My Favorite Pinoy Merienda or Desserts

The following are my favorite Filipino desserts. All are of Filipino origin except gateau le sans rival and brazo de mercedes. Looking at the pictures below has my salivary gland fully activated. Yum, Yum indeed! If you have not tasted any one of the desserts below, I feel sorry for you, but it is not too late unless you are dying of diabetes. Even if you are diabetic, a small portion of the dessert is fine. Just do not forget to take your metformin or an equivalent anti-diabetic drug.

1. Bibingka
Puddings are big in the Philippines. Bibingka, a popular dessert of pudding is made of ground rice, sugar and coconut milk. This pudding is baked in a clay oven and topped with fresh, salted duck eggs or shredded cheese.

2. Guinat-an
Another popular pudding in the Philippines is guinatan served with lashings of deliciously sinful coconut milk. It even taste better if garnished with fresh jack fruit slices.
3.Halo-halo

Halo-halo or literally mix-mix is actually an exotic fruit mix that is similar to Malaysia's 'ice kacang'. This delightful fare, featuring exotic fruits and vegetables come colorfully stacked under shaved ice. Due to its popularity in the country, this dish is known as the 'Queen of Desserts'.
4.Kutsinta

Kutsinta or brown rice cake is a favorite snack among the locals. This rice cake made of rice flour and brown sugar is delicious, especially when served with freshly grated coconut.

5. Gateau le sans Rival popularly called sans rival or Cake without a Rival
There are several recipes of this very delicious and sweet dessert in the Web!
6.Leche Flan


7. Brazo de mercedes


8.Maja blanca-

Here's a short video how to prepare this delicious dessert

9. Suman-could be made with sweet rice, or cassava flour wrapped in either coconut or banana leaves.

Last but not least is Turon.

9. Turon- ripe plantain ( saging na sab-a) wrapped in lumpia wrapper. Deep fried and sprinkle with a tinge of brown sugar. Yum, Yum.

Note: Filipinos love to it. Besides the three meals, there is always a merienda at around 3 to 4 PM. Sometines there is a morning snack at 10AM. Our favorite afternoon merienda in Marinduque is turon because of the abundance of plantains. Living in the Philippines reminds me of our Bahamas cruise vacation several years back when we had meals six times a day which included a mid night buffet. If you love food joined a cruise vacation or live in the Philippines.