Raising the bar

He liked baking. His job was his hobby and his hobby was his job. — Joe Kleinbach

If you can get paid for doing what you love, every paycheck is a bonus. — Oprah Winfrey

As the yuletide season begins, the arrival of bazaars and home businesses paves the way for new discoveries, showcasing delicacies that remind us that it is that time of the year for festivities and sweet indulgence. The decadent treats are alluring, elegantly presented, freshly baked; ideal presents for loved ones because of the personal touches and proven crowd pleasers among fans. Yes, bar cookies have emerged as best sellers, having a sumptuous effect on aficionados who just can’t get enough.

Bar cookies are made by baking batter in a rectangular pan, which is then cut into serving-size bars or squares. It is a mixture of cookie and brownie, a delectable masterpiece that I sold during our Brent School bake sales for extra income. In the mid-‘90s, at one of Mom’s 10 bar cookie baking courses, Sister Humilde of St. Benedict Monastery, Pinagtong-ulan, Lipa City, approached her and asked how she could help her convent and the people in her city find livelihood to enrich their community. Mom said, “Sister, I believe the course today is perfect and that these recipes will be helpful for the people in need!” So Sister attended the class and two months later Mom received a call saying that the bar cookies that were first sold to rich families had become so successful that neighboring cities began ordering and the convent now needs to buy bigger ovens as the demand was greater than what they could supply.

In the early ‘90s a relative of ours approached us. She wanted to start a business related to pastries but didn’t want to sell cakes because there were plenty of bakeshops in Manila and it was difficult to sell the cakes per slice. Cookies and brownies were already sold in the malls and competition was stiff. My mom’s suggestion and solution was bar cookies, and this recommendation to take the class proved fruitful as our relative’s business grew from a small home business to being a supplier of various coffee shops requiring a large factory to keep up with the demand. These chance encounters proved to be lucrative because, with exact recipes and correct guidance about what the market wants, a baking venture can be very profitable and successful. My Aunt Leni Reynoso Araullo’s recipes are proven billion-peso earners for top bakeshops in our country today since she started teaching the owners in 1963 and 1977.

A step-by-step process: First prepare the ingredients, ingredients blend in mixer, pour batter into lined paper pan, sprinkle chocolate chips and spread mixture evenly and bake right away.

When making bar cookies you need a reliable oven and an oven thermometer to accurately gauge the temperature. You will also need rectangular pans which must be thick so the bottoms and sides will not burn. Two inches of space between pans and the side of the oven is needed to ensure the heat can circulate freely. Placing parchment paper or wax paper under the cookie dough helps for easy removal and it can be recycled up to three times. If paper is unavailable, grease the pan with shortening as butter tends to burn the pan. If you have a small oven, get a tray and place the rectangular pan on top. Get an empty can and place it beside the pan. Get another tray and place it on top of the can. Place the second pan on top of the tray to serve as a second rack. After baking, cool cookies for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from pans. When cutting, grease knife with oil to prevent the batter from sticking. To make the bars shiny, add three to four drops of glycerin to the batter (available in supermarkets beside the pancake syrups). A valuable tip: banana leaves make perfect “liners” for baking pans. They’re non-stick, reusable, reliable and add a wonderful aroma to baked product. Silipat (that’s a brand) works well, too.

Chocolate Meringue Bars

1) Preheat oven 350° F or 175° C.

2) Put wax paper inside 7 x 11 inch pan (foil pans may be used instead).

3) Cream together 1/2 cup softened Magnolia Gold butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 egg yolks, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. each of baking powder and baking soda. Then add 1 1/2 cups Baron all-purpose flour. Press into pan. Put plastic wrap and press with your fingers or pizza rollers.

4) Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Ricoa chocolate chips.

5) In a separate bowl. Beat 2 egg whites with 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar until bubbles are fine. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff (three minutes for Kitchen Aid, four minutes for hand mixer). Spread on top of chocolate chips. Bake 30 minutes. Cool, then loosen the sides and carefully invert on confectioner’s sugar-dusted wax paper. Return to original position. Cut into 20 bars. Serve on muffin papers.

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For more recipes and class schedule visit www.sylviareynosogala.com or our Facebook fan page Sylvia Reynoso Gala Culinary or 671-4472 or 98.