Barbara Jordan, lawyer and leader of  the Civil Rights movement in the United States, once said this.  And I know exactly what she meant. Along with ice cream and chocolate bars,  cookies, I think, can actually deliver world peace.

Diabetes runs in my family so I REALLY watch my sugar consumption. But I do indulge once in a while. When  faced with cookies, particularly the chewy, chocolatey kind, I become helpless and succumb easily.

So you can imagine my happiness (never mind diabetes! 😉 )   when I was told by  my friend Therese Laforteza that she was going to send over some of her sweet creations.  Therese and I worked together years ago on a children show called Next Stop. Therese has since gotten married and is now a full time mom. She is also the talented  baker behind Milkface Bakes, a cookie-baking business that she runs from home.

ADOS:  Have you always loved baking?

T:  I come from a family of bakers, me not being one of them! It was more of me loving to eat the baked goods rather than baking. But growing up, I would help or watch my Mom and her older sister, who are the matriarchs of the family, bake. I remember every birthday, baptism celebration, Christmas party, and other special occasion would only always have home baked cakes, pastries, and other desserts. Food was mostly home cooked as well. I on the other hand, have never baked anything from scratch until 2 months before starting Milkface Bakes.

//Above:  Double Chocolate Cookie with Cream Cheese:  This is my favorite.  It’s chewy and creamy and perfect with a cup of Kapeng Barako.     I want this by my side when I’m having a bad day.  

 

ADOS:  Why and how did you get into it more seriously?

T:  I used to work in the Television industry and when I was expecting my 1st baby, I was about 2 months along, I found myself out of a job! But I always knew I would need to change careers when we started a family, so that was a blessing in disguise. I really needed something I could earn a bit from, that I liked, and that I could manage since we don’t have a nanny or helpers at home. Baking was the number one go-to option since we were already selling cookies and cupcakes on the side during the holidays, but it was my Mom and her sister who were baking them, and my sister and I were the ones packing and marketing them. After finally deciding to get into a cookie business, I learned through the World Wide Web! Luckily, we now live in a world with many generous minds who share their knowledge of baking in detail and post it on blogs! Of course Google was the best teacher. My Mom also always shared her ways when it comes to baking. With that said and when my daughter was about 1 and a half and I was again expecting #2, I finalized the IG account of Milkface Bakes. I was equipped with stored knowledge, some self studying, and a good 2 months of test kitchen and a whole lot of inspiration from Pinterest, plus much encouragement from the husband and the little girl. Milkface Bakes officially started business.

//Clockwise from top left -A)  Dark Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter and Oats:  I really loved how the slightly bitter cocoa taste of the dark chocolate balanced out the overall sweetness of the cookie;   B) White Chocolate Chunks, Peanut Butter and Oats:  a bit too sweet for me but a surprisingly delicious combination nonetheless!;    C) White Chocolate Chip with Creamcheese: the idea of combining creamcheese with choco chips is brilliant! ;   and D) Chocolate Chip & Chunk:  A classic, perfect when eaten with milk on the side. 

//Oreo Cheesecake:  Who says Oreo and cheese are only for baking cakes?

ADOS:  What’s the story behind the name?

T:  Milkface is what I call my daughter. She is breastfed so she literally gets milk faced. And whenever I post her photos or anything about her in my social media accounts, I refrain from using her real name because I do want to somehow protect her identity. Milkface became catchy and when I was brainstorming on a name for the business, it was what came to mind since my daughter is (the one) who motivates me.

//From foreground: A)  Dark & White Chocolate Chunks with Walnuts: the walnuts add a delightful crunch;  B) Cheesecake Cookie: soft and fluffy, almost like a cake;   C)  (at the back) Oreo Cheesecake

ADOS:  How did you come up with the recipes? (ansarap!)

T:  Most of the recipes are inspired by recipes from bloggers. Others were suggested.  I tweak some to make it more tropical country-adaptable. I have 2 original concoctions, the Chocolate Malt which is thin and chewy with Milo and the Oreo Cheesecake. I finally understood how ingredients work with each other, so I got to create these recipes. The science in baking is actually what make me love even more.

ADOS:  How can people order?

T:  You can follow us on Instagram @milkfacebakes and send me a message via Viber for orders +63915 3177621 but we need at least 3 days lead time. We have 2 pick up points:  festival mall in Alabang and Chocolat Congressional. Prices vary from Php 250 up to Php 480. We have 2 sizes, Munchies which are more bite size and the regular size which are more hearty. We also join some weekend bazaars or do meet ups which we announce in our Instagram.

At this point, you should really be picking up the phone to order from Therese. And guess what, Therese will give 6 (SIX!) chocolate malt munchies to A Dose of Simple readers (that’s you!) who will place a minimum order of 6 cookies  from now until April 15, 2016! Just use the promo code ‘SimplyDelish’ when ordering.  And please don’t forget to like A Dose of Simple and Milkface Bakes on Facebook and Instagram.

So what are you waiting for? 🙂

 

Note:  Although the cookies were given to me as gift, my opinion is entirely my own.