An exciting exploration of Filipino flavors

The Review

Mayumu translates to “sweet,” and this cookbook is true to its name. Abi Balingit shares Filipino American desserts with a twist as well as her journey into becoming who she is today. It highlights her experiences in the Philippines, California, and New York City. Balingit started her blog, Dusky Kitchen, in her tiny Brooklyn apartment which became the foundation of sharing her treats with others.

The cookbook design is unashamedly vibrant, creative, and upbeat with flashes of bright purple ube and green banana leaf. Most of the book’s recipes are Filipino or Asian-inspired, but something new in both name and taste which I welcome wholeheartedly. Recipes layer sweet-on-sweet with unexpected umami flavors and textural elements. Dark brown sugar in a simple syrup, called ‘arnibal,’ creates a comforting base flavor for some recipes that could be reminiscent of the use of vanilla in other cuisines. Even when the recipe inspiration is classically American, the final result is transformed to something unique like Chocolate Chip Cookies with Adobo, Ube Cheesecake with Sesame Cracker Crust, Brownies with MSG, and Halo-Halo Baked Alaska.

This cookbook is a great choice if you are looking for new flavors or to learn more about Filipino baked goods. I appreciated the thorough recipe explanations and beautiful photographs and illustrations explaining each dish and the elements. However, every recipe requires 1-5 Filipino ingredients that aren’t easy to find at most Asian grocery stores. If you are lucky enough to have a local Filipino grocery store, the “Filipino Pantry Essentials” section is a convenient visual shopping list. Although Balingit stayed true to her culture by including these specialty ingredients, it would be more inclusive to all readers to share substitutions where possible–such as dehydrated shredded coconut instead of frozen fresh young coconut called ‘buko.’ The range of recipes is impressive and diverse so anyone should find something for their tastes and cravings. Even though measurements are by volume and not weight, most of the recipes didn’t seem to require that level of precision to be successful.

Recipe Test Results

I tested Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cakes, Buko Pie Lollipops, and Jumbo Calamansi Poppy Seed Muffins with Tangy Glaze.

The Ube Macapuno Molten Lava Cakes, as well as some other recipes in the book, were a little one-note. The sweetness in the lava cakes was very prominent and was not balanced by the whipped cream or maraschino cherry. Although the components made for a beautiful contrast with the purple lava cake, it could have used some editing from a taste perspective.

On the other hand, the Jumbo Calamansi Poppy Seed Muffins with Tangy Glaze had the perfect balance of sweet with a tangy punch. Comparing this muffin to the Costco muffins is a high bar that any middle-class millennial can recognize. Unfortunately, it fell a little short and the muffins did not rise as expected. Additional tests, not shown here, adding the leavening agents at the end of mixing resulted in a better rise and texture.

Where Balingit’s desserts lack in perfect editing or execution, she exceeds expectations with creative visual execution. The Buko Pie Lollipops are the perfect example. I’ve seen cake pops and hand pies, but pie lollipops are a surprising novelty that changed the eating experience in a fun way.

Overall Rating: 4/5

You can let your imagination run wild baking from Mayumu with new recipes and Filipino ingredients. At the end of this baking adventure, you also might feel Balingit’s inspirational mantra of Bhala ka sa buhay mo! which means “Do whatever with your life!