Flavors of Pampanga: Classic Capampangan Desserts at Homemade Treasures

No food trip to Pampanga would be complete without sampling some of the classic desserts of the province. And Homemade Treasures is one of them. 

Traditional ensaimadas and indulgent sansrival made from family recipes passed on to the next generation are just some of the sweet treats you can find at Homemade Treasures. And nobody does it better than Homemade Treasures...

Homemade Treasures is the made-to-order, home-based baking kitchen of Chona Ayson, a passionate young baker from Porac, Pampanga. In 2010, Chona Ayson decided to pursue her passion, armed with  her grandmother's cherished recipes, and launched Homemade Treasures. Today, Homemade treasures offers a variety of traditional desserts, including the classic ensaimada, cheese rolls, sansrival, mango bars, food for the gods, cheesecakes, pies, mamons and one awesome Belgian Chocolate Chip Cookie that's definitely worth the drive to Porac.

Homemade Treasures offers a variety of ensaimadas based on Chona Ayson's grandmother's classic recipe, including Pistachio Ensaimadas and Ham Ensaimadas with Majestic Ham. Each variant retains the traditional soft and fluffy buttery brioche base of the classic ensaimada, each delicately crafted and lovingly made by hand in the kitchen of Chona Ayson.

As we entered Chona Ayson's working kitchen, traditional snacks and local merienda items were placed on the counters. Two long tables with elegant table settings were arranged, as we were served cups of thick and traditional Spanish chocolate. This was going to be another epic feast...

Homemade Treasures' Classic 1930s Ensaimada, made from a cherished family recipe, is probably the best I've had. A near effortless slice with a fork reveals a light, soft and fluffy brioche releasing a buttery aroma. The rich butter is tempered by the sharp notes of the finely shredded cheese and sugar topping, as you go for yet another bite. And another...

This is the way an ensaimada should be...period. The delicate texture, the rich flavors, each play to perfection in every single bite. In a classic throwback to a time when everything was handcrafted and prepared with meticulous detail, Homemade Treasures brings back the classic flavors of those times with their ensaimadas. And this one truly stands out from the usual ensaimada. Softer, fluffier, with that rich and real buttery flavor.

But there's more. The Classic Cashew Sansrival, another labor-intensive dessert handcrafted with layers of chewy meringue in between rich buttercream and coated with yet another layer of buttercream topped with cashews. Temperature sensitive, the rich dessert is another traditional dessert from Pampanga, revived in its traditional and indulgent form by Homemade Treasures.

Chona Ayson then brings her modern yet equally indulgent twist to the classic Sansrival, with the Pastel Ruso, with chewy caramelized meringue layered with buttercream and topped with hazelnuts. The delicate and buttery flavors of hazelnuts pair well with the sansrival for another dessert classic. Craving for pistachios? Homemade Treasures has a Pistachio Sansrival to satisfy your craving.

One more slice of the classic sansrival reveals the intricate layers of chewy meringue and rich buttercream. Nothing like traditional and comforting flavors. Ensaimadas and sanrival, a hot cup of Spanish chocolate in the afternoon at Homemade Treasures' kitchen...just can't get better than that.

After two seriously good back-to-back lunches to start off the Pampanga food trip (see more here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2014/05/flavors-of-pampanga-good-times-at.html and more here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2014/05/flavors-of-pampanga-pork-fest-at-milas.html), it was good to have a late afternoon merienda at Homemade Treasures to complete the Pampanga experience. And probably the best ensaimadas and Sansrival in Pampanga...

Homemade Treasures is located at 184 Manibaug, Libutad, Porac, Pampanga or call (045) 323-4149 for inquiries. You can also visit their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/homemadetreas for more information.

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