by THERIZ LIZEL R. SILVANO
CHOCOLATE chip cookies, nutty brownies, and soft cupcakes with towering frostings are just some of the regular sweet delicacies Filipinos love to bake and eat. Of course, the traditional kakanin such as puto, sapin-sapin, and bibingka will always have a special place in Filipinos’ hearts.
These Filipino specialties opened doors for food and dessert enthusiasts to not only discover a variety of local ingredients, but also learn the country’s culture and history.
But as society changes, diverse cultures and interests overshadow the fine taste and heritage of Filipino gastronomy. Modernizing traditional dishes has since become the new standard in the cooking industry.
Realizing this may bring a despairing impression to many, but they may not notice that there is that Filipino touch in every meal they eat.
This is how one of the online food businesses in the metro has transformed a familiar donut flavor that Filipinos love – the choco butternut.
Philippine donut shops have been selling this beloved flavor for years. It has left a mark in young Filipino’s childhoods, associating it with their sweet and satisfying cravings.
An online dessert shop in Marikina, however, has given an exciting new twist to choco butternut: turning it into a loaf.
At Your Own Whisk has a wide array of loaves with various flavors, ranging from matcha, lemon, carrot, dark chocolate, banana, apple cinnamon, and of course, its bestselling choco butternut.
Covered with a thick coat of striking orange butternut, the bestseller loaf is surprisingly large, but choco butternut lovers may consume it in less than half an hour.
The choco butternut loaf is more than a sweet satisfaction, as it turns a common donut flavor into something more than just a munchkin. Its soft and chocolatey loaf delivers a subtly sweet flavor that both children and adults will love.
It seems impossible, but for those who loathe chocolate for its predictable taste, At Your Own Whisk also offers another loaf that will turn even the harshest critics into dessert fanatics.
Similar to its choco butternut loaf, At Your Own Whisk’s lemon loaf is also a must-try. Its lemon glaze leaves behind a smooth, shiny coating that one will promptly notice once he/she opens the box.
The zesty and sour taste will leave one’s palate delighted long after taking the last bite of this delicious lemon loaf.
Ron Zarate, the son of the owner of At Your Own Whisk, shares how he and his sister decided to turn choco butternut munchkins into loaves.
“We turned it into a loaf kasi for me, as an avid fan of choco butternut, bitin for me yung donut-size so [we made it into loaves] para at least, you can enjoy it not only by yourself, but you can also share it with your loved ones,” Ron writes in an online interview.
For the sweet-toothed, a small piece of a simple dessert can never be enough. In that regard, the siblings were bold enough to recreate choco butternut donuts into loaves.
Ron did not expect that their business would be a hit for customers when they started in July last year.
“We didn’t expect that many people will buy our loaves […] since we are still trying to decide how this thing will go, and luckily, there was a time […] when we reached the maximum [number of] orders. At present, there are still other people who want to try and check out our special homemade loaves,” he shares.
Asked about the distinctiveness of their business from others, Ron says that their desserts are “budget-friendly.”
“We knew that there are a lot of online shops that sell a variety of choco butternut, but I think what differs us from them is that we are selling it at a good price. [It is] budget-friendly, since we want everyone to try a piece of our choco butternut loaf,” he beams with pride.
As of writing, At Your Own Whisk’s choco butternut loaf costs P220, while the lemon loaf costs P230. Other flavors are listed on the dessert shop’s menu posted on its social media pages.
Loaves do not seem to interest Filipinos for their great size, but At Your Own Whisk proves how loaves can be more delightful than bite-sized goods.
Even so, everyone has his/her own dessert preferences, but simply trying various pastries and flavors will not hurt anyone. Everyone has favorite desserts, and, for some, a loaf from At Your Own Whisk may just be the loaf of their lives.
At Your Own Whisk is based in Marikina City. Visit its Facebook page (At Your Own Whisk) and Instagram page (@atyourownwhisk). F
This article is originally published in The Flame‘s second issue.
