnight.

 

Chocolate sauce

 

50 g cream

 

100 g dark chocolate

 

Heat cream.

Add chocolate off fire and mix until melted.

 

Maple Bacon

2 pcs bacon (baked)

¼ c walnuts

¼ c maple

 

1. Brush bacon with maple syrup and bake for 20 minutes at 325ºF.

 

2. Coat walnut with maple and bake for 12 minutes at 350ºF

 

Cupcake assembly:

Banana Maple Bacon

Cupcake

Pipe whipped chocolate ganache on the border.

Pour chocolate sauce.

Top it with caramelized bacon and walnut.

 

Nutella Cupcake

½ c butter

¼ bar cream cheese

½ c Nutella

1 c sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ c flour

1 tsp salt

 

1. Cream together butter, Nutella, cream cheese and sugar.

2. Add eggs one at a time.

3. Add vanilla.

4. Sift your flour and salt and add it to the batter mixture

5. Pan it in cupcake molds and bake for 350ºF, 15-18 minutes.

 

Nutella Frosting

1 c Nutella

1 c powdered sugar

1 ½ c nondairy whipping cream

 

1. Cream Nutella and powdered sugar together.

2. Whip nondairy cream until medium stiff peak and fold it with Nutella and cream cheese mixture.

3. Pipe it to the cupcakes.

 

For a copy of my new cooking class schedule, call 9289296, 4008496, 0908-2372346, 0917-5543700