While pregnant with her son, Ginger Mendoza had one particular craving she couldn’t shake – empanadas. Her go-to snack while growing up in the Philippines, empanadas are her comfort food but, sadly, she couldn’t find any takeaway options in Brisbane that could satisfy her cravings. As the founder of Batch Cookie Bar, Ginger certainly knows her way around a kitchen, so she took matters into her own hands and started making her own empanadas. After encouragement from family and friends and months of research and development, Ginger launched Lunar Pies – a similar concept to her beloved Batch Cookie Bar, but taking a savoury approach. The past eight weeks have seen the people of Brisbane devouring these vibrant empanadas at markets around town but, as of June 2, Lunar Pies will be available seven days a week alongside Batch Cookies at a dedicated store in the Myer Centre. The Batch Cookie Bar x Lunar Pies store will be Ginger’s first bake-on-site concept, with all cookies and empanadas prepared fresh daily, served alongside coffee and cold drinks. There will be six cookie and six empanada flavours available each day, made up of classics and rotating specials. Cookie flavours include OG Choc Chip, Ube Velvet Crackle and Peanut Butter Pretzel and Chocolate, while the empanadas take a savoury approach – think classic beef, creamy chicken, mushroom and camembert, buffalo chicken and cream cheese, and a breakfast empanada with chorizo, sofrito and fluffy scrambled eggs. Keep an eye on The Weekend Edition for an inside look soon!