Hmmm….maMON…who couldn’t resist this soft and fluffy cake? It’s like eating a piece of heaven. My husband surely loves this treat. It’s one of his favorite on-the-go breakfast meal that goes well with his cup of coffee!
Since my honey loves this cake, I usually order a couple of dozen of Red Ribbon Mamon (coming from Jersey City, NJ) from our local Filipino store. They freeze well so, you just pop ‘em in the microwave and you’re set to go. This morning my husband asked me if I know how to bake them…I was like, well, I haven’t made them before, but I’m sure it’s an easy task to do. Mamon is basically a Philippine type chiffon cake made into cupcakes. It’s light and airy, almost like an Angel Food Cake, but better. I’ve made many chiffon cakes before from Mocha to Ube, so I know very well how to make them. But to be sure, I checked my recipe books and thank goodness I found one! Knowing me, I don’t like to follow directions to the tee so, of course, I’ve added a bit more of what it calls for…LOL. Too bad I didn’t have the REAL Mamon molds from the Philippines, so I just used my large muffin pan and “Pampered Chef” Mini Loaf Stoneware!
Speaking of Pampered Chef (www.pamperedchef.com), can I just tell you how much I love that company? Ever since a friend of mine took me to a Pampered Chef Party while we were still in college (ages and ages ago…hahaha), I was hooked! I told myself that I’m going to invest on their products after graduating from college. So, when I got my first job, one of my co-workers had a “catalog party” and I just went nuts! I bought a couple of their stoneware collection among other things and my ultimate favorite is their “Rectangular Baker“…the perfect baking dish for my “Luscious Lasagna”, casseroles and baked goods! Ever since then, I’ve been collecting their products from bakeware to kitchen gadgets and etc. Then, friends and family gave me a few items as gifts, which made me even happier and I appreciated them ever so greatly!
Then last year, we had a little luncheon party at Irene’s house, so I decided to bring my ever so famous lasagna to share with everyone. We had a blast chit-chatting, our tummies were full…everything was perfect! As I was leaving that night, I was carrying my empty PC Baker Dish, which Irene placed in a plastic bag for me ’cuz I told her not to wash it since there’s a special way of washing and handling any stonewares (plus, with the Philippine custom for the host not to wash any dish you brought into their house so that you’ll continue to come over with more goodies…yada, yada, yada). So anyways, I was about to get into my car, then all of the sudden…in a blink of an eye, I slipped forward hitting my knees on the ground! All I could think of was my stoneware baking pan…I tried so hard to clench it to my chest and salvage it from breaking, but it was too late! My arms gave out and it was like watching a slow-motion movie as I saw my stoneware pan flying in mid-air as it came crashing down on Irene’s concrete driveway! You see, Irene’s house is on the hill and their driveway slopes down onto the street. I’ve been to her house a million of times during sleet, freezing rain and snow and I never, never, ever slipped or fall on her driveway and mind you, I was always wearing high heels or my knee-high stiletto boots!!! Then, of all days, when I was wearing my sling-back flats on a perfectly nice night, no rain nor ice, I fell!!! Go figure that one out! I screamed so loud, people thought I was literally dying! Irene and others came rushing out to help me. I hurried up and got up on my feet. I quickly reached out to the bag where my baking pan was in and picked up some broken pieces that flew out from the bag. I was almost in tears!!! Everyone took me back inside the house and we found out that I got a gash on my right knee and it was bleeding. My Godchild, Jenna, my ever so sweet, little Nightingale Nurse came to the rescue and quickly got me one of her Dora, the Explorer BandAid with Neosporin and some ice cubes in a Ziploc bag, wrapped in a small towel. She even told me to keep icing it when I got home that tonight! She is really a one lovely girl and she was only four years old at that time! But I was still in shock and in tears, not because I was hurt, but because I broke my precious baking pan! I know, I was over-reacting and a bit sentimental, but I just really, really love that baking dish! Just imagine, I had it for almost ten years! One of the greatest investments I’ve ever made for my kitchen when I was still single! Each time I made something on that dish, it never failed on me…it always came out perfectly! I worked hard and saved every penny I got just to have the best things for my kitchen…and at that moment, it was gone in a second! I guess that night, I didn’t have my Guardian Angel by my side. He or She probably took a day off. Poor me, still holding on to the broken clay pieces of my pan. Lamenting. I took it home that night and still have it (the pack rat that I am!!!). One day, I’ll make a mosaic art out of it. LOL
So, I kept telling myself, I could always get another one. A month later, my friend, Elena called me up and she’s having a PC Catalog Party…a friend of a friend of her co-worker is a PC Consultant!!! Yippee…as I leaped for joy! I was about to go online and purchased one. Thank goodness to have found a Consultant locally…the least I could do was to give her a sale! I ordered a new stoneware rectangular baking dish along with a stoneware mini loaf pan and other items! I was happy. I also fell in-love with my mini loaf pan…perfect for making breads and cakes to give out to others as gifts! Once in awhile on days like this, I still miss my old rectangular baking pan. It really had a unique character to it and it aged very well over the years. It was so dark. It looked like it needed some good scrubbing…hehehe! We were like a Pea in a Pod when I’m cooking and baking! As they always say in Pampered Chef, each of their stoneware is unique since each clay varies in size when cooled and glazed and it also gets better over time! I couldn’t agree more because my old baking pan was slightly longer and wider than my new one…*sigh!?!* My old pan will always be remembered ;-) Thanks for all the wonderful dishes I made in it…
Anyway, sorry for the long story. I just needed to vent out my feelings and sentimental value of my baking pan…I guess they say, you’ll never forget anything that you value in life…and in my case, I even cry over a “silly” baking pan! Hu Hu Hu…
Okay, hold your tears back ’cuz below you’ll find my Mamon Especial recipe…hope you’ll try it someday. I can’t wait for my husband to try it tonight! He’ll be thrilled!!! I also made Toasted Mamon from the one mini loaf I have…a la Biscotti (twice baked!) and let me just tell you, they’re divine and out of this world! I had to make another pot of coffee so I can try one. Dip it in coffee and it just melts in your mouth ;-) Also perfect with a cup of English Tea or hot cocoa…
Tah Tah!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Cake Flour
1 tsp baking powder
6 large eggs, separated
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 Cup sugar
½ Cup vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract, be generous...
1 Cup of cheddar cheese for topping
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside. In a stand up mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff with a wide whisk. Add sugar gradually and continue beating for at least a minute. Add oil and vanilla extract slowly into the meringue, beat well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Grease muffin pan or loaf pans. Fill in with batter about 2/3 full. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are lightly brown. Remove from the pan and let it cool in baking rack. When cooled, store in an air tight container. Serve anytime as a snack, breakfast or dessert...this will probably be good with ice cream, too! Enjoy!
From this recipe, it yielded 6 large muffins and 2 mini loaves!
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