Hey guys! How are you all doing this fine Tuesday? 🙂 So I was sent a few treats to sample in the past couple of weeks, but I’ve only gotten around to writing about them now, which is still kind of timely since I thought it would be nice to share some giftable food ideas right around this season. It’s Christmastime after all, and gifting food is just about one of the best things you can do right around this season of feasting.

For those who don’t like to spend too much time in the kitchen, these kinds of specialty (and usually home-based) shops are a godsend. Not only do they provide you with the freshest products, they can surprise you with some genuinely nice and unique goods too.



First up I’ll be talking about A2 Manila, a home baking business from Quezon City. One of the A’s from the name is Aimee Lim, who so graciously contacted and sent me some of their pastries to try. Aims is the baker in duo, graduating from DLS-CSB with an HRIM degree, then going on to MIHCA to specialized in Baking. The other A is Aimee’s sister Auds; an occupational therapist with a passion for exploring the uniqueness in desserts. Their product lineup ranges from cookies, cakes, cupcakes, bar cookies, to fondant cakes– a little something to love for everyone!

A2 Manila’s baked goods are a mix of classics and new takes on classics, and having choices in this manner is always a good thing to me. There’s just one caveat though: All of the treats we sampled are a bit on the sweet side, so I will only highly recommend them for those who have a genuine sweet tooth. Not to worry, those who prefer something milder can still enjoy these in moderate portions since I do think they are definitely worth giving a go.

I’ll be talking about the treats A2 Manila sent me by order of my least to most favourite, but note that I don’t have a supercharged sweet tooth. So shall we start this mini-review?

Food for the gods

I really really like the chewy texture of this one, but it’s too sweet for me to detect too much of anything else. Mostly I could taste the raisins and some nuts, plus a hint of fruitiness.

Banana Bread

This is a classic banana bread but with some crunchy nuts on top. It smells a little more vanilla-like, I think, than the usual banana. This banana bread is moist and not dense which I like, and the nuts gave a crunchy texture that provided a pleasant contrast.

Carrot Cupcake

This has all the requisite flavours of a good carrot cake, but it is a little dry especially coming out of the fridge. I find that if you eat it with the frosting it lends a bit of moistness to the cake as well, helping to create a certain balance.



However I though there was a little too much icing for such a small body of cake, especially in the middle part where the peak of the icing plus the carrot-shaped candy is. I do really like the flavours of the cake base on its own though.

Black and White Cookies

The cookies were definite winners in this bunch! The texture of these cookies are the kind I like: slightly chewy inside with a crunchy frame. The best part is how in a way this was like eating a deconstructed Oreo, but with milkier notes. But as it is with real Oreos, you eat too much and it becomes real sweet real fast.



I really enjoyed the milky taste of the cookie base, and with all those bits of crushed Oreos clinging to the body of the cookie, this makes for one sweet treat cookies and cream lovers should not miss!

Oreo Bomb

I have a soft spot for chocolate chip cookies, and this was one we all highly enjoyed in the house. This one has a whole Oreo cookie wrapped inside a chocolate chip cookie shell, and I really thought the texture of the cookie outside was just the perfect amount of crunchy to complement the semi-softened Oreo.



I was a bit surprised by the dominance of the saltiness on the outer layer, but it’s not something that’s bothersome while you’re eating this. This one as a whole is actually really delicious, which is why this is my favourite in this lineup! The sweetness mostly comes from the Oreo, but the chocolate chip cookie also holds its own flavour as you bite into this cookie. I do recommend it!

A2 Manila

For inquiries, you can contact them through the following:
Mobile no.: +63925 804 1993
Instagram
Twitter: @a2inmanila

Full disclosure: A2 Manila provided me with samples of their products in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated above are my own.