Classic & Chocolate Silvanas Recipe | The Tummy Train

Cashew-based meringue cookies, rich buttercream, and cookie crumbs come together to create this truly delicious treat! I even made a chocolate version to go along with my classic silvanas.

I tested the recipe for these Silvanas for Taste of Home. Below I relate my experiences in making this Pinoy recipe, but the full recipe and instructions can be found HERE.

When you think about how large the universe is, it’s not hard to accept the fact that it’s really hard to stick out. You’re such a tiny tiny part of it after all. Yet sometimes and somehow, inexplicable things happen. You know, like unexpected connections and people finding other people by chance. This is what I feel happened with me when my little oasis on the Internet was seen by an editor from Taste of Home. Yes, THAT Taste of Home, the popular US-based food magazine with the lovely website I often visit for inspiration.

As a fan of that website, it never even crossed my mind that it would be a possibility for me to be contribute anything there. My imagination did not stretch beyond me simply being a frequent unknown visitor. It doesn’t have anything to do with confidence; mostly it’s just common sense on my part because who am I really, in the grand scheme of things? But here I am letting you know that I wrote an article for Taste of Home, and it is now LIVE! (I also made a video to supplement the article, and you can watch it near the bottom of the post.)

This is a new personal milestone for me for sure!

So I was tasked to create a comprehensive guide for making silvanas– something I have never made but which, frankly, I had been planning to make for some time now. My family loves silvanas and they often ask me why I’ve never attempted to make some at home. I already had the recipe I wanted to try bookmarked for some time, so to be honest, this gave me the push I was sorely needing to finally make this Filipino favorite. And now not only am I was grateful for the opportunity to write for the Taste of Home website, I am also grateful I got to discover this recipe. Because what a recipe this was! The Unlikely Baker’s recipe for silvanas is SO GOOD!

To tell you the truth, I was pretty nervous about making silvanas for some reason. I wasn’t this nervous when I made macarons lol. I just always had the impression that they would be difficult to make, and all that changed when I actually made it. Then I took the first taste-test bite. I can’t even describe how pleased I was with how this turned out. Although I think Silvanas Dumaguete are still the gold standard, these can give most other brands a run for their money. No joke!

To be fair, making silvanas is an involved process but not a difficult one. It can also be kind of messy, but nothing that’s not manageable with a pair of gloves on. You will have to take some time to create each component of the silvanas, so it can be the perfect holiday project. I’ll be the first to say it’s totally worth it.

By the way, we turned the leftover buttercream into a spread for toast.

As you may have noticed, I also made a chocolate version to accompany my classic silvanas, and they both came out so well I kept thinking about which one is my favorite. While I love the chocolate version, I don’t think the classic silvanas can be beat. I have yet to try any flavored silvanas that taste better than the classic. There’s just something timeless about them, you know? And they highlight the taste of the cashews so well. In fact they also highlight the taste of the buttercream. But that’s not to say the chocolate silvanas are any less delicious. Make them both and then decide!

I decided to write this post to express my gratitude and also to tell you I am posting the recipe video tutorial here. The recipe and the instructions (plus tips and lots of process pics!) are all on the Taste of Home website, so please head on over there and check out my guide on how to make this amazing recipe. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. If you tackle this recipe and study it in chunks, you’ll find that it’s not as hard as you might imagine. I do recommend taking out the equipment for this as you will be doing a lot of whisking and whipping!

 

 

As mentioned, full recipe instructions can be found on the Taste of Home site. I hope you give this recipe a try!

~~~

Enjoyed this post? Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for more. If you try this recipe, don’t forget to let me know if you enjoyed these as much as I did! All images and videos on this blog are owned by The Tummy Train and Clarisse Panuelos. Unauthorized use of content, removal of watermark, or edit and reupload, is prohibited and will constitute theft.