Dessert Kamayan

​Kamayan means “by hand” in Tagalog. It refers to the traditional eating style of Filipinos  — communally, without any plates or utensils. A typical kamayan meal features a table covered in banana leaves and displays an assortment of traditional Filipino dishes like whole fried tilapia, sweet cured sausages (longanisa), lechon (roasted pig), lumpia (Filipino egg rolls), etc., along with mounds of rice and sauces.

​My sister hosted a really cool kamayan earlier this year (pictured below). Everything was beautifully presented and made from scratch. It was really quite impressive.

I love hosting festive gatherings so naturally I wanted to attempt a kamayan too. I, however, do not cook which poses a problem. I do love to bake though. I’m also experienced with cranking out a large quantity of baked goods. So, when my friend asked me to bake for her get together for approximately 30 guests (half of which would be kids) I wanted to try it out - I love baking for this particular friend because she gives me free rein. So, this was my spin on a kamayan feast - dessert style.

Of course, all treats are homemade. I stuck with baked goods that could easily be picked up and stacked on top of each other. With all parties, I always consider who I'm baking for. So I picked a couple kid faves + treats that are usually more popular with adults.

I ended up going with:
Funfetti cupcakes - kid fave
Chocolate covered Oreos - kid fave
Maple walnut brittle - adult/hubby fave
Toffee snickerdoodles - adult/hubby fave
Brigadeiros - I wanted to add some color
​Mini cinnamon twists (this was made last minute. I wasn't sure I'd have enough to fill up the board so this was used more as a filler.... still a yummy filler. =)

I think it came out pretty well. This may become a regular. Next time, I'll attempt 5 feet of desserts, include banana leaves and Filipino treats too. =)