Sans Rival / Almond Torte

The name alone, Sans Rival or “without rival” says it all. sans1It is without rival one of the most pain in the rear desserts to make properly, in my silly opinion. Getting nostalgic close to Christmas, I figured I would attempt another of my mom’s favorite desserts (although she never made it herself). How hard could it be? Layers of meringue with nuts and a sickly sweet, buttery and rich filling… It sounded simple enough. Well, first of all let’s start with the meringue. I have never been a master of baked egg whites so my first mistake was to make the meringue too thick and thus would not cook through. Second, it just sticks to the bloody pan no matter how much you grease it. I tried silpat silicone mats, foil, parchment paper, oil and it still was an incredible mess. Really annoying. At any rate, I managed to make about 4 layers worth and after much angst getting this ready we (a friend and I) spent agonizing minutes trying to extract the layers without breaking. Worse, if its really humid, it affects the meringue.

Then I prepared the filling that is made up of melted butter, sans2sugar, egg yolks and more toasted almonds. Spread this all over and make several layers. Put in the freezer and serve cold. Frankly, in the end, the taste was superb and the texture as I remember it should be. Chewy, crispy, gooey, rich, nutty, sweet, unique mouthfeel… The photos above and here belie all the expletives that were used to describe the dessert while I was making it. Now I know why people buy this stuff…it’s just not amateur baker friendly, that’s all… So I am curious if other folks have fond memories of this dessert as well and where oh where does one buy a good sans rival these days so I don’t have to undergo meringue torture ever again??? Below are more photos of the excruciating process…I don’t even put the recipe as I am certain so few of you would attempt it…

The meringue…
sans3

Spread the filling and toasted almonds (not cashews!, real almonds please!)

sans4

When all assembled, place in freezer and serve very cold…

sans5

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103 Responses

  1. My brothers have a pastry shop, Lachi’s Sans Rival, Atbp. here in Davao City….it’s a tiny hole-in-the-wall but they have the greatest sans rival this side of the planet. Lots of other treats, too. Marketman, your blog is so addictive, it’s part of my morning ritual! Padayon, and congratulations!

  2. Millet, think your brothers would share their secret on how to do the meringue layers more easily?

  3. If I were to go on a quest to find the best Sans Rival I would most likely end up in my mother-in-law’s kitchen. She has mastered the art of creating these lovely, crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth pastries. She makes these REALLY thin, round pieces of meringue and layers them in between with just the right amount of her butter-nut mixture.It’s not often that she makes these, but when she does, we all make sure that we get to the table on time or risk ending up missing a piece of this heavenly dessert.

  4. hi Millet, where’s your brothers’ pastry shop? I’ll be going home to davao for the holidays. Thanks!

  5. Hi Marketman. :)

    Great site you have here.

    I’m no professional, but when I make the meringue layers for sans rival, I use the undersides of the baking pan, wrapped in foil (shiny side down). No greasing necessary. Another that worked for me is using the flat cookie sheets, also wrapped in foil. Then I let the “done” meringue cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar. When ready to use, the foil can just be peeled or torn off the thin layers.

    I hope it’ll work for you too. :)

  6. Kristine, thanks for those tips, maybe I will try it one more time as my cousin from Australia is arriving and has specifically requested this dessert…

  7. Millet, I live in Marfori Heights, Davao, just a short walk to Lachi’s. They have excellent Sans Rival, and all of their food is great there! I will vouch for what Millet says, Lachi’s Sans Rival is the best I’ve had!

  8. Ha! ha! I can just imagine the expletives that flew! And I totally agree – it is “sans rival” a pain in the rear to make!

    I use the pizza pie pans available in Quiapo or Divisoria with the 1/4″ high sides. I grease the pan GENEROUSLY with shortening, line it with greaseproof paper that goes a little over the edge and then grease it again GENEROUSLY with shortening. Put in the meringue mixture and then flatten until it reaches the rim of the pan. Level off with a metal spatula and scrape off the excess meringue mixture. A trick I learned in one of the baking classes I have attended is that after baking the layers, put them on top of each other while hot and still in their paper lining and run a metal spatula lightly through the top so that the layers will lie flat and fit against each other. Repeat process until the last meringue piece. Do this quickly while the meringue is still pliant. Cool and then carefully peel off the paper lining.

    For the filling, I beat the eggyolks and pour in the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream and continue beating until well mixed. Cool and chill this mixture. Then I cream the butter until fluffy and then add the chilled eggyolk mixture gradually.

  9. hi MM, i grew up in santa rita, pampanga…one thing that we’re proud of is our sans rival…in fact, the sansrival and turrones and duman is what makes our town known in pampanga…growing up, there are 3 good sans rival makers, Dona Miguela Gopez vda de Aguilar, Antonia de Castro, and Felisa Ocampo vda de Lansang…they are the original turrones de casuy makers too…each of their sans rival is distinct from one another, the sweetness level, the amount of cashew nuts, etc…but each have the same chewy, crispy base (which i call biscocho)…but it’s not meringue…aside from egg whites, it has ground cashew nuts…the 2 original san rival makers are gone, but the Ocampo/Lansang family still makes them based from the old traditional (indigenized)…i just want to say that although gene gonzales cocina sulipena claims to have kapampangan recipes, it is not a definitive source of traditional kapampangan recipes…try pat limjuco dayrit’s

  10. this is my favorite! Yes, almonds rather than cashews. It always takes time to make this but its all worth.I’ll gonna make some again soon(though its sinful)!

    Oh by the way, my mom usually bought Sans Rival from Betty’s its somewhere near Sto. Domingo Church in QC few years ago.I am not sure though if its quality is as good as it was. They also use to deliver around the neighborhood. I’ll try to look if we still have the phone number and post it later.

  11. The best place where you can buy the best tasting san rival is in Santa Rita, Pampanga, made by the Lansangs(?) They also make turones de casuy, petit pours, etc. I just don’t know if they give away their recipe.

    I can vouch for that.

  12. Bob and Millet, maybe a trip to Davao necessary to try the Sans Rival! Maricel, thanks for those tips…will keep them in mind. I have, after all, only attempted this once… fawn, it’s pretty toasted but it does soften with the butter cream… kong wi, thanks for those insights… I definitely agree that wonderful desserts emanate from your neck of the woods and many had to be adjusted to locally available ingredients. I have to try and find that cookbook you suggest. I do like G Gonzalez’s cookbook but will definitely seek out others. And I do like almonds because the flavor of the nut is so much more distinct than kasoy or cashews. Besides, the dessert is almost certainly patterned after a European cousin, what with the meringue (with addition of chopped nuts) and the almost french style buttercream. The egg white and nut mixture is somewhat close to a classic french macaroon (not the coconut ones we have here); the french used ground almonds instead of flour. It’s really delicious. Gigi, you hang out at Starbucks too often! Tulip, let me know if you find a contact number, thanks!!

  13. here’s Betty’s Sans Rival’s contact numbers 712 1752/712 1733/732 3729..It’s somewhere in SMH.Let me know if it still taste good if you get to try it MM. :)

  14. The only sans rival that I’ve tried and liked so far are only those from Pampanga. This is a good exercise we are doing here, sharing and giving pointers to one another how to come out with a better version. Would also want to try the one from Davao.

  15. oh they have sans rival at Terry’s, Podium. But they don’t call it sans rival. something like russians cake.

  16. Hmmm… interesting how I was reading the “Beyond Sans Rival…” article in Tikim before I came here. :)

    When I first read the sans rival recipe in Cocina Sulipeña, I was reminded of silvanas.

    Aside from a very thin wafer, in this case meringue, perhaps you’ll get better texture if you slice the nuts paper-thin instead of chopping them. That’s one of the reasons why people like Sta. Rita sans rival.

  17. Has anyone tried the sans rival with macadamia nuts? My sister bought some a year ago and it’s good, but way too rich. Almonds are best for the dessert, but the macadamias weren’t a bad option.

  18. Karen, I gotta get me some of that Sta. Rita sans rival…any ideas how when or where? One day maybe I will drive out there to check out all these incredibly proud of their food heritage kapampangan folks…heehee. Mila, macadamias are yummy…but yes, I can see that being a little OTT… tulip thanks for that contact number!

  19. sans rival is one of my fave desserts . . . but hmmmmm . . . as far as i can remember, we’ve always had chewy thin wafers not meringue and it’s always been with kasuy nuts, not almonds . . . we also have it at room temp and only the leftovers are kept in the fridge (if there would be) . . . but i would agree with you, making sans rival involves “excruciating process,” and as kids back then we just couldn’t wait until it’s done . . . btw, i’m ilocano, never tried sta rita sans rival yet, but it does sound like the one my tita makes :-)

  20. sta rita sans rival…cool. i drive by there every so often. whats the address? the other thing from sta rita is chicharon. cheaper than lapid’s but if i remember right pretty $^%# good.

  21. I didn’t use to enjoy Sans Rival at all because most of them are too chewy, and nearly all use cashew, which I don’t like. But now I know of a Sans Rival I not only like, but love: the one from Mary Ann Sagalbarria’s House of Sylvannas. As someone mentioned above, sylvannas are really just tiny Sans Rivals; since (in my opinion) this place has the best sylvannas, it follows they make the other dessert well too. Theirs is tall, crunchy (shatters with a fork; other Sans Rivals are so makunat that they require a knife to eat!), and uses good quality butter — a lot of it! I get turned off when I see pale Sans Rival icing. They do use cashew, but for some reason I don’t mind it here. And the Chocolate Sans Rival is every chocoholic’s dream!

    Jay, I’ve tried that Russian Cake from Terry’s/Segundo Piso. They claim it’s the original cake Sans Rival derives from. It’s delicious, though quite different from the cake we know today.

    Mila, Patty Loanzon makes a Macadamia Sans Rival I adore! It’s quite pricey, but she doesn’t scrimp on the macadamias. I personally don’t find it too rich, but then I like my desserts to be almost heart-stopping. ;-)

  22. Mica, I didn’t think I did this well enough to torture you with the recipe I used. Will try again soon…

  23. I like mine chewy and buttery – Polly’s of Mervile has the best version of that type. She’s the same lady that does the yummy chocolate and mocha cakes.

  24. I expect a Sans Rival for dessert when I get there.
    Grease bottom of cookie sheet lightly with corn oil, cover with parchment or wax paper. Spread the meringue/nut mixture evenly and bake at a very low temp, 275 F. until cooked through and lightly browned.
    Turn over onto another clean pan and quickly wipe waxpaper or parchment with a very damp cloth. It should peel off easily.
    Make a proper buttercream for the dacquoise and sprinkle with cooled lightly toasted chopped almonds. Spanish almonds have the best flavour and some rum in the buttercream helps.
    You have 2 days to perfect this dessert before I get there…

  25. don’t know how I found you but I’m glad I did. am coming back to find out if sister got her way. anxious to find tried and tested recipe for meringue base.

  26. whimzy, i tried it again and it was much better the second time around…will post the recipe in the next few weeks… huge backlog on my desk at the moment…

  27. I was looking for the recipe of Sans Rival and i got the recipe of My San ( im not sure if that will be good). So i tried to search more and found this site. Anyway the reason i was looking is that i remember the one i ate in my Tita’s house last Jan. 1. And it was the most delicious sans rival i tasted me and my sister almost finished it . Actually it was a gift to them from their friend and i told my tita to ask for the recipe but she said she feels that they will not give the recipe it was chewy and creamy… hmm yummy. Anyway i hope i can find or taste again the same kind of sans rival. I hope you can give us where we can buy a good one within metro manila only except from starbucks. In Nueva Ecija they sell good sylvanna a friend of mine from Nueva gave me last year. He said a lot of people go there just to buy but i dont know where in Nueva Ecija . I will asked my friend later on (he’s in Thailand) then i will post it here. Great site and thanks!

  28. To anyone who likes to get a piece of The Original Ocampo Lansang sanzrival, you can check out Janvy Specialty Cakes & Pastries at Frontera Verde Tiendesitas,
    Stall # 7 Delicacies Area. We sell The Original Ocampo Lansang sanzrival or you can text 0917-8573564

  29. Sans Rival is my all-time favorite dessert. There is a house in Santo Domingo Street that makes sans rival, which to me is the best that i’ve ever tasted. When I last went back to the Philippines for a visit, I went to check the place that is still called BETTY’S and they still make sans rival like they used. I’ve managed to stay away from sweet stuff due to a health condition but sans rival is a dessert that I can not and will never resist.

  30. i’ve tried sans rival of St. Gerald’s (Kapitolyo, Pasig). It’s chewy/crunchy/creamy… so far, one of the best i’ve tasted.

  31. i enjoyed this post, as i am contemplating making sans rival for the first time myself. i live in the states, and my favorite place for sans rival is sunflower bakery in hercules, california. sooooo good.

  32. i was looking for tips on preparing the meringue and came across this article. reading it made me laugh as i felt the same way on how my meringue wafers turned out (messy, cracked, broken, crumbly) when i tried to make sans rival for the first time last sunday. those wafers were really stuck and difficult to peel off from the pan liners. it still turned out gooey and delicious. it looked fine under all that buttercream and nuts. gave half to my sister-in-law to share with her friends. she loved it. i’ll try the foil tip next. and with almonds too instead of cashews.

  33. i have done a lot of sans rival tortes. try using silpat instead of foil. it works real well for your meringue wafers.

  34. Jill Sandique makes the best Sans Rival ever. Her cakes are available at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf outlets. Down it with a nice cup of hot tea, or chai. Magnificent!

  35. pearl, I don’t think I have posted the recipe for sans rival, I used one from a Philippine cookbook but wasn’t impressed with the results…

  36. Hi… can i have the recipe of Sans Rival as in the picture you posted. i wanna try even though it’s too much work. thanks

    helene.

  37. Hi, my sister, Judy, is getting married in June, and has discovered the wonderful taste of Sans Rival. Somehow, another sister and I have been ‘volunteered’ into baking her some Sans Rival wedding cakes! yikes! I’m glad that I have found this web site, to give me tips (and warnings) before I do a trial run. Judy gave us the recipe, but I will watch this site to see if there are other variations. Thanks.

  38. I’m always palpak making the meringues. I baked a meringue for my pavlova for my husband’s birthday and whew, it was a brazo pavlova. How in the world could I not perfect it?

  39. lee, if you live in the Philippines or a tropical country, the main reason might be himidity. Meringues are easier in drier countries. Second, the eggwhite quality is also a culprit. If you notice, local eggwhite seem more watery. I think people use cream of tartar or other ingredients to stiffen the meringue. Also, a very low dry heat oven is necessary. I have never made a pavlova but I suspect mine would be a disaster for the first few tries. You can buy the meringues in stores and just add the cream and fruit…most folks wouldn’t know the difference…

  40. have u tried sans rival in sizzling plate baguio city? its good too.
    for some advice, if u want to make sans rival, try to use wax paper on a cookie sheet when making meringue for sure it won’t break. try also toffee flavored sans rival,it is sooooo good cuz its not that sweet.

  41. hi all. I just recently baked sansrival out of a recipe book which made it looked so easy until when i encountered the meringue nightmare. My meringue turned out gooey and deformed coz i had to scrape it with a spatula off the wax paper, nevertheless my loving husband and still loved it (besides it still looked inviting under the butter cream ha!ha!)

    The meringue part really challenged me that’s that’s why i chanced upon this blog as i was searching for tips on how to get the meringue easily out of the pan. I tried leaving the baked meringue in oven to cool it off with the door slightly ajar, what i’d like to know is that how long should the meringue be left to cool in the oven?

    please help me. thank you

  42. Hi tina, hope i can help you with few tips on sans rival. I am a homebaker and never had any problems baking sans rival. When i bake my sans rival i use glad parchment paper. I just find it easier to remove. I bake meringue below 300 deg (somewhere 250 deg F). I cool them in the oven about 5 to ten minutes or more and i remove the parchment paper immedietly. If i am not to use them right away, i put them in a sealed container. Also very important is I overbeat the meringue and put calamansi to make it crispy. Hope to be of some help.

  43. Yep, Betty’s Sansrival is reeeaaallly good. We got them to cater our wedding, and aside from our dessert buffet (provided by another supplier), they served their sansrival too, since they are really famous for it. We also got them to cater our baby’s baptism…again with the sansrival. Their food, and of course the sansrival, are super yummy. I love frozen sansrival. Have got to try Ms. Polly’s.

  44. Hi Kay,

    Thank you so much for the tip. The calamansi tip is new to me, how many calamansi should i use? I’ll try ur tips and how i wish that i could send out samples to all the bloggers in this site who’s been ever so kind in sharing their baking secrets to everybody.

    It’s very helpful especially for moms like me who never had any formal baking education and just follows recipe from glossy magazines, which only shows appetizing dishes and desserts in pics but really doest provide information on the possible dilemas (especially in baking) that an amateur baker could encounter.

    Kay thank you so much.

  45. Hi tina, i use 1 tsp calamansi for my 5 eggwhite recipe. It’s very important to beat eggwhites until they are stiff and dry.

  46. If any reader is still looking for a heavenly taste Sans Rival.I was just recently introduced to one.Tama ang sabi ng nagpatikim sa akin.”Habang kinakain mo,makakalimutan mo ang pangalan mo sa sarap”And it will be a perfect gift to someone like your Boss or someone para hindi ka niya makalimutan a perfect Christmas Gift too.Try the magic of giving Sans Rival and get the result you want.The place where I bought it is in 126 Armstrong Street Moonwalk Phase I Paranaque.You might want to call them first at 776-9576 to make sure D’ Sans Rival is available before you go there.The Sans Rival is made by a certain Geni.Thanks Geni for a heavenly Sans Rival.The kind that I’ve been looking for.

  47. Hi Tina,
    I tried sans rival recipes from cookbooks and my first and second attempt was a nightmare for me. Then I found a recipe here in google, and tried it, it came out perfect. I even made one for thanksgiving and all my relatives loved it. The secret to the meringue is-for 8 egg whites, beat until stiff, add 3/4 sugar while beating and 1/4tsp cream of tartar. When the egg white is stiff enough, add 1/2C sifted flour and 1/2 cashew. Grease cookie sheet and place parchment paper on it. Cook 275-300, when golden brown, remove from oven and you can easily peel the parchment paper.Cut and trim edges while meringue is still hot so u wil have uniform pcs of meringue. I hope this will help you

  48. For years, I have been doing this “which-is-the-best food trip” together with my friends who like trying all famous best so and so food. I have tried all famous sans rival from Davao, Cebu Iloilo, manila, etc and pampanga. My best is still Sta. Rita Pampanga Sans rival. No wonder, a lot of celebrities and politicians go there just for the sans rival. Just try!

  49. hey Beth!!! i was browsing the web for the easiest to undestand Sans Rival recipe. Care to share your trick of the trade. i absolutely love baking but have not attempted Sans Rival yet.. Pleaseeee…. i am going to try to impress my friends….. Help me!!!! Thank you v v v much!

  50. The BEST way For a NON -Sticky Meringue for your SAN RIVAL
    is USE SILICON MAT….RUB it with SHORTENING NOT BUTTER (butter has water based that will stick) I use CRISCO rub it around the cookie sheet w/ silicon mat. THEN dust it with FLOUR. it may be time consuming to Rub and dust those cookie sheets but once you spread and cook the meringue VIOLA. IT
    PEELS like you peeling a banana. SUMMARY COOKIE SHEET-SILICON Bake mat—CRISCO RUB—DUST w/ FLOOR—Spread Meringue– BAKE 350 (some 250) at you discretion–10-15 minutes—UPSIDE down cookie sheet —-peel the silicon Mat
    IT WORKS

  51. We found the Mocha Sans Rival from Classic Confections in Greenbelt 5, near John and Yoko, to be very, very good.

    We are lontime fans of the sans rival of a quaint little cafe in Dumaguete and have since searched high and low for something comparable in Manila.

    It was a pleasant surprise that classic confections’ is really good. I’ve heard of their famous chocolate cakes, but I find the sans rival is also a hands down winner.

  52. hi can i buy sansrival from you? the pictures look like its really yummy here is my number kindly text me 09178172088 thanks

  53. Sansrival is really a difficult dish to perfect at once. I can relate to the difficult efforts you have made in making the perfect sansrival. I am sure that your sansrival was delicious.

  54. Yo, listen up guys,if what you’re after is authentic sans rival,I mean the bomb you ought’a check my sister’s version w/c actually is the same recipe as that of Dona Miguela Gopez de Aguilar.Her place of business is in Fairview, Quezon City.She does supply some of the big name cafe in metro manila.She exports them here in the US.If by chance you’re in Sta Rita just ask the townsfolk of the Gopez’s.I can’t get enough of it myself ,I mean I distinctly remember sneakin’ in the dead of night to get a freakin bite.It’s awesome to say the least.My family back home do send me a package of mainly turrones de casoy, yemas, sans rival, I mean the whole nine yard, you know what I’m sayin’.Do check it out.

  55. I looove sans rival, and I actually tried making it myself two times! The first time, I didn’t make the meringue right and sadly the egg whites were over beaten, and I also didn’t bake it enough, so the finished meringue came out baked on the outside, still soft on the inside, and had an eggy taste to it… (yea. sad I know).. But the second time, I decided to make only a quarter of the recipe (the first time I had used 18 eggs – long story – instead of the 12 in the recipe). So this time, using only 3 eggs, I was able to make a really good meringue layer! Even though it wasn’t as big as people would make for a normal sans rival, it tasted just like sans rival! So I guess my suggestion, for making this all easier, is to try doing it on a smaller scale! That way, you might be able to make multiple meringue layers more easily, and not have to cut up one large sheet to make layers! Sadly, though, I have not found any solutions to the stickiness of the meringue… yeah. It was a pain to remove it from the aluminum foil… but anything for SANS RIVAL!

  56. Hi to all!

    Can somebody send me a complete recipe of SANS RIVAL, pls! i really really love sans rival.. I really appreciate it if somebody would help me out.

    Thank You So Much!

    God Bless You.

  57. i was looking for a dessert to make on my practical test and thought about sans rival. ive never made them before so im scared but ill pray before i take the test and thanks for y’alls comment i think i got the idea. is it better if i pipe it out just like when ur making a meringue base for your fruit tart it wasnt hard or this one is totally different?

  58. tristan, frankly, I would NOT make this dessert for a test, particularly if you have never made it before… it just seems a bit too fickle for me… good luck on the test, btw!

  59. Darn! Why can’t i get a soft peak…! Will i have to beat the egg white at high speed then, when its’ all bubbly i’ll put the 500 mL of sugar? Cuz juz when I started beatin’ couldn’t wait to put in the sugar then it became all creamy…juz like that. But, I still baked it…so far…so good though its’ kinda puffy…not that thin like in your blog’s pictures! Nevertheless, it was a success!

  60. best sans rivals- primablend bakeshop -guitnang bayan-san mateo,rizal their halo-halo is also very good
    sweet inspiration
    red ribbon
    heni sison

  61. Can you please provide me the address and contact number of Sans Rival makers in Sta. Rita Pamp. Dona Miguela Gopez vda de Aguilar, Antonia de Castro, or Felisa Ocampo vda de Lansang. I need thier direct contact number so I can order and do business. Thanks!

  62. Hi just want to ask if you know where to buy Patty Loanzon’s macadamia sansrival? Contact number and address? Thanks.

  63. Is there a cookbook of just different Sans Rival recipes? Maybe someone should come up with a baking contest and publish all the different versions.

    There is a lady in San Francisco, USA who sells the best sans rival ever. I am a great baker, but have not ventured to try to bake this. How I wish she was in New York where I live – I would be buying it every week.

  64. still d best sans rival is my sisters’ recipe. we are from the gopez clan. you will definitely love it. it’s really perfect to the bite. superlicious! she owns dolly’s sweets and pastries located in fairview, quezon city, phil. her telephone number is 4273117. and yes, i happen to be the sister of louie gopez.

  65. I am the daughter of Imelda Abad, the originator of
    Sans Rival in the Philippines. We owned and operated Imelda’s
    Sans Rival (Quezon City, Phil) from 1964 to the mid 80’s.We have been televised at Cooking with Nora Daza.

    My mom operated a Baking school and her mistake was that she never patented the Sans Rival recipe and even shared it with many.

    I would say, that our’s is still the BEST.

  66. Hi Annie, thanks for your comment. However, there seems to be several references to sans rival type recipes in Pampanga and elsewhere in the Philippines, pre-1964. Besides, the concept is based on a european dessert… so while I am sure your mom’s recipe is terrific, I would have to be convinced it is the original… And as for patents, you CANNOT patent a recipe.

  67. Stumbled upon this blog after searching for info about Anthony Bourdain’s Philippine stint. Anyway, Market Man, I stronly sugggest you try the cashew-based sanzrival of Sta. Rita, Pampanga before assuming the almond type is better. Just like some of the guys here, I have tried sansrival from all over Visayas and Manila, and yes even the almond kind but nothing can compare to the Lansang’s. I just got back to Dallas, Texas where I moved ten months ago from California. I brought 10 large boxes of Pampanga Sanzrival (their brand uses the letter z not s)which I bought while vacationing in the Philippines for 2 weeks. Fort Worth people are not familiar with our culture let alone our cuisine owing to the scarcity of Filipinos here. I gave out sanzrivals as pasalubong to my American doctor colleagues who I must say have very discerning taste in food. I’m glad to say they all liked it even asking where they can get a hold of it here in America. They all said they had never tasted anything like it before.

  68. ~my first attempt at Sans Rival was yesterday. Meringue was “okay” but I think I’ve gotten enough info from everyone on this site to correct that. The filling/icing was a DISASTER! The recipe I used instructed me to cream the butter in one bowl, beat the yolks until yellow in another, then add them together and set aside. Then to boil cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and tsp corn syrup until a small sample “forms a soft ball when dropped into a saucer of water”, then let it cool a little before drizzling into the butter/yolk mixture. This method is insane. It never incorporated. The syrup turned into hard candy lumps throughout the mixture and formed a clot on the end of my whisk! I do not want to give up on this venture as I am making this cake for a friend’s birthday. She misses her home and this is her favorite cake! Can anyone help me with the filling?!

  69. Having the recipe alone doesn’t really cut it for it takes @ the minimum 48 hrs. straight manning the gooey base.You need to be athletic to say the least,(I am not saying you have to be an Olympic medalist in rowing) but that is what it takes to get half a decent job to do so.Need I say more?Now if you are really serious about taking that step just go to Santa Rita,in Pampanga and utter the word turrones or Sans rival and I am sure people there will be more than thrilled to point you in the right direction.Meanwhile,you might want a check their petit pours,nougats and the like, nakalmutan kona yung manga other goodies that they whipped up down there na.Missed it big time, kinda wish na here in So.cal, na I could just get up,go(in my flip-flops & jammies)to the corner Java joint,sip my grande caramel frap & a bite of that chewy sans rival instead of the usual fare of almond croissant, raspberry top sconce,banana nut muffin,biscotti,or bagel w/ egg whites for that matter.But then again who’s complainin’ Heh? Once in a great while I do get a shot @ a bite of the Goldilocks ensaymada w/c is a treat for me in itself.The filipino store that is in my hood(San Diego) get Their’s delivered every Thursday so If I or my other half get a craving for it that is where we get our Dose of Hometown bites.Food!it’s what make the World go around.

  70. The sans rival in Sizzling Plate Baguio city is the best! I tried other sans rival but I can attest that they have the yummiest sans rival. They also have chocolate sans rival but I haven’t tried it yet because you have to buy the whole thing and order before hand and it costs more than the normal.

  71. Here is the sans rival version my Aunt has been doing ever since and was passed on to me. Its the best for anyone who tastes it!
    https://www3.telus.net/geronimo/matamis.htm#sansrival

    ps. The longer u cook it the crispier it becomes, make it a solid brown all throughout inside. so cook it longer if its not brown yet. the gooey stuff is the NOt crispy inside part of it.

    Enjoy!
    Jojo

  72. I’m thinking of making squares or bars (ala-nanaimo) but sans rival-inspired.
    Any ideas or suggestions please?

  73. try MJ’s sans rival (MJ’s goodies galore), it’s made of ALMONDS! soo yummy!!! ;)

  74. jojo, saw ur web address. are you from canada, too? i’ve been searching and craving for sansrival, but to no avail.

    so, i made it myself. my friends liked it, so i baked it again.

    the recipe i used is different, but the next time i make one again, i’ll try the recipe you have.

    thanks!

  75. i have tasted diffrent sans rivals such as red ribbon,goldilocks,sweet insipration,delize,the one in pampanga,
    etc but i discovered a very delicious sanrival from primablend
    bake shop in san mateo,rizal..the icing is very delicious and
    best eaten when its not too frozen.they have small-medium-large
    sizes and its too expensive to buy a whole sans rival……..
    primablend’s leche plan is also super delicious no wonder its
    always out of stock.but their sans rival is the best that’s
    why i dont mind travelling to san mateo,rizal just to buy sans rival coming from antipolo.

  76. correction-primablend’s sans rival is not too expensive
    as comopared to other sans rivals and its best to buy
    a whole sans rival.

  77. According to my Ate Aida (nee Camaniag-Hernandez)De Leon, she studied at PWU in 1959-early 60’s she said that Mrs Acosta of Institutional Management originated Sans Rival at PWU as we know it now. Definitely made of cashews and not almonds. It may have been patterned after some European or specifically French dessert, but obviously since almonds are so common in the Philippines, the local adaptation is originally made of cashews.

    By the way my wife, Honey (Irene) makes a mean one based from a Nora Daza recipe. She somewhat modified it by adding less (half of Ms Daza’s recipe) sugar. Mixing the ground cashews and folding the egg whites. I made a somewhat stencil pattern, 4-5 mm thick and she would layer the mixture and bake on a baking paper, while still hot put on another wax paper and a recipe book on top to make the merique/crepe flat. When all the required layers are cooled (to make it really crispy and not soggy), assembled the cake and presto – the best one I’ve tasted coming from a domestic oven.

  78. “…French dessert, but obviously since almonds are NOT so common in the Philippines, the local adaptation is originally made of cashews…

  79. can you please suggest what type of butter to use, because i had tried doing it yet the butter i used was to hard… awaiting for your reply.. thanx

  80. lye, the butter has to be melted at one stage, so I don’t understand why the butter was hard? After the dessert is frozen, the buttercream should harden up again… I use any good butter from the grocery. But real butter, not margarine or other substitute… mostly for flavor.

  81. I have been craving for Sans Rival but don’t know any shop here in Melbourne that sells this. Anyone can point me to the right direction? So I have to resort to making this myself.. boy oh boy ( As I’m very famous for being a terrible cook).. This is my first attempt to make this recipe. I will keep in mind suggestions and tips when attempting to make this recipe. Jojo I will try your aunty’s recipe.. wish me luck! Thanks to all for your comments and tips!

  82. Hi. Lately, I ve been craving for Sansrival (the only dessert that I really crave for). I have tried about almost all bakeshops that has been posted here but no one beats IMELDA’S SANSRIVAL (the bakeshop my mom regularly goes to after hearing mass, If I rememeber it right that was infront of Sto Domingo). I totally agree with you MISS ANNIE ABAD. Your mom’s sansrival for me and my family is the BEST!!! Unfortunately, how do I get it? Are you still operating a bakeshop? and where? so I can go to you.

  83. I love sansrival and silvanas. I’ve tried Betty’s (a birthday gift) and the First Baker silvanas from Nueva Ecija. “My Little Oscar” sold at Figaro is good enough for me.

  84. my officemate gave us a can of broas and meringue from the province, and we had the practice of spreading butter on broas.

    it just occurred to me to mash up the broas and meringue and mix the butter and i managed to come up with a rudimentary form of sylvannas…right here in the office :P though we;re talking about sansrival they’re pretty related, right?

    anyways, i’ll try this at home with nuts and all :P

  85. this thread is super helpful, i will be trying my hands on making sans rival this weekend. Ill post my adventure soon…:)

  86. Wheeeew! iv’ve got blewn away with your comments guys!!!…that was woooooh!!!…I found out the very important thing in this dessert its a sinfull one really…found out it has lots of egg yolks butter and sugar as well.On the second thought i’m kinda reluctant to bake one and tried your tips indeed…ingredients so scary!!..is there any recipe that has a lower density than those???….=)..it might end us up a diabetic…is it possible if i/we can omit the egg yolks if i/we like???=)=)=)

  87. Hi all! We have been making Sans Rivals and Silvannas for a long time now, however we’ve been trying to keep it low key. It’s quite a big task to make those. Anyway, I hope you can all try our version of the Sans Rival and Silvannas. We are proud to say that we use all premium ingredients, no substitutes to maintain the taste. We will be selling our homemade creations at the Assumption Annual Bazaar on Sunday, September 27th 2009 at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Intercontinental in Makati. And if you can, please check out our site https://sansrivalbystar.multiply.com. Hope to see you all on Sunday!

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