MANILA, Philippines – The Brazo de Mercedes, a large rolled meringue cake with custard filling, has long been a favorite among Filipinos for its soft texture and rich flavor.
The dessert has been a common “pasalubong” or gift eaten with family and friends at home or during a social gathering.
But as snacks of little boys and girls in school? Not really.
Despite getting high points in taste, Brazo de Mercedes is a bit too messy for schoolchildren to eat, and may be a bit expensive, too. Because of this, several food businesses have come up with ways to make the dessert more kid-friendly.
One of them is Ces Lopez, a mother and a baker, who created Supreme Brazo Bar, a custard filling carefully sandwiched between two slices of meringue cake.
Speaking to ANC, Lopez said she “stumbled” upon the idea while helping her son in a fundraising project.
“In 2009, my son, who was about to graduate from high school, had a fundraiser. They were asked to sell anything, from baked goods to t-shirts. Since I’m in the baking business, I decided to bake stuff for him,” she said.
Lopez said her creation was “tailor-made for male high school students” as it is cheap and easy to eat, making it ideal for a quick snack.
The Supreme Brazo Bar became a hit, she said, encouraging her to make it into a full-time business two months after her son’s fundraising activity.
Since then, Lopez’ sweet snack has expanded to 13 flavors. Aside from the classic custard filling, her Brazo de Mercedes now comes in mango, strawberry, coconut, banana, cashew, macapuno, walnut, almond, pistachio, pecan, hazelnut and macadamia.
Not always easy
Despite her initial success with Supreme Brazo, Lopez shared that things were not always easy.
Aside from being a victim of tropical storm Ondoy months after she started accepting orders from her New Manila home, she also encountered a series of personal problems, which forced her to put her business on hold.
“We had very good results, but it was really sad because we also encountered challenges early on,” Lopez said.
Fortunately for her, orders for the Supreme Brazo Bar kept coming in, from mothers looking for their kids’ baon to people who are always on the go. This, Lopez said, encouraged her to continue with the business.
From a mini school project for her son, Lopez has begun selling another dessert, the Manila Cookie, a soft and chewy dark chocolate treat.
“I use 57% Valrhona (chocolate), or depending on what is available… There is really a market [in Manila] looking for premium chocolate chip cookies. And that’s what I also offer,” she said.
As she continues to sell desserts from her home, Lopez hopes to make more kids and adults appreciate proudly Filipino products.
“I thought that I should focus on the Filipino dessert more than the foreign,” she said.