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The most wonderful time of the year will also be our most liberating since the world came to a halt. So Rockwell is pulling all stops to make it genuinely delightful and extraordinary.  Here’s a Rockwell first that’s coming out this Christmas: The Rockwellist Confections. 

It’s a lovely package of six chocolate bars concocted by the chief chocolatier of CMV Txokolat, Christian Valdez, and renowned Filipino chefs, in partnership with Rockwell. The finest ingredients are sourced from cities where Rockwell has set its footprint on, and fused with the scrumptious of chocolates.  

So, brace yourselves, chocoholics. Just imagine biting into luscious dark chocolate then an intricate play of local pastry flavors hits you.  It promises to be all at once surprising, fascinating and irresistible, just how chocolate indulgence ought to be.

Set up your senses for a confectionery journey through –

• Manila with Chef Josh Boutwoood, Veteran restaurateur and owner of The Test Kitchen, Ember, Savage, and Helm.
• Cebu with Chef Nicole Alegrado, Homecook-turned-apprentice-chef in the three-star Michelin restaurant, Arzak, in San Sebastian, Spain; owner of Azukre, San Sebastian Seafood Specialties, and Oyster Bay.
• Bacolod with Chef Rhea Garcia, Head Chef and owner of Bacolod-based artisanal bakery, Firehook Boulangerie Et Patisserie.
• Pampanga with Chef Judy Uson, Head of one of Pampanga’s foremost culinary schools, the Culinaire Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts, and homegrown restaurant, Café Noelle.
  
• Batangas with Chef Myrna Segismundo, Cookbook author, Philippine Cuisine lecturer and resource person, chair of the National Food Showdown, and former EIC of Foodie Magazine.
• Laguna with Chef Gel Salonga, Multi award-winning pastry chef, and restaurateur of Cakes by Gel Salonga.

The Manila Bar: Chicharron and Vinegar

Ingredients: 55% Dark Chocolate – Chicharon – Vinegar – Salt 

Flavor by Josh Boutwood | Restaurants: Test Kitchen, Ember, Savage, and Helm

It simulates the taste of freshly fried chicharron dipped in acetous vinegar. Combines real chicharon bits, vinegar, salt and 55% dark chocolate in one crunch and tangy bite. A truly unique experience of polarizing tastes rolled into a beautiful chocolate bar. Next time you can’t decide between sweet or savory, the Manila Bar has you covered.

The Cebu Bar: Mango Sticky Rice

Ingredients: 45% Dark Milk Chocolate – Dried Cebu Mangoes – Dried Coconut – Pinipig

Flavor by Chef Nicole Alegrado | Restaurants: Azukre Cakes, San Sebastian Seafood Specialties, Oyster Bay. 

The Cebu Bar is a confectionary take on Chef Nicole’s favorite dessert, the mango sticky rice. The Cebu mango is at the core of the design, paired with pinipig and dried coconut, and 45% dark milk chocolate. It’s layers of chewy coconut mouthfeel, with the crunch from the pinipig, delivering a sweet tutong/toasted tart taste and the creaminess of dark milk chocolate. A total Cebu experience.

The Bacolod Bar: Piaya

Ingredients: 55% Dark Chocolate – Carabao’s Milk – Muscovado Sugar – Toasted Sesame Seeds – Crushed Barquillos 

Flavor by Chef Rhea Garcia | Restaurants: Firehook Boulangerie and Patisserie, Mount Kanlaon St., Bacolod Negros. 

Inspired by the classic Negrense delicacy, The Bacolod bar deconstructs the Piaya to its unique, essential flavors. To capture the authentic taste of a freshly made Piaya, a 55% dark chocolate couverture paired with muscovado sugar was made, folded with toasted sesame seeds, mixed with 35% milk chocolate and topped with crushed barquillos. The flaky, and airy consistency of a classic Piaya is right there!

The Pampanga Bar: Tibuk Tibuk

Ingredients: 32%White Chocolate – Carabao’s Milk Dulce De Leche – Coconut Sugar – Dehydrated Latik 

Flavor by Chef Judy Uson | Restaurants: Cafe Noelle 

An homage to Chef Judy’s kapampangan roots, the Pampanga chocolate bar uses carabao’s milk-based dulce de leche, mixed with coconut sugar, and dehydrated latik and 32% white chocolate. It captures the creamy flavor of carabao’s milk, with subtle hints of coconut. Each bite delivers a crunch from the dulce de leche flakes, and dehydrated latik, packed in one luxurious velvety white chocolate. A masterful concoction of Pampanga’s famed Tibuk Tibuk in a chocolate bar. 

The Batangas Bar: Barako

Ingredients: 72% Dark Chocolate – Liberica Coffee Beans 

Flavor by Myrna Segismundo | Restaurants: Executive Chef and Culinary Consultant at the Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution management, UP College of Home Economics.

The Batangas Bar is made with true Liberica Barako coffee beans. To represent the flavor of the coffee, the beans were roasted and crushed and incorporated into a 72% dark chocolate. Roasting the beans became a crucial step in keeping the flavor, by giving it more depth that highlights the earthy tones of a true Barako Coffee. Indulgent to the taste, down to the texture.

The Laguna Bar: Cashew Cardamom

Ingredients: 55% Dark Chocolate – Dehydrated Carabao’s Milk –  Green Cardamom – Cashew Praline

 Gel Salonga | Restaurants: Cakes by Gel Salonga 

As suggested by Chef Gel, The Laguna Bar transforms your everyday kasuy into an exquisite praline. The roasted cashew nuts are blended  with green cardamom–light and airy–packing a smooth flavor along with the milk and 55% dark chocolate. It’s a layer of sweet nuttiness, and a balanced creamy texture. It gets creamier and lighter with every bite.

Get your box today at shop.TheRockwellist.com!

 

This article was recently updated to include the latest information about our partner chefs.