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| Make the man-in-red chuckle a little louder with the idea of crafting creative cookies for him. |
"Desserts are always served first - in a parallel universe - for they crown the Christmas banquet."
From the famed Noche Buena ham that most families crave for up to the luscious chocolate fondue that rather affluent families can solely afford, Christmas feasting in the Philippines truly makes a significant mark to cultures around the globe. Boasting its heritage of Noche Buena and other westernized cultures, the Philippine culture of celebrating Christmas is a vast array of fused domesticated cultures from past colonizers. Different countries have been a witness as to how the Philippines can stand alone as a united collection of islands - not to mention the valiant efforts of the forefathers to battle for such stature.
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| The Spanish Armada : Conquering the globe from where the crisis had come. |
The Spanish culture has been deeply inculcated in the hearts and minds of Filipinos for the Philippines had been under its grips for around 300 years. It is not much of a wonder that majority of its micro-cultures and heritages had been fused with primitive beliefs of Philippine predecessors. Perhaps it is the gift of culture aside from the gift of religion that best describes how the Spanish colonizers identified the Philippines - not to mention that Filipinos owe the country's nomenclature to them.
It has been a colorful celebration every year - Christmas, thereafter and throughout the reign of Spain over the Philippines. Since Catholicism is a gift from the people who boarded staggeringly huge ships, the meaning of Christmas thereon had been intensified in a way that aside from consuming vast amounts of food and beverages, people would consume half of their times as well in praying and giving thanks to God. Christmas was a day of celebrating the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ, and while it was an imperative to celebrate during those times, it was also that people should attend masses and the sorts that Catholicism requests of every baptized.
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Top Dishes Served During the Spanish Era
UP UNTIL NOW
UP UNTIL NOW
Old-school favorites during the Noche Buena celebration of Filipinos way back then:
- Hamon
Is simply ham (from the Spanish jamon) that is baked and glazed. Fruit juices like pineapple, and brown sugar, are typically used for the glaze. - Queso de Bola
Is the Filipino term, from Spanish, for Edam cheese. It is a ball-shaped (de bola) Dutch cheese coated with red wax. With its festive appearance, it is a favorite at Christmas time.
The Star ng Pasko - Quezo de Bola - Chicken relleno
Is a deboned chicken stuffed with savory ingredients like ground pork, ham, and sausage. It is served with gravy. - Castañas
Are roasted chestnuts commonly sold by sidewalk vendors in the Philippines during Christmas time. - Puto Bumbong
Sticky rice puto that comes in a long thin shape and has a purple color. The elongated shape results from the method of cooking while its color comes from the violet pirurutong rice it is made of. - Bibingka
A rice cake that may have toppings of native white cheese and sliced salted duck eggs served with butter and grated coconut and sometimes sugar. Bibingka is enjoyed for breakfast on any occasion, but it is especially associated with Philippine Christmas. - Halayang ube
Is a dessert made from boiled mashed ube (purple yam) mixed with coconut milk, evaporated milk, and sugar. - Leche flan
Is rich caramel custard, made with eggs, milk and sugar and flavored with vanilla. - Fruitcake
A Western Christmas treat, brought to the Philippines by the Americans, but Filipinos have their own versions that utilize native fruits and nuts. - Tsokolate
Is the Philippine version of hot chocolate made from pure chocolate in tablea (tablet) or ball form. - Lechon
Roasted pig
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Lit stars of varied color intensities and hues shower the churches and vintage houses during the reign of the Spaniards even before December starts - peaking at around early September. Not only were churches and houses were adorned with beautiful things but also long tables inside each house and household; not by glitters and tinsels but by glittering food. This has been the trend during the time of the Spaniards.
And then the 333 years of conquered life changed when another country seemed to try and colonize the Philippines. Notable were the Japanese but no other culture clashed better than that of the Spaniards with regards to the Americans. From Jesus and old-school traditional foods to the spiced up viands and dishes the Americans institutionalized and the most famous personality after Jesus, if not during Christmas, Santa Claus, America changed the way we celebrated the season of joy.
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| Santa Coke - seems legit. :) |
Though originally Germanic, or Western as perceived, in descent, St. Nicholas has been popularized most effectively by the Americans - as immortalized by their Santa Coke. St. Nicholas, or Santa, was known for reliving the spirit of giving every Christmas. If the Spaniards had Jesus Christ as the sole reason to celebrate the season, the Americans had Santa Claus as a reserve. Clashing though these cultures are, but such is disregarded - usually, because Christmas is the season where strife and haste must be set aside.
Our culture grew invariably dependent on these two paradigms therefore mixing up western with western making it a homogeneous mark for Filipino Christmas. Filipinos now prepare Christmas differently than that of before but not different enough to pioneer changes fit for domestication.
Since the man-in-red has quite a big job over his arms, children from all over the world have thought of a simple thing to give back to the person who gives them gifts every December and that is: COOKIES and MILK. Simple though this act is and simple though are the ways to prepare this but this Christmas, the dudes assess if your cookies and milk is good enough a meal for the jolly traveler of the world when he goes down your chimney pipe - if you had one.
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Choco Chip Cookie 101
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| Cookies - ask him. The picture says it all. |
The chocolate chip cookie was accidentally developed by Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1930. She owned the Toll House Inn, in Whitman, Massachusetts, a very popular restaurant that featured home cooking in the 1930s. Her cookbook, Toll House Tried and True Recipes, was published in 1936 by M. Barrows & Company, New York. It included the recipe "Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookie", which rapidly became a favorite to be baked in American homes.
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As per date, chocolate chip cookies have been a favorite since the day it was accidentally discovered - a cliche for almost any ingenious substance produced by man. And this Christmas season, kids will surely crave for it as much as giving it to the man-in-red in exchange of his fantastic gifts for the nice-listers. Better luck next time for those naughty-listers but the dudes have provided a feature of one-of-the-best cookies in town that you naughty-listers must know.
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| "Oversized, thick, with crisp outer edges and a densely chewy center." |
SUBWAY - People may just think that this franchise only sells lusciously mouth-watering bacon and chicken sandwiches and meaty rolls but alongside those tangy and salty and meaty and fatty chomps come the delicate taste of their all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie. These big cookies are priced at around 50 Php each big bites - or free for a meal of 150 Php - 200 Php. One could either choose Lays Baked or Cheetos but come on, cookies are better a deal. Think of it, it is Christmas and Santa would surely love to see these biggies on a plate beside the Christmas tree together with a well-prepared milk - soya if Santa is on diet.
If spending is not your thing and you would want to make it up to Santa this year, the dudes have provided with easy to follow steps in perfecting those cookies the SUBWAY way. Follow these simple steps or check out the link for a fuller detail : SUBWAY Cookies
SUBWAY STYLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
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| Get these chunkies manufactured at your own crib |
1 cup unsalted butter (or substitute 1/4 cup golden Crisco for 1/4 cup of the butter)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or coarse chopped, semi sweet chocolate chunks)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or coarse chopped, semi sweet chocolate chunks)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter with the brown and white sugars until well blended. Stir in vanilla and egg.
- Fold in flour, baking soda, salt and lastly, chocolate chips. Chill dough one hour.
- Form into rounds the size of a golf ball and place, two inches apart, on baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven until just light brown around the edges (14-16 minutes). Too much baking will make cookies hard. Cool on racks. They may seem a little underdone, but will set up as they cool.
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen!
Santa Claus would surely love to have a knack of those wonderfully baked cookies either by Subway or by your mother's hands. Come to realize this, you could either buy some must-have brands of cookies at your local supermarket and grocery stores like Oreo and Chips Ahoy! - all by Nabisco and Kraft Food Corporations.
These cookies are sure delish and will bring a pizzazz to your family's center table and beside the Christmas tree for Santa, too.The dudes leave you with a singular tip to tame the crunch-seeker Cookie Monster in you:
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| Cookie Monster Approves Crunchy Cookies - C! |
The Secret to Crunchy Cookies
by Cookie Monster
If you're after a crisp cookie that isn't burnt, consider the ingredients you're using. Baking is an exact science and if you substitute one ingredient for another you'll get different results.
For instance, butter and sugar. The type you use will determine the type of cookie you get.
Want a crunchy cookie? You can't just cook it longer to get the results you're looking for. That will make it overcook and be rock hard once cooled.
You want to use white sugar and real butter. White sugar versus brown sugar will give you a crunchy cookie. Use the butter at room temperature, but not melted, if you want crispier cookies. Cool them on a cooling rack after they come out of the oven.
You want to use white sugar and real butter. White sugar versus brown sugar will give you a crunchy cookie. Use the butter at room temperature, but not melted, if you want crispier cookies. Cool them on a cooling rack after they come out of the oven.
If you want to bake gourmet cookies that are naturally crunchy, look into recipes for biscotti.
The name biscotti means "twice baked" and so you can expect that the result will be crunchy.
In fact, biscotti are some of the crunchiest and most delicious cookies in the world.
The name biscotti means "twice baked" and so you can expect that the result will be crunchy.
In fact, biscotti are some of the crunchiest and most delicious cookies in the world.
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Christmas is a season wherein Filipinos are most known for - so regardless if the culture of celebrating Christmas is varied in every region and country recognized by select few; regardless if the Filipino culture is different when it comes to preparing for Christmas; regardless if you believe in that certain bulky man-in-red who can magically fit himself inside slim chimneys as if he were as slim as Victoria's Secret models; regardless if you celebrate and prepare for Christmas the old-fashioned way or not; regardless if you prefer to be stuck up in hopeless wanderings as to the real reason of Christmas; regardless if you prefer the way Elmo likes his cookies; regardless if you are tired this season of joy, regardless of anything, you deserve to dream.
"Desserts are always served first - in a parallel universe - for they crown the Christmas banquet."
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AND THAT INCLUDES YOU SANTA!
seems legit to me. :)
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