Famous Best Empanadas is the latest addition to my list of things I can’t have enough of.
Famous Best Empanadas is proof that two heads are better than one. The turnovers are a collaboration between two renowned bakers, Ana Sun of San Lo’s Famous and Roselyn Tiangco-Siapno of Kitchen’s Best, home of award-winning cakes.
The baking friends were bazaar buddies during the late ’90s, and their booths were somehow always beside each other.
In 2013, life became too hectic for Ana to continue baking. She opted to become a full-time mother to her son.
The Tiangco sisters were such avid fans of Ana’s creations, specifically her empanadas. So they encouraged her to start baking again, and offered her a collaboration. Luckily, Ana said yes. Thus, years after, Famous Best Empanadas was born, a name coined from their respective brands.
The Tiangco women kept Ana’s famous flavors, such as the Chicken and Ham, as a tribute to her. They also labored to develop new and exciting flavors. The siblings whipped up Spinach, Bacalao, Chorizo, and Ribeye Caldereta flavors.
Unknown to many, Roselyn’s sisters, Martina and Berna, are her partners in Kitchen’s Best and Famous Best Empanadas.
Famous Best Empanadas (@famousbestempanadas28 on Instagram) have the best crust! To my palate, it is a shortbread-like empanada crust— that’s one of a kind. The pastry is crisp, then once bitten, moist, ultra tasty, with a delicate crumb. The crust is Ana’s original creation that she shared unselfishly with her gal pals.
This is a hen project that took several months to perfect. According to Roselyn, it took a while for them to bring Ana’s empanadas back to life.
Receiving a box of Famous Best Empanadas is as exciting as opening a box of assorted chocolates. As Forrest Gump once said, you never know what you’re gonna get. Luckily, in a box of Famous Best, each variant is pleasant. I couldn’t pick what I like best—they’re all good. What brings me great delight are the sweet creations like the buko pie, sweet corn, and ube—nice twists to the usual savory fillings.
Next year the Tiangcos are reviving Ana’s famous torta and pineapple upside-down cake—all favorites from the ’90s that her clients have surely missed.
Tour de Sapins
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, especially with Patricia Gotohio of Indulge Patisserie’s Tour de Sapins de Noel, Christmas tree-shaped cakes on a 4-inch cake base, with three flavors to choose from.
Indulge has become known for the ube cake. For the holidays, Pat deconstructed it and turned it to a tree that consists of ube chiffon, ube halaya, ube crunch, ube mousse, and ube white chocolate.
Another flavor is the Knafeh Pistachio Chocolate—chocolate chiffon, knafeh pistachio crunch, milk chocolate mousse, dark and white chocolate.
The third is Mixed Berry Mascarpone, made of vanilla chiffon, yogurt crunch, mixed berries compote, mascarpone mousse, white chocolate.
The Christmas tree confections are Pat’s way of presenting her best sellers and some new creations in a more festive way. (@indulgepatisserieph on Instagram)
‘Ube’ butter cookies, cashew meringue bites
I look forward to Ana Lorenzana De Ocampo’s Wildflour Christmas basket every year, as I am certain that it contains great-tasting tidings.
My newfound favorites for 2024 are the Ube Butter Cookies and the Cashew Meringue Bites.
I am a butter cookie aficionado. I love a well-made butter cookie, the kind that is full of buttery goodness, malinamnam, with the taste of good butter that lingers and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. That it has ube makes it even more enticing for me. Of the butter cookies I have tried of late, this made by Wildflour tops my list.
A good cup of coffee and the delicate and crisp Cashew Meringue Bites pair beautifully. The toasted cashews are so pronounced with each bite. The nuttiness with the coffee is a pleasant experience.
So here we have my initial list of 2024 food finds that are perfect for gift-giving and for your holiday get-togethers. I hope you find them as lusciously satisfying as I do.
(@wildflourtogo on Instagram.) INQ
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