2013 Midyear Offerings at Starbucks — Beverages, Sandwiches, Desserts and Contests!

It’s the middle of 2013 already and it’s time once again for some things new from Starbucks.

This time, its more exciting because not only are they offering a new concoction of beverages and food items but there are exciting digital contests for Starbucks fans to join.

First, the yummy beverages.

Something’s different with these two frappuccinos you’ll get to try from July 16 to September 9, 2013. Starbucks has introduced a white chocolate pudding as a twist to the usual frappes. I tried both of them and the pudding has the texture of the pudding in the milk teas I’ve tried. But….this one’s white chocolate-y!!!

Dark Mocha (Tall- PhP 190; Grande – PhP 200; Venti – PhP 210)
Green Tea (Tall – PhP 180; Grande – PhP 190; Venti – PhP 200)

The Dark Mocha Chocolate Pudding Frappuccino combines the deep flavor of dark chocolate with the velvety smooth white chocolate pudding, the signature Frappuccino Roast coffee of Starbucks, chocolate chips, milk blended with ice topped with whipped cream and chocolate powder.

The Green Tea White Chocolate Pudding Frappuccino, on the other hand, combines premium green tea with white chocolate pudding for a soft creamy texture, and tops it with whipped cream.

They’re both yummy, trust me. But if I had to recommend which one to try first, it would be the Green Tea variant!


Next come the new Sandwiches and Desserts.

Now that your appetite has been whet by the new beverages, it’s time to check out the food items.

The Spinach Artichoke and Mushroom on Herbed Multi-Grain Bread (PhP 160) is something vegetarians will go for. A warm artisam multi-grain rye bread is stuffed with a blend of cheese, spinach, artichoke, mushrooms, garlic and onions.

A super cheesy grilled sandwich with 6 different kinds of cheeses is in the Bacon and Cheese on Herbed Ciabatta Bread (PhP 165) . A combination of Gruyere, Emmenthal, Provolone, Mozzarella, Feta and Cheddar are mixed in with crispy bacon strips. This is finished off with a seasoning of creamy pesto sauce on herbed ciabatta bread.

A tuna lover? The Tuna and Cheese on Dark Ciabatta Bread (PhP 175) is for you. Inside is a hearty healthy classic tuna dill salad, slices of hardboiled egg and creamy melted cheese.

The Salami and Cheese on Marbled Rye Bread (PhP 165) is a soft and chewy bread, filled with slices of salami, provolone and cheddar cheese.

Available only in Metro Manila outlets is The Clubhouse (PhP 175). This popular sandwich is stuffed with roasted moist chicken breast and pickle relish mixed in mayo mustard dressing, tomatoes, slices of honey ham, bacon and cheese slices on country bread.

A returning favorite is the Roasted Chicken Pesto and Shiitake Mushroom on Flat Bread (PhP 165). You can’t have enough of chicken breast fillet tossed with pesto mayo sauce and Shiitake mushrooms. Melted Emmenthal and cheddar cheese serves as the topping and placed in between grilled flat bread.

The very colorful Outrageous Cheesecake (PhP 130/slice; PhP 1,450 whole) is actually a rich, creamy cheesecake filled with bits of mangoes, blueberries and strawberries. These fruits are also generously used to decorate the top of the cheesecake together with white chocolate snowflakes. It looks like an early Christmas dessert!

You know cookies. What about a cookie SANDWICH? Starbucks took two soft and chewy cookies and made them the sandwich ends with Belgian chocolate chunks and roasted marshmallow cream icing in between. That is what the Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (PhP 80) is made of. Great with any Starbucks drink!

The Beef and Mushroom Pie (PhP 95) on the outside is a golden brown, flaky and buttery pastry crust (almost like a croissant). But on the inside there are tender beef strips, sliced mushrooms, carrots and creamy mashed potatoes. Biting into this is more like a surprise because you can’t seem to tell from the outside what it is you’ll discover upon eating it.

I’m a fan of warm, soft pita bread so the Greek Chicken Wrap (PhP 170) is something that appeals to me – filled with tender chicken breast fillet and flavored with roasted fresh zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, sliced black olives and drizzled with sour cream.

And there’s more! Here are 3 digital activities that can win you Starbucks items and merchandise! Read on…

#1: Facebook App: Snap of the Week

This runs from July 16 to August 8, 2013. Remember Starbucks’ Snap of the Week activity before? This time they’ll run it including the new beverages. Starbucks fans need to upload photos based on a weekly theme using the Facebook application. Chosen photos will be winners of various Starbucks items and merchandise.

#2: Instagram #StarbucksCoffeeJourney Photo Contest

From August 15-31, 2013, Instagram followers (Philippine residents only) can upload a photo of themselves with Starbucks’ featured beverages anywhere in the Philippines using the hashtag #StarbucksCoffeeJourney. Chosen photos will be awarded a Starbucks item.

#3: Blog Contest

All bloggers can join this one. All they need to do is write a blog post on the featured beverages. The chosen blogger will be featured in the Starbucks Facebook page and will be given Starbucks prizes he/she can use for his/her own contest. This contest will run from July 16-31, 2013. Four (4) winners will be chosen and featured each week. For more detailed mechanics, visit their Facebook page.

Starbucks brings back the favorites

From May 15 to July 14, 2013, Starbucks is bringing back two (2) of its favorite beverages for everyone to enjoy this summer.

Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino Blended Beverage

(Tall-PhP 170; Grande-PhP 180; Venti-PhP 190)
Start with Starbucks’ Frappuccino Roasted Coffee, add in chocolate cookie bits, and you get a twist on the classic Mocha Frappuccino Blended Coffee. Rich mocha sauce, vanilla syrup, milk and ice make up the basic recipe and the whole beverage is topped off with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and a cookie crumble topping.
Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Beverage
(Tall-PhP 160; Grande-PhP 170; Venti-PhP 180)
The combination of red beans and green tea bring an Asian flavor to blended beverage. This one combines whole kernels of red azuki beans and matcha, a finely milled green tea variant which is the most superior form of all green teas in Japan.

Catch them both this summer at your favorite Starbucks branch.

Barista for a Night with Starbucks Refreshers…and more

What happens when a blogger is turned into a barista for one night?

She is given a Starbucks cap, an apron and her very own barista badge, that’s what!

And that’s exactly what I got one Starbucks-y night when we were introduced to the latest Starbucks Refreshers as well as to eight (8) new food offerings.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s begin with the beverages.

Starbucks Refreshers

Starbucks is bringing in a new form of beverages. One is called Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers while the other is Cool Lime Starbucks Refreshers.

Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
(Tall-PhP115, Grande-PhP125, Venti-PhP135)

Cool Lime Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
(Tall-PhP115, Grande-PhP125, Venti-PhP135)

At first, I thought: Oh they’re introducing juices now in the coffeeshop? But as it turns out, the Starbucks Refreshers are different from the juices in other cafes because this one is still made of COFFEE! You read that right.

Here’s how it’s done.

Green coffee beans

All coffee starts as a coffee cherry with a green coffee bean in the center. These beans are normally roasted to bring out the bold and distinctive coffee flavors. But in the case of Starbucks Refreshers, the caffeine natural found in 100% UNROASTED arabica coffee beans is extracted and made into a flavored beverage base that becomes the foundation of the Starbucks Refreshers

Flavored Beverage Base


And for the first time in Starbucks beverages, REAL FRUIT is combined. In the case of the Very Berry Hibiscus Refreshers Beverage, whole blackberries are added while in Cool Lime Refreshers it is, of course, lime!

Instead of serving the beverages directly to us, the Starbucks team decided to make us baristas for a night and actually taught us how to prepare the Refreshers. Armed with my own Starbucks cap, pink apron (my favorite color!), and my very own barista badge, I was ready to make my own Cool Lime!

Take a measured portion of the lime flavored beverage base
Add a slice of fresh lime and some ice. Cover the tumbler. Then shake, shake, shake…

And voila! I made my own Cool Lime Refresher!

Refreshment Tumbler Promo

Here’s a way to get a complimentary Tall Starbucks Refreshers Beverage. Just purchase one of the 16-oz customizable Cold Cup Tumblers (with a flat lid and dome lid) and you get the beverage free. This promo is good till September 10, 2012 only.

New Starbucks Hot Lunch Sandwiches
Starbucks regularly puts out new food items. In fact, they just had a new batch of items a few months back. Sorry folks, those items are gone but there are now new ones that could become your favorites too. Here they are:

Starbucks Deli on French Bread (PhP 160)

A returning favorite, Starbucks Deli on French Bread consists of square ham, florentiner, mortadella, chicken ham, lyoner, meatloaf, beef pastrami, beef salami and emmenthal garnished with mustard, mayo, pickles and chopped onions all inside a soft French bread.

Falafel on Pita Bread (PhP 150)

Falafel on Pita Bread is a Middle Eastern staple street food. Inside the soft, chewy pita bread are crispy falafel patties, grilled sliced eggplant with hummus and yogurt sauce drizzled over it. Vegetarians, this is for you!

Creamy Egg Salad on Whole Wheat Granny Loaf (PhP 150)

I love creamy egg salad in itself or as a sandwich. In this version of Creamy Egg Salad on Whole Wheat Granny Loaf, bits of cheddar cheese, lettuce, dill and a bit of creamy cheese sauce are mixed together to produce this egg salad. Packed between whole-wheat bread, it makes for a very filling (and healthy) meal.

Classic Tuna Dill on Ciabatta Bread (PhP 160)
(Available in limited areas only)

The Classic Tuna Dill on Ciabatta Bread is only available in certain places: Baguio, Boracay, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Iloilo and Naga. Inside the crusty Ciabatta Bread are tuna chunks mixed with chopped celery and carrots with tangy and sweet honey mustard dressing with a slight hint of dill. These are topped with hard-boiled eggs, slices of cheddar and emmenthal cheese. Too bad this is not available in Metro Manila!

Classic Tuna Dill Melt (PhP 160)
(NOT AVAILABLE in certain areas)

This is the alternative to those in areas where the classic Tuna Dill on Ciabatta Bread is not available. The Classic Tuna Dill Melt is the classic tuna dill salad with slices of hardboiled egg and creamy melted cheese on rye bread, topped with melted mozzarella cheese with a dash of Spanish paprika.

It’s Just Cheese! (PhP 155)
There are people who love cheese so much so here it is. It’s Just Cheese! is just that. All cheese. But it’s not just plain cheddar cheese. This grilled cheese sandwich is a mix of 9 kinds of cheeses: Gruyere, Emmenthal, Feta, Provolone, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Edam, Gouda and Monterey Jack. How much cheesier can a grilled cheese sandwich get?
Roasted Chicken Pesto and Shiitake Mushroom on Flat Bread (PhP 155)

The grilled flat bread looked like huge pieces of thick crackers (not good for me because I cannot bite down on hard crackers with my front teeth). So I am not sure if I prefer to eat it this way as it seems very crumbly to eat. I actually prefer soft bread or tortillas. But taste-wise, the combination of chicken breast fillet tossed with pesto mayo sauce plus the Shiitake mushroom topped with melted Emmenthal and cheddar cheese was just yummy. When you order this, have them serve it up warm.

Zesty Chicken with Bacon Caesar Dressing on Focaccia Bread (PhP 160)

Softly crisped focacia bread becomes the sandwich ends of the Zesty Chicken with Bacon Caesar Dressing on Focaccia Bread. Chicken breast fillet drizzled with a bacon caesar salad dressing and topped with parmesan cheese that has been shaved is what this is all about.

All these lunch sandwiches have been available since July 31.
Starbucks Food Items (Limited Period)
Also available since July 31 but only for a limited period of time are the following:
Rocky Road Cake (PhP 140/slice; PhP 1,495 whole)
It’s not an ice cream. It’s a cake! Rocky Road Cake still maintains that decadent chocolate flavor but this time, the chocolate pudding studded with roasted walnuts, soft marshmallows and chocolate chunks covered in dark chocolate ganache are found in between layers of sponge cakes. The final touch is marshmallows and walnuts on top, drizzled with chocolate. Personally, I prefer this cake version over the ice cream version.

Mocha Silvana (PhP 95)

If you’re a Silvana lover, Mocha Silvana delivers. I always had smaller portioned silvanas so seeing how huge this one was really blew me away. It’s got a mocha buttercream icing sandwiched between two crunchy and chewy meringue cookies. There’s a generous sprinkling of crushed roasted almonds and dark chocolate bits on top to completely cover the silvana. This yummy dessert is so large that for some like me, it’s “to-share”!

Wild Mushroom and Emmenthal Cheese on French Butter Croissant (PhP 120)

Vegetarians, heads-up once more because this is for you. And for anyone looking for something healthy. Wild Mushroom and Emmenthal Cheese on French Butter Croissant combines the meaty, flavorful texture of button, shiitake and portabello mushrooms on a layer of melted emmenthal cheese inside a soft, flaky butter croissant. This is going to be my croissant of choice when I go to Starbucks!

Seafood Po’ Boy Wrap (PhP 160)

Taken from a New Orleans favorite, Seafood Po’ Boy Wrap is fried fish and shrimps and sauteed vegetables drizzled with Cajun sauce and sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, then wrapped in a tortilla. Tortilla wraps have come a long way from just Mexican innards, I think, with this one.

Asian Frappuccino Blended Beverages and more at Starbucks

In my last Starbucks event we were asked to guess what the upcoming Asian Frappuccino blended beverages would be. Many guesses later, it’s finally here — the Starbucks’ versions of the now popular milk teas in the country – Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino and the Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino.

Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino

Hojicha, a kind of Japanese roasted tea, is combined with Starbucks’ Tazo Earl Grey tea-infused jelly in the Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino. You get to taste the nutty and toasty hojicha i addition to the earl grey jelly bits.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino

The Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino is a blend of whole kernels of red azuki beans and matcha. Matcha is one of the best green tea forms in Japan and is finely milled so that you get that matcha flavor together with the sweetness of the azuki beans.

Both frappuccinos go for PhP 155 (tall), PhP 165 (Grande) and PhP 175 (Venti).

And that’s not all. Starbucks introduces a line of new food items – their second new batch for 2012.

Green Tea and Berry Cheesecake (PhP 140)

Green Tea and Berry Cheesecake has blueberries sitting on a crispy walnut crust. It’s topped with white chocolate ganache curls. My cheesecake girl is sure to go for this first.

Purple Yam Cake with Macapuno and Red Bean (PhP 110)

The Purple Yam Cake with Macapuno and Red Bean sounds like a combination of Filipino desserts. You’ve got 3 layers of purple yam chiffon cake with macapuno strips and red bean mixed into it. Between the layers are purple yam buttercream icing with sprinkles as an added touch on top.

Beef and Mushroom Pie (PhP 95)

Pie lovers will go for the Beef and Mushroom Pie – beef strips, sliced mushrooms, carrots and fresh mashed potatoes inside a flaky, buttery pastry crust baked to a golden brown.

Bacon and Cheese on Italian Country Bread (PhP 150)

Bacon and Cheese on Italian Country Bread is for the open-faced sandwich lovers. It’s a cheesy mix of 6 cheeses: Gruyere, Emmenthal, Provolone, Mozzarella, Feta and Cheddar) mixed in with crispy bacon strips.

Chicken Parmigiana Wrap (PhP 150)

Chewy pita bread filled with chicken breast fillet, sliced eggplant and drizzled with Italian tomato sauce and grated cheese is what Chicken Parmigiana Wrap is all about.

Lastly, there’s a new roast blend out. The Three Region Blend combines beans from three coffee-growing regions: Latin America, Africa/Arabia and Asia Pacific. It’s herbal, lemon and current notes all in one.

Starbucks: New Food and Beverage Items for 2012

Starbucks is known for constantly innovating on old favorites and coming up with new food and beverage items and here they are again with their 2012 lineup:

Cookie Crumble Cheesecake with Chips Ahoy (PhP 130)

This Cookie Crumble Cheesecake with Chips Ahoy comes loaded with chunky, moist and chewy Chips Ahoy cookies and chocolate chips baked on Chips Ahoy cookie crumbs.

Sausage Pizza Roll (PhP 95)

How the Sausage Pizza Roll looks on the inside

The Sausage Pizza Roll is a nice twist to the hotdog sandwich. The smoked frankfurter is enclosed in a golden brown, flaky and buttery pastry crust instead of the hotdog bun. That alone was a winner for me. Biting into it, you also taste the creamy cheese pizza sauce drizzled over the frankfurter. This one is best when served warm.

Fish and Chips Wrap (PhP 150)

My favorite of the lot – the Fish and Chips Wrap. I guess it’s because I loved the idea of a tortilla wrap. The surprise though was when I bit into it. Not only did I encounter a moist and juicy fish fillet but with it came herbed potato wedges. That is something you should try. Fish and Chips normally have you eating the chips separately while here, you eat the fish and chips TOGETHER! It’s quite a gustatory experience. This is best eaten warm too.

Chicken Grape Almond Salad on Classic Ciabatta Bread (PhP 150)

The Chicken Grape Almond Salad on Classic Ciabatta Bread is a lot of things – crunchy, tart, sweet and tangy. Chicken, grapes, celery, roasted chopped almonds, and sliced sundried tomatoes are held together with lemon mayo sauce. You can taste hints of tarragon and sliced Emmenthal cheese on crusty Ciabatta bread.

Whoopie Pie (PhP 75)

Giving a new twist to an old favorite – the Whoopie Pie now has two googly eyes! This dessert is made of two soft, large, fudgy dark chocolate cookie cakes filled with fluffy, roasted marshmallow cream icing with chocolate chips.

And now for the beverages!

Starbucks’ featured new beverage is the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino Blended Beverage – a combination of chocolate cookie bits with their signature Frappuccino Roast coffee – a twist on the classic Mocha Frappuccino Blended Coffee. It’s made with mocha sauce, vanilla syrup, milk and ice, and finished off with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and a cookie crumble topping.

Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino
Tall – PhP 165; Grande – PhP 175; Venti – PhP 185
Another favorite blended beverage is the Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino. This one, made with strawberry sauce, milk, blended with ice and topped with whipped cream can actually be ordered without whipped cream and can be made with a choice of whole milk, non-fat milk or soy milk.
Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino
Tall – PhP 155; Grande – PhP 165; Venti – PhP 175

Starbucks Happy Hour and Customizable Tumblers

The sign says it all HALF-PRICE FRAPPUCCINO BLENDED BEVERAGES. Yay! 
I was told that in some Starbucks branches last year when they had Happy Hour from 12noon to 2pm, lines would be snaking around way past the 2pm cutoff and people would sometimes get served past 3pm.  So this time, Starbucks decided to make Happy Hour from 2-6 pm every Monday from April 30 to May 28, 2012. (Tip: Get in line before 2pm’s cutoff and you will be able to avail of the promo even beyond the cutoff time)
Make your own However-You-Want-It-Frappuccino blended beverages. Decaf or not. Extra shot or two or three of coffee. Want your whipped cream regular, light or none at all? What about your milk – full cream, nonfat? Do you want your syrup flavored with vanilla, hazelnut, mocha or any of the others? And so many more options. I was told that it could go up to about 87,000 different beverage blends if you count the number of combinations you can make with all the available options. Whew!
Times like these, I’m glad the Starbucks branch near me is not near any large office buildings but rather near schools. And school’s out!!! Hopefully, no long lines!
Customizable Tumblers Too!
If you really want to enjoy your blended beverages plus have your order processed quickly, get any of their two new customizable 16-oz. tumblers. The tumblers come with an extra barrel body that you twist off. Mark the inner barrel’s boxes with your beverage preferences using a marker, reassemble, hand the tumbler to your barista, and watch him/her process your order without having to say a word!
Customizable tumblers
Left: Stainless Steel Tumbler (PhP 1,095)
Right – Cold Cup Tumbler (PhP 550)

The Cold Cup Tumbler taken apart
(see the boxes on left where you can write your choices for blended beverage)
Love Fernandez writes his favorite blended beverage options
on the Cold Cup Tumbler
The Stainless Steel Tumblers taken apart
(it comes with a free dry erase marker)
Love draws Whoppie Pie on tumbler
Starting Monday, April 30, enjoy your customized blended frappuccino beverage at half price between 2-6pm and drink it from your very own customizable tumbler. You’re protecting Mother Earth as well by using the tumbler again and again and again (just be sure to use erasable markers instead of the permanent ones).

Starbucks Christmas Offerings 2011 are spelled M-O-R-E

Watch out on November 3, 2011. Starbucks will be bringing to you their Christmas food, beverages and Christmas blends and I can say that it’s MORE and MORE this year.

This year, Starbucks is coming up with — guess how many?

15 CHRISTMAS FOOD ITEMS
3 CHRISTMAS BEVERAGES
3 CHRISTMAS BLENDS

That many.

I asked Celine Clemente, Starbucks’ person in charge of whipping up all the delicious food offerings – why 15? Celine said that they really wanted to give a wider array of food items spanning breads, wraps, cookies and dessert. Okay, I’m not complaining about that, hahaha…

So are you ready now for a mouth-watering trip? Here goes…

CHRISTMAS FOOD OFFERINGS (new)

Pecan Butterscotch Twirl (Php 85)

Pecan Butterscotch Twirl is a light and flaky spiral roll stuffed with stuffed with cinnamon and creamy vanilla pastry cream filling. On top are sprinkles of roasted pecans drizzled with butterscotch sauce and white chocolate.

Hazelnut Stollen Bread (PhP 65/slice, PhP 595 whole)

Hazelnut Stollen Bread, as you can guess from the name, originates from Germany. It’s a German festival bread popular during Christmas but not only in Germany but throughout Europe. It is a sweet yeast bread with toasted hazelnut paste balanced with raisins on the insides.

S’mores (PhP 70)

S’mores are made of a buttery graham crust. When you bite into it, taste the gooey melted marshmallow cream and dark chocolate topped with chocolate ganache.

Triple Decker Cheesecake with Snickers
(PhP 130/slice, PhP 1250/whole)

The word “triple decker” to describe a cheesecake is enough to make me say “I want!”. The Triple Decker Cheesecake with Snickers is loaded with chunks of my favorite Snickers bar in a chocolate cookie crust topped with a chocolate fudge icing and roasted chopped peanuts.

Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
(PhP 110/slice, PhP 950 whole)

The Warm Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is served warm from the oven. It’s your chocolate chip cookie baked into a cake then topped with thick chocolate mousse illed with mini chocolate chip cookies. When you take this in a Starbucks branch, they can put a dollop of whipped cream on top and drizzle it with their very own Starbucks caramel drizzle.

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Roll (PhP 50)

The Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Roll is a crispy, crunchy outer crust with a slightly chewy and soft center. Sun-dried tomatoes and basil were added to this French roll as a flavorful twist. While Starbucks serves this with butter and jam, I prefer just putting butter on it because the jam overwhelms the bread’s taste too much. But again, that’s just me. Others prefer adding the sweet jam to it.

Chicken Alfredo Turnover (PhP 90)

A light, buttery and flaky crust is what you see with the Chicken Alfredo Turnover. It’s filled inside with moist and juicy chicken breast cubes marinated in Italian seasoning then sauteed in Alfredo sauce. This is best served warm.

Texas Chicken BBQ Wrap (PhP 140)

Strips of fried chicken breast fillet, tossed in barbecue sauce with Texas-style salsa, grated cheese and sour cream wrapped in soft, chewy tortilla is what Texas Chicken BBQ Wrap is all about. This is best served warm.

Glazed Ham with Apricot Spread on Multi-Grain Bread (PhP 140)

This was my favorite of the non-dessert offerings – Glazed Ham with Apricot Spread on Multi-Grain Bread. Slices of glazed ham and creamy mozzarella cheese with tangy and sweet apricot dressing is inside a crisp, crunchy and soft center multi-grain bread. Serve it up warm too.

Turkey & Chicken with Apple Stuffing on Whole Wheat Walnut Bread (PhP 140)

The whole name describes already what Turkey & Chicken with Apple Stuffing on Whole Wheat Walnut Bread is all about. Turkey and chicken breast make for a healthy stuffing and apple stuffing with cranberry spread add to its flavors. I loved this one too.

RETURNING FOOD OFFERINGS
Chocolate Toffee Nut Loaf (PhP 55/slice, PhP 495 whole)

Chocolate Toffee Nut Loaf is a rich, moist and dense chocolate loaf frosted with chocolate icing and topped with crunchy toffee.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie (PhP 55)

The White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie is big, chunky, chewy and crunchy all rolled into one. It’s got chunky, white chocolate, fresh roasted walnuts and chopped dried cranberries.

Peppermint Brownie (PhP 75)

Fudgy, chewy, chocolate brownie and creamy smooth peppermint cream cheese filling topped with chocolate ganache – that’s Peppermint Brownie. To give it a Christmas-y look, it was finished with white, red and green chocolate drizzle.

 Gingerbread Cookie (PhP 55)

The children will love the snowman Gingerbread Cookie! This is great as a gift. Ginger, allspice and cinnamon combo makes this cookie smell good even before you bite into it.

Chocolate Molten Cake (PhP 120)

Moist, chocolate sponge cake filled with dark chocolate and caramel truffle – that’s the Chocolate Molten Cake. It’s served warm, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with Starbucks caramel sauce.

CHRISTMAS BEVERAGES
Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha

This is the new beverage offering this Christmas – Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha. Starbucks’ signature espresso is combined with freshly steamed milk and white chocolate then topped with whipped cream, a tart cranberry drizzle and crystallized cranberry sugar.

Peppermint Mocha

My favorite Peppermint Mocha is back! Warm espresso, steamed milk, bittersweet chocolate and peppermint make a yummy combination. Topped with whipped cream and red sugar sprinkles.

Toffee Nut Latte

Toffee Nut Latte seems to be a favorite among most of my friends. It has the rich, buttery taste of sweet toffee combined with toasted nuts, blended with smooth espresso and steamed milk. It’s likewise topped with whipped cream and toffee-flavored sprinkles.

CHRISTMAS COFFEE BLENDS
Christmas Blend (PhP 500)

The Christmas Blend is a full-bodied coffee combining Latin American coffees with the mellow smoothness of Asia-Pacific coffees. Aged Sumatra beans give it its spicy notes.

Christmas Blend Espresso Roast (PhP 500)

This Christmas Blend Espresso Roast is made from Sumatra and aged Sumatra coffees combined with beans from the Bella Vista F. W. Estate in Tres Rios, Costa Rica. It’s roasted in Starbucks’ signature Espresso Roast to give it an intense flavor and spicy finish.

VIA Ready-Brew Christmas Blend (PhP 495)

Instant coffee in the Starbucks tradition is the VIA Ready-Brew Christmas Blend. No need to grind beans. This one comes straight out of the pack and into your coffee mug, ready to be mixed with hot water. 

On November 3, head out to your favorite Starbucks branch. I already know which ones I’d like to try first.

Which ones are you trying out first?