Do you know what a Babka is? I didn’t. So I bought one to find out. Actually, I bought two. Kaya ngayon, alam na alam ko na kung ano ‘yun!
The Chocolate Babka is a chocolate-filled sweet yeasted dough topped with streusel crumble and dusted with powdered sugar. According to Wikipedia, streusel is “a crumbly topping of flour, butter, and sugar that is baked on top of muffins, breads, pies and cakes”.
“The chocolate flavor is the original but I’ve received so many requests for something cheesy so I came up with another variant,” explained multi-awarded chef Bubbles Cruz-Lerias.
Babka by Chef Bubbles Cruz-Lerias
The Cheese Babka is a sweet dough with cream cheese custard filling and grated cheese, topped with more grated cheese.
Cheese Babka
I was so excited to try them, I had a slice of each for merienda last Monday and I was busog for the next couple of hours! The next day, I had the chocolate version again, for dessert this time. I couldn’t get enough of the generous swirls of chocolate and the soft bread. In between meals, I kept going to the kitchen to pinch off a piece. Kunwari pang diet!
Before I ended up finishing everything, I managed to share some with my dad and my friend Grace. Pero konti lang. Hehe!
Bubbles is an instructor at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management. I was with her in Hong Kong in 2009, as part of the Les Toques Blanches (LTB) Culinary Team. We’ve been hanging out since, going out for dinner regularly with another chef friend and LTB Culinary Team member, Pauline Lagdameo and former F&B World Magazine editor-in-chief and all-around food and wine expert, Marilen Fontanilla. Over our last two get togethers, Bubbles mentioned her Babka plans so I’m really happy that she’s finally accepting orders.
I am still convincing her to call them BUBBka.
The Bubbka (okay so I insist that she calls them that!) retails for P250 per hefty loaf. Stick on a card and it’s ready for Christmas! Or any occasion, for that matter. If you intend to send one my way, you can even skip the card, I don’t mind.
For inquiries, call or text (0917) 8863856.
Looks yummy!!! I remember that my mother discovered babka after the Seinfeld episode. Didn t they think the chocolate was the better one? I really like the cinnamon babka, too. Yum, yum!
Mmmm! Cinnamon babka sounds good!
I was a fortunate recipient of a Chef Bubbles’ chocolate bubbka and I am now a believer! The dough was soft, airy and slightly chewy… yum! And that butter crust was just the right sweetness and crunch. And finally the chocolate swirl brought all the goodness together!
The first slice becomes another then maybe just a half slice and finally… irresistibly “pa kurot-kurot ,.