I am Jocelyn Biado Roxas. My friends call me “Joy”.
I’m a Political Science undergraduate from UP Diliman. I have been working as an Executive and Administrative Assistant since the late 90’s until my resignation in June last year. I have 2 sons, ages 30 and 19. The elder one, Alvin, is an HR Management graduate, living on his own, and is working as a team leader in a call center. The younger one, Gab, is a third year Comm Arts student.
I have been baking since the late 90’s.
I actually “stumbled” upon baking in the late 90’s, when our economy was down and I had a lot of free time in the office. I surfed the web for recipes and managed to compile about two thick 3-ring binders! Every weekend, I would test 1 or 2 recipes. I started with the usual Brownies, Butterscotch Bars and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. My kids especially loved eating whatever I managed to bake, be it a success or not!
The Carrot Cake Recipe in Food Magazine (2000 or 2001 issue I think) started my little business. This product really boosted my confidence in baking as I got a lot of orders back then.
Ms. Heny Sison inspired me, and continues to inspire me, as a matter of fact. She had a baking show every Sunday in Channel 13 back in 2000 / 2001, I think. I made it a point to watch every episode. My very first class with her in 2001 inspired me even more to hone my craft. Not only did Heny Sison inspire me to bake, she also inspired me to teach!
Since I have a small business, I bake 3 to 4 times a week.
My favorite recipes are the ones my family love — Mango Sticky Rice and Mango Samurai (they love mangoes!)
Aside from these, I have 3 signature recipes: Sticky Toffee Pudding w/ Rum Toffee Sauce and Nutella-Filled Cupcakes (which were included in the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Best Desserts List for 2011 and 2012, respectively) and the Mango Cheesecake.
My most challenging recipe is probably the Nutella Crepe Cake – when I first made them, the crepes kept sliding off! My biggest baking challenge of them all: the escalating price of sugar, brown sugar & LPG, as well as my small kitchen :)
Baking for the holidays are always a memorable experience. As in every year! No sleep for days in a row!
My baking goals right now is to improve my decorating skills and my number one baking tip — Know your oven!
