12 years and a pandemic later, this Filipino bakeshop continues to rise to the occasion

An ensaymada with ube halaya is traditional. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN

PHILIPPINES (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): Pearl de Guzman of Baby Pat Breads and Pastries finds herself bringing together an assortment of flavours into a bright, tight package of soulful ensaymadas, a spiral-shaped pastry made with sweet yeast dough and topped with powdered sugar.. But don’t let the signature colour-coded wax paper wraps lure you into thinking that it’s simply an array of vibrant specimens of yet another classic pastry.

In many ways, the home-based bakeshop derives from, deviates from, and devotes to a heartwarming legacy. Established in 2010 in memory of her mother Patria Ramirez Macalindong, or “Mama Pat” as she is fondly known, de Guzman isn’t one to shy away from embracing her heritage and kicking off an experimental sense of fun.