I love ensaymada. My kids love them too, mainly because of the sugar bits and cheese on top. Why, who doesn't love that?!

The Filipino Ensaymada is a pastry that is derived from ensaïmada which originated from Mallorca, Spain. It is also said to be the Filipino version of the brioche from France. The Filipino Ensaymada is distinctly buttery and sweet, topped with margarine or butter, sugar and cheese.

For the love of ensaymada, and to further up my bread-making skills, I decided that I wanted to try making these yummy pastries!

I once saw a post by @sherylneil, where she shared her ensaymada recipe, and I was quick to comment that I would rather go to the bakery and buy a few pieces than make them. 😅 But baking was calling me and I made several cakes after that, even bread, the ube-cheese pandesal! After my recent experience making ube-cheese pandesal, I was really hesitant to get another "arm workout" from all the kneading.

Until yesterday.

I can make this everyday!

No joke! I found this recipe yesterday and I already made it for two days in a row. So that also means that we already finished the first batch I baked.

The process was too easy, I barely lifted a finger. Lol. Seriously. I never thought it would work, but when I saw my dough risen and double in size, I could already taste success!

It entailed very minimal kneading, and most of the time spent on this is mainly on the rising time -- 2 hours on the first rise, then kneading for 2 minutes to cut and coil, then 1 hour final rise on the baking tray.

Baking time is 15 minutes, then remove to brush egg yolk on top, then another 10 minutes.

_{Cheese Ensaymadas!}

Soft and Buttery!

Though I was skeptical at first at how this would turn out because of the process (I thought tedious = success), I was too pleased that the ensaymadas turned out perfect -- soft and buttery.

For the toppings, I made a butter frosting, then sprinkled it with granulated white sugar and loads of cheese!

Perfect-O!

The fambam loved it.Just look at how Little Miss devoured a big chunk of ensaymada. That's definitely her favorite.

It is a pleasure to serve my family with freshly baked goodies such as these, especially when you see them beam with delight at every bite.
Besides, as I always say, acquiring new skills is always good. This time, it's baking for me.

_{Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rising Time: 3 hours
Cooking Time: 25 minutes}

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup milk
• 5 tbsp white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp (1 standard packet) instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups all purpose flour

Toppings:

• 1/4 cup softened butter
• white sugar
• 1 tbsp all purpose cream
• grated cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pot. Once melted, turn off the heat then add the milk, sugar and eggs. Mix.
2. Add the yeast to the butter mixture and let it stand for 5 minutes, to activate.
3. Add the flour one cup at a time, mix until it does not stick to the sides of the pot.
4. Form into a ball, cover, and let it sit for 2 hours or until double in size.
5. After two hours, softly punch to deflate.
6. Knead for 2 minutes to soften the dough.
7. Divide into two portions, then into 4 smaller portions each (total of 8)
8. Roll each portion into long logs, then form a coil.
9. Put on a baking tray or round pan (whichever you prefer), cover, and let it rise for another 1 hour or until double in size.
10. Bake for 15 minutes at 150C, then take out to brush egg yolks on top. Bake for another 10 minutes.

For the toppings:
Whisk together softened butter and all purpose cream, you can add confectioner's sugar for sweetness. Spread this evenly to the cooked ensaymada after it has cooled down. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and generous amounts of grated cheddar cheese.

Enjoy this soft, rich, buttery pastry with your preferred beverage -- coffee or tea! Perfect for breakfast, or mid-day snacks.

All photos and videos were shot using smartphone Huawei Nova 3.
Music: bensound.com