Dining with the stars
An actress, a host, a senator, and a news anchor—these celebs and personalities are not only public figures, but are also superstars behind the camera (and the Senate). After all, there’s more to your idols than hogging the limelight. They can be stars of their own kitchens, too.
BETTINA BAKES
Her Nutella Rocks rocks
By Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
Images by Noel Pabalate
It was a happy accident. Actress and baker Bettina Carlos was making an ordinary cookie when her “aha! moment” came.
“I was making a Nutella cookie, it was a plain cookie,” she says. “I’ve never tried a recipe more than three times before getting it. The Nutella I was making wasn’t that good. There wasn’t an ‘X factor.’ By the third batch, I was desperate and crying. Why can’t I get it? Out of desperation, I got one cookie and spread Nutella on it. That was then my face lit up and I said ‘Wow! This is it!’”
Nutella Rocks was born.
Her rocks stun like a rock star but taste like a sweet serenade. “I always tell people, don’t think they’re rock hard, just because I call them ‘rocks!’” laughs Bettina, who has been baking since 2008.
Her inspirations are her favorite childhood sweets: Ferrero Rocher and Mrs. Fields. “I’ve always wanted to come up with something that resembles a Ferrero Rocher but tastes soft, chewy, and rich like Mrs. Fields cookies,” she says.
Among the many Nutella-rich menus all over the world (to wit: Nutella bun swirls, Nutella meringue, toasties, and pudding), Bettina’s cookies are simple and unpretentious.
ROCK AND ROLL Mom, actress, and baker Bettina Carlos and her original creation: Nutella Rocks.
“Although of course, Nutella is a brand itself—everyone can make Nutella cookies—Nutella Rocks itself is original,” she beams with pride. “Whenever people ask me what makes it different I always say, ‘I don’t know. Taste it.” Hers is a generous serving of Nutella and, well, love. Bettina doesn’t like scrimping on ingredients and, in fact, she shares them in her packaging. “It doesn’t matter if I put the ingredients in the box, nobody would know the measurements! The original tastes different. Many have also tried copying and claiming they did it first!” she says.
Her cute packaging also includes a “shelf life,” or rather, a lack of it. “People would ask me how long the shelf life is. I wanted to say, don’t bother asking. I promise, modesty aside, you’ll finish them in a jiffy,” she says. Her advice is that you put the rocks in the freezer and let them freeze to seal their freshness. Let them out in room temperature for 10 minutes before eating.
Bettina’s online store called Baked Bites also includes Oreo cheesecake and salted caramel brownies. “I’d rather have a few items on my menu, and make sure they are all good, than have a lot of other mediocre choices,” she says.
@abettinnacarlos on Instagram, 63 917861BITE
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