LOOK: Croissant Meets Pan de Coco in Limited-Edition Starbucks Pastry

(SPOT.ph) March is all about celebrating the women in our lives, and that includes the hardworking, talented female chefs behind some of Manila’s best-known dining spots. Starbucks is making their work especially accessible this International Women's Month, as they're set to launch limited-time treats in collaboration with three Filipina talents: Miko Calo of Taquería Franco, Cara Davis of Halong, and Amanda Hao of Seva.

Also read: Wonder Women: The Filipina Chefs You Should Know by Now

Starbucks is set to launch From Her Table, a lineup of bakes co-created with top Filipina chefs whose restaurants have made it to different parts of the Michelin Guide. Taquería Franco's Miko Calo, Halong's Cara Davis, and Seva's Amanda Hao have all worked to weave in parts of their personality and culinary identity into each item. These will be available from March 16 to April 13, at all Starbucks stores in Metro Manila.

From Chef Miko Calo comes the Miso Coconut Torsade. Think pan de coco but with a flaky, croissant-like base that’s dense in some parts and chewier elsewhere, with desiccated coconut and miso layered in before the whole thing is coated with a sugary glaze and topped with sugar crystals. Don’t let the miso intimidate you—there’s just enough to balance out the sweetness of the other elements without it taking over. “What inspired it is my love for French Viennoiseries and my love for Filipino panaderias,” Calo says of the pastry. “This is a perfect marriage of both—a torsade, but inside there's a filling that's savory and sweet.”

Chef Cara Davis goes for a more explicit salty-sweet pairing in her Salted Egg Yema Chocolate Cookie. Here, a dense, crumbly chocolate cookie base serves as a bittersweet backdrop to mix-ins of butterscotch, chocolate chips, and gooey salted egg caramel. Davis was aiming to make a pastry she could pair with her coffee, and drew from her own cravings for inspiration. “So, whenever I do have a sweet craving, I try to look for something that's a little bit more sweet and savory,” she shares. “I chose to do this by adding the salted egg to the caramel. It's like my sweet guilty pleasure, but it's a mix of sweet and salty.”

For those on Team Savory, Chef Amanda Hao presents the Longganisa and Ricotta Calzone. The use of the Filipino sausage is a tribute to her Tuguegarao roots, she says: “I grew up knowing and loving good longganisa. I wanted to honor that by creating a familiar Filipino flavor that is still both comforting and elevated.” Inside each moon-shaped pastry is a mix of sweet-savory longganisa and ricotta for creaminess, along with tomato jam, hot honey, and basil for a fruity, tangy, herby uplift. “I'd like to think that I'm a chef driven by memory and place, committed to cooking with authenticity, intention, and respect for the people I'm serving,” Hao shares.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of these pastries will be given to support nonprofit partners of Starbucks Philippines Community Stores: AHA Learning Center, Mano Amiga, and Young Focus. Save the dates—March 16 to April 13—and make your way to your nearest Starbucks then!

Starbucks is an American coffee chain that was established in the '70s. They came to the Philippines in 1997, bringing their signature coffee drinks and pastries with them, and have been a favorite among Filipinos ever since.

See a list of Starbucks branches. For more information, check out Starbucks Philippines’ Facebook page.