Angel's Thoughts
I once accompanied my daughter Sandee and my “apo” Amanda with her close friends from Madrid to
call on the lovely couple, Manny and Pearl de Guzman, in their pleasant home in Sta Rosa, Laguna.
Manny is the former commissioner of the Philippine Climate Change Commission, which he ably
headed for seven years after serving in various positions in government under several presidents. He is
still consultant to international climate change organizations.
But in their lovely home in Sta. Rosa, Manny happily plays a supporting role to his wife. Top baker and
hostess to all bread lovers, Pearl is the true heart of the “Little House on the Prairie.”
She is pastry chef to home-based bakeshop Baby Pat Breads and Pastries, which she built in memory of
her mother, Patria Macalindong, founder of Pat’s Cake House in Cavite City in 1976. In continuing a
beloved mother’s legacy, Baby Pat commits to upholding Filipino baking excellence. Pearl established
her own bakeshop after her mother passed in 2010.
"It was my way of keeping her alive in my memory, in my life, for when I bake I remember her. I grew
up with her baking and tending our modest bakeshop in Cavite City. Baby Pat bears the names of my
beloved mom and my two children, Patrice 19, and Patrick, 14," says Pearl, adding that Patrice is now
back at the University of Navarra in Pamplona while Patrick is in Xavier School in Nuvali.
How did the various flavors of her bestseller ensaymada in rainbow-colored wrappings came about?
Ensaymada is just a fluffy coconcotion of flour and sugar and cheese toppings for breakfast and
merienda, right? Not if they’re from Pearl!
Pearl bakes the ensaymada, a brioche with a spiral twist or two or more swirls, which is said to have
originated in Spain in the 17th century, the traditional way but infuses and tops it with decadent flavors.
"An ensaymada with ube halaya is traditional, one of the baked products of my mother’s bakeshop,"
she says. "Having it for breakfast or merienda cena was a way of life. Inspired by the patronage of
Caviteños for Pat’s ube ensaymada, I thought of recreating it with premium ingredients and introducing
a variety of other flavors for today’s cosmopolitan and global Filipinos."
As a starter, Pat introduced a new ensaymada flavor, one that her choosy kids would also eat—Speculoos!
"My son so loved this flavor he discovered in the Lotus Biscoff cookies served as snack on a Delta
flight. I was so inspired when my speculoos ensaymada became such a hit among food cognoscenti as
they urged me to create more new flavors," recalls Pearl.
The ensaymada flavors of Baby Pat have evolved: Nutella, Gruyere, tablea, latik, peanut butter-
Chocnut, matcha, and mocha. More flavors are in the works. "When an ensaymada tastes and looks
excellent and admired by food cognoscenti, I launch it!" said this ex-Assumptionista business
management graduate honed in several culinary schools like Heny Sison, LPU Culinary Institute in
Laguna, and Sylvia Renoso Gala Culinary Arts Studio.
If you are ever lucky enough to be invited to Pearl and Manny’s home for merienda or dinner, do go
and have a wonderful ensaymada-time! Call 09177901127