#FoodTrip: 4 desserts with a twist

MANILA, Philippines — What have you been craving for lately? 

The metro has no shortage of patisseries, chocolate shops, and donut stopovers to satisfy every foodie’s sugar craving. Though sweets won’t beat deadlines or make traffic disappear, sometimes a pretty pastry is all it takes to make a long day less dreary.

What’s next when you’ve tried — and Instagrammed — them all? Fortunately, our local dessert gods don’t stop making magic in their kitchens. Here’s a roundup of fresh takes on some of our favorites:

Macaron Ice Cream

Chez Karine’s macarons are thought to be some of Manila’s best for good reason: Chef Karen Yang trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where she learned the art of Luxemburgerli from master boulanger Pierre Hermè himself.

Now, try Chez Karine’s best-selling macaron shells filled with delectable ice cream in 3 flavors: Dark Chocolate, Salted Caramel, and Vanilla Bean. We dare you to eat it in one mouthful — you won’t regret it.

Cake Cups

The Cake Cup is NOT just an inverted cupcake (sorry, we can’t help it!). According to Cupcakes by Sonja, these tidy, pretty desserts are “all the flavors we wanted but couldn’t quite put in a cupcake.” Yum! 

These fancy cakes-to-go come in 3 combinations: Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Praline, Tres Leches with Strawberry, and Coffee Caramel Biscoff Crunch. But you don’t have to feel guilty, because 5% of sales for each Cake Cup goes to Move.org for the construction of a kitchen for their feeding program. Isn’t that a sweet cause?

Hokkaido Cupcake

Craving for something light post-dinner? Bite into a Hokkaido cupcake instead of the usual hefty, icing-topped variants. This popular puff got its name from Hokkaido, Japan, since the original recipe uses milk sourced there.

A soft, creamy treat, this reminds us of good old mamon, only much more delectable. Chez Karine’s version also has surprise inside — but we won’t spoil that for you.

Marshmallow Creme

Move over, cookie butter… our new obsession is marshmallow creme. This fluffy confection from Pouf! (follow their Instagram) is hand-made in a small batch whipping process, is gluten-free, and contains no artificial preservatives.

A spoonful of this makes us think of s’mores, birthday parties, and grade-school campfires. It’s bottled-up nostalgia made spreadable over cookies, bread, and just about anything.

With desserts like these, every day is cheat day. Spotted any other food trends lately? Let us know! Email the editor at lifestyle@rappler.com. — Rappler.com