Cupcakes vs. Muffins

If cupcakes and muffins were in a fight (well, it could happen..), cupcakes would win hands down.

Most people usually interchange these two baked goodies, probably because of their size, but there actually is a difference between the two.





Cupcakes by Sonja at Serendra Piazza, The Fort.


Muffins are small baked breads which have a totally different texture than that of cupcakes'. They, most often than not, are denser and tend to be less sweet.
Since I'm a chocoholic (and a proud one at that), I usually buy chocolate muffins, but I also enjoy different varieties like blueberry, banana, and Brown Sugar Muffins' orange (which I'm sad to say has been discontinued).
Sure, I like muffins. Give me one and I'd gladly take it. But give me a cupcake? Ahh, that's a different story altogether.

Cupcakes are literally just that-- cakes in a cup. Their batter is the same one used in cakes so they come out of the oven (and into your mouth) airy and soft. They're usually iced and decorated just like you would a normal cake. And come on, just admit it. They're a whole lot cuter than muffins. Right?
















Don't you just love the retro-shabby-chic interior?















I recently discovered Cupcakes by Sonja thanks to my sis-in-law Chiz who knows that I'm a sucker for anything dessertlicious.
Hearing that Ms. Sonja previously worked at the uber-famous Magnolia Bakery in New York, I knew that her cupcakes would be a definite must-try.

We were on our way to dinner one Friday when Elaine and I decided to pass by the shop and sample the cupcakes. What was supposed to be a quick run eventually turned into a photo-op. As we entered, (cue sound: OoOoOooh..) we were like excited lil' kids who couldn't stop giggling. Out came our cameras and we snapped away.

The interior was just perfect. Everything was so retro, from her pink floral and stripes wallpaper to her very vintage-y Smeg chiller.
It's like a scene from Pleasantville, immortalized.

And the cupcakes? I cannot even begin to tell you how lush they were. (When we got home, everyone wanted to have a taste of each one, they were gone in just a few minutes).

The Red Velvet Vixen, most famous in the southern part of the US, is known for its unique yet subtle taste. Although one of the main ingredients is cocoa powder, food coloring is added to make it look red, hence its name. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, the combination was just simply yum.

Vanilla Sunrise tastes just like every other vanilla cupcake. But the difference, from the ones I've tried, is the texture. Ms. Sonja's are without a doubt the softest and although I'm more of a chocolate fan, I definitely didn't mind munching on this one.

Chocolate Surprise would surely delight any chocolate lover. Aside from the moist sponge and the chocolate icing, you would be- yep, you guessed it- surprised to find that there's a chocolate filling for you to enjoy as well.

Pistachio Dacquoise was purely mousse. I liked that it was light and the pistachio flavor was not overpowering.

The Chocolate Cream Pie was Ms. Sonja's take on a chocolate mousse, the authentic kind. The bottom part was a chocolate cookie-like crust, not the crumby type we commonly see in bakeshops (although those are good, too). She added a silky chocolate filling and then topped it with whipped cream.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Flourless Chocolate. The name says it all. :)

All in all, the mousses were velvety smooth while the sponged ones were so light you will want a second helping. And although it's a bit expensive (prices range from P45 to P100), I wouldn't mind having another cupcake fix.

..Until I move on to cookies, that is. :P















You could almost hear them scream: "Eat me, eat me!"

Clockwise from top: Red Velvet Vixen, Vanilla Sunrise, Chocolate Surprise, Pistachio Dacquoise, Chocolate Cream Pie, and Melt-In-Your-Mouth Flourless Chocolate.

Sketch dated 08/31/01

“A sketch has charm because of its truth- - not because it is unfinished.”

- Charles Hawthorne

This is one of the few sketches I did back in highschool. (My apologies for the cheesy signature. Haha.)

Lead is my favorite art medium because I enjoy shading, both with stumps and with my fingers. It's so low maintenance and even though it can look bland at times, you can still play with the texture and increase the depth of your sketch to make it more dramatic.

But the best thing about lead is not having to worry about making mistakes.
All you need is a sheet of paper, a pencil, and your trusty eraser, and you're set! :D

Strawberry Fields Forever

I love strawberries!
I love the vibrancy and the contrast of their colors.
I love their heart-like shapes.
I love their sweet and sour taste.
I love the little yellow dots and those little leaves on top of each berry.
I love how they go amazingly well with chocolate/cream.
And I love that they're loaded with more Vitamin C than the usual citrus fruits.


Beat that, orange! :P

I Heart Paris

I don't really know what's in Paris that draws us in. Could be the mystery. Or the sensuality. I don't know.
I have only been there once and was probably too young to really care about all the historical information the tour guide was feeding our brains with. I was in a country foreign to me and I was interested in absorbing the aesthetics more than the facts. I would rather have roamed around the city, sat by the cafe, took pictures, and people watched.

Before I've stepped foot in Paris, the only thing I associated it with is probably the Eiffel Tower. If you asked me then, I would have probably described the French as beret-and-striped-shirt-wearing people who prefer their wine red. But ask me again and I will tell you that the best thing about this deemed romantic city is not the famous tower nor the people's fashion sense.

It's that little cafe just around the corner. It's the aroma of that cup of strong espresso you can smell blocks away. And it's that French music being played in the background by an accordionist, sans the beret and striped shirt.

This is what will make you fall in love with Paris.
This is how I will always remember Paris.



Of all the places I've been to, it will always be the city I fell in love with. And even though I don't get to experience Paris everyday, I'm glad to know that it only takes one song to take me back down memory lane.

I recently bought the CD Paris, one of the the numerous titles of Putumayo's, whose vast collection features practically every city famously known for its music (New Orleans Jazz, Mississippi Blues, Samba Bossa Nova, et cetera).

Putumayo CD's transport you to other worlds. Hit play and surely you would feel like you have travelled thousands of miles and you're basking in another man's culture. Only cheaper.

Whenever I listen to Paris and French Cafe (my first Putumayo purchase), it's as if I'm back in France and I'm imagining myself sipping my cup of cafe au lait.
It really is true what they say about the nostalgic effect of music.

So do what I do on those days you long for the mystery and excitement of a foreign country: Pour yourself a hot cup of coffee. Insert that Putumayo disc in your player. Sit back and relax.
It may not be as good as the real thing, but it sure does come close. :)

A Passion For Random Pretty Things

Jill of all trades; Master of none.

It's sad, really.
And I'd like to think I am not one of those people.


Today I got an invite to an afternoon dessert party hosted by Ms. Tina of Taza Platito.
I remember how Elaine, my brother's girlfriend who also happens to share my weakness for anything sweet and delish, texted me about the party a few days back.

Reply. click.
Type type type: Wow! Cool! Yup! Thanks! :)
Send. click.

Took me less than 5 seconds, I think.

The party was set at 4 to 7 p.m. and being the opportunistic dessert freaks that we are, we made sure that we got there early. So I got to Elaine's house, picked her up, and on our way to the party, we couldn't stop rambling on about how excited we were.
Our conversation? 2% penguins and the new 007; 98% desserts.
(What types of cakes was she going to present? How fudgey would her Double Chocolate Chip Fallen Cupcakes be? How different would chocolate tablea taste compared to the usual cocoa?)
Call us dessert geeks, if you will.

We arrived at a quarter past four. Elaine rang the doorbell, and Ms. Tina greeted us then led us to the living room where the party was set up. She introduced us to a few people, one of whom was Ms. Lori, the brilliant food photographer/blogger, and two (or three?) other people whose names I can't remember as I was busy scouting the dessert table. Hehe. (I did take a mental note the second time their names were mentioned.)
Cookies, bars, cupcakes, cakes: chocolate, caramel, coffee, pastillas de leche, cheesecakes, and every scrumptious dessert you or any dessert lover can imagine were served. Elaine and I were like kids in a candy store. No, scratch that. We were kids in a candy store.

So there we were on the table, talking while savoring each bite of our sliced cakes, carefully analyzing the ingredients used, the taste, and the texture of each one. I definitely enjoyed playing dessert critic but what I enjoyed more was listening to these bakers talk passionately about something they truly love doing. I do a little baking here and there but I'm not up to par with these people. (Although Elaine once said that my chocolate cheesecake was one of the best she's tried. Really! Hehe.)
And that sometimes scares me. They've already figured out what they want to do. They already know what their passion is. And they're good at it. Really good.

I know a little bit of everything but I'm afraid to think that I don't exactly excel in one. I like to try things that interest me. I took classes that involved things I love to do but am not necessarily passionate about-- yet. I'm still in that stage where I can't absolutely pinpoint what it is I truly want to do. I guess you can say that I'm an indecisive fool who seems to be on a standstill. But you can't say that I'm not enjoying every minute of it.


So I introduce to you a place where I can share pretty random things that I love.
-- Could be a dessert, a fashion trend, a makeup product, a tourist spot, a piece of art, or a song I can't get out of my head.
So if you ask me what my passion is, I really couldn't say.

But I will tell you this.


It may be random.
But it's definitely purty.


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