Bake it 'til you make it!

Baking is a part of our family - even at a very young age. Back in my grade school days, I'd buy those pre-packed Devil's Food Cake mixes and try to make it at home. Some would succeed, others would look like burnt cakes on the outside but liquid inside. 

The interest came from my Mom who's a good baker. She'd make apple pie and empanadas for merienda when we were kids. And they were spectacular! Ate Lissa is also a good baker, and her specialty back then was macaroons. 

There was a book at home called "Cooking it up with Nora," written by the legendary Nora Daza. It had a section on cakes and baking, and I'd find myself reading the recipes and imagining that I'd make them.

When I was in high school, my interest in baking was still there. And around that time, I was determined to make that interest something real. So, with money saved from my allowance, I bought my first baking cook book.

And that cook book is still with me until now - 35 years after I bought it.

This book helped me become more confident in my skills. Through this book. I made my first Caramel Butter Tarts (which later became my specialty), my first Mud Pie, and my first attempt at making Dark Fruit Cake. 

Opening the pages of this book brought back so many fond and fun memories. More than that, it made me want to try making these recipes again.

One of these days, I'm going to make those Caramel Butter Tarts again.