Konditor and Cook - My Saviours

 

Leisurely afternoon teas have sadly been out of the question for me lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been making the effort to indulge in a quick cuppa and little something sweet. Thank goodness then for Konditor and Cook. From their fantastic mince pies to their tangy Black Gingerbread, their shops shops really are a sight for work-weary eyes. I could write a post on pretty much any one of their cakes (yes I have tried most of them...) but I'm here to tell you about their amazing brownies.

A Dangerous Mug Obsession

 During our recent move Coffee Boy insisted that I get rid of some of my enormous collection of mugs. I was horrified at the suggestion. What? Give away that 25p IKEA mug I bought for work eight years ago? No way! But on arrival at our new house I had to admit that the drinking vessel situation had got a little out of hand.

Review: Barcomi's, Mitte - Revisited

 

You may remember that some time ago I wrote about a rather disappointing cake-away I'd had from Barcomi's in Berlin's Mitte. Well, in the spirit of fairness I decided it was time to go back. As I reported late last year I have been to Barcomi's - both the Mitte & Kreuzberg branch - many times and last Christmas was the first time I'd been anything other than impressed.

Review: Petitou, Peckham

One of the best things about moving house is exploring all the little shops and restaurants of your new 'hood. But obviously for me it's all about discovering previously unknown cafes and teashops. So when my friend L told me she had spotted a nice looking cafe near the place she does an upholstery course (note to self: check out the courses there ASAP) I could hardly wait to go.

Life Beyond Tea

I know it's sacrilegious to say it but sometimes there is more to life than tea and over the last few months I have found myself desperate to write about other things. I am a huge fan of design, beautiful fabric and all sorts of other arty and crafty things. When this came up in conversation with my friend Trudi and she told me that she was also thinking about starting a blog, we decided to combine forces and set one up together (particularly appealing as we both have pretty busy day jobs...).

Spiced Maple and Pecan Muffin Recipe

I really feel like I've been duped. How can I have got this far in life without discovering just how simple muffins are to make?

For someone who considers themselves a fairly enthusiastic baker, I recently realised I've never made a muffin in my life. This thunderbolt hit me when my lovely friend R bought me Muffin Magic by Susannah Blake as part of a rather wonderful housewarming present. I suppose I had always assumed that muffins would be much more difficult to make than, for instance, cupcakes as they have a more bready texture. But how wrong I was. The first muffins I tried were a savoury cheese and onion batch which turned out amazingly well. Frankly it came as something of a surprise as throughout the mixing process - which took all of about 10 minutes - I kept thinking, this can't be right; it's just too easy.

Back in the Game

Hello tea friends! It feels like I have been away so long. Let's just say I've been in house moving hell where the only tea I've been making (although rarely drinking) is the above.

But now I'm almost settled I plan to get resolutely back on the tea and cake horse. More anon (and thanks for bearing with me)...