Whether we like it or not, summer is here. Aside from sticking our faces in the fridge for 30 second intervals, tucking a cold compress by your feet before bedtime and dialing our electric fans and air conditioners all the way up, a great way to stay fresh during the hottest months of the year is by digging into a sweet, cool treat.
[READ: 10 ways you can stay cool at home without cranking up the AC]
From reimagined childhood favorites to a few new food ideas, here are some desserts that won’t have you sweating through your linen pants.
Chai latte ice cream from Kurimu
An iced tea latte is always a good idea, but an iced tea latte in ice cream form is even better. Kurimu serves handcrafted Japanese-inspired ice cream with unique flavors, and its latest release is an homage to mugicha (Japanese barley tea) and masala chai (Indian spiced tea).
The masala chai is sourced from Jacob’s Well Artisanal Foods, the country’s first chai masala concentrate supplier.
Desserts by the bucket from The Creamery Catering
Something a lot of us miss about catered family events is the huge bowl of buko salad or coffee jelly they serve at the buffet. One serving from the small bowl and tiny spoon never seems to be enough.
The Creamery Catering has finally answered some of our silent prayers and came up with a 1 liter bucket version of the party favorite so we can enjoy it at home—without doing any of the cooking or mixing involved.
Crema de fruta Half Saints
Crema de fruta is another indisputable childhood constant at events and gatherings. Half Saints has given the classic sponge cake-custard-gelatin dessert a modern update.
Instead of the conventional horizontal layers, its version uses vertical slabs of chiffon cake separated by smooth yema custard. The entire cake is frosted with diplomat cream, decorated with fresh edible flowers and fruit strips and finished with a layer of coconut water and calamansi liqueur gelée.
Sago shakes from Rose Mango
Although sipping on cool shakes by the beach isn’t a possibility at the moment, Rose Mango’s bottled sago shakes can make it feel like you’re right on the shore. The bottled shakes come in two flavors, avocado sago (P170) and ube sago (P160).
Aside from their desserts in a bottle, Rose Mango also sells other sweet treats like coco-mango chia jars (P180+) and mango sticky rice (P180+).
Vegan ice cream bars from Bubu Bars
While everyone can’t be vegan, vegan food is definitely for everyone. Case in point: Bubu Bars’ vegan ice cream bars (P220). Every single bar is vegan, lactose-free and handcrafted, which means no two bars are exactly the same.
The outer shell of each bar is made with 55 percent single-origin dark chocolate and different choices of toppings. If you have allergies or are just curious about what the ingredients are, Bubu Bars’ has them all listed down on their website.