Emma Lacson’s Pili Squares Silay Bacolod Pasalubong Honest Review

I never knew pili squares existed until I laid my eyes on this elegantly designed maroon box. Honestly, packaging makes a huge difference. I remember when I received a Calea pie, what first struck my attention was the sturdiness and heft of the box that it came in.

Anyway, random ramblings aside, hidden inside this maroon box is a confectionary legend. Rumors say Danding Cojuanco once offered the Lacson family to name their price, just so he could get his hands on their pili squares recipe. (How true is this? No idea).

I share this anecdote to set the scene and help you realize how good these pili squares are! If like me, you’ve never heard of pili squares before, think butterscotch but made with pili nuts instead. What sets it apart though is the following:

• The confectioned pili nuts are of the right amount of sweetness. Oftentimes, people think desserts must be crazy sweet, but really, you want one that can appeal to all – and this one is something I’d happily share with my grandparents as well (But we didn’t, because it’s all in our tummies now)
• The nuts are evenly textured. I don’t know if this makes sense, but one of my pet peeves when eating nutty food is how the nuts are of varying sizes and some gets stuck in your teeth etc etc. This one was mildly nutty, but also moist and buttery and crumbly, but surprisingly not oily
• Lastly, these nuts are placed on a ridiculously thin bed of filo pastry, which adds that satisfying crunch

Overall, this is a must-try delicacy – not cloying/nakakaumay at all (unlike most desserts!)

(Ironically, I am writing this review on my mom’s behest because she REALLY likes it. She liked it so much she didn’t leave any for me hmph). Note to self: just because the box looks unopened doesn’t mean it’s unopened…