Quintessentially English What do strawberries and cream make you think of? Sitting on a grassy bank watching rowers on a tree-lined river Thames at the Henley Regatta? Sipping champagne in a flower festooned marquee at a summer wedding reception? In short, to many people, strawberries and cream mean a perfect summer’s day in England. […]
Simnel cake – to boil, bake or both? There is a delightful legend about this cake. In medieval times, regulations suggested simnel cakes should be boiled and then baked; but how did this double cooking convention come about? Well, a mythical couple, Simon and Nelly, fell out over making the cake because one wanted to […]
We all know how good mothers are at multi-tasking – they have to be – but did you know that Mother’s Day itself has done some multi-tasking in its time, by representing all sorts of mothers? Mother’s Day originated in the Middle Ages and is always on the fourth Sunday of Lent, the period leading […]
“Love planted a rose and the world turned sweet” … Katharine Lee Bates Fast approaching is Valentine’s Day, with its tradition of sending letters, cards or gifts, often featuring heart shapes. But who was Valentine? What is actually behind this celebration of love? And how did the traditions associated with it begin? Valentine’s Day (properly […]
If you search online for ‘Bourdaloue’, beware – you may find yourself reading about a French Jesuit priest, long sermons and chamber pots. This Bourdaloue, a pear tart, is definitely NOT connected in any way whatsoever! The tart is a Parisian culinary speciality with its origins in a small street in the 9th arrondissement of […]
Recently, because of the challenging situation we have been facing, I have received many orders from clients living abroad who ask me to make cakes for their friends or family living in the UK. Their stories have been quite moving at times and I have been delighted to help them in their wish to make […]
I have a long-time love of French pastries. At our home, each Christmas my mum would make one of my favorite cakes—the Sarah Bernhardt—a decadent, layered and similar to a macaron. We used a rich walnut flour rather than the traditional almond, and added a coffee infusion to our meringue cream, which gave our Sarah […]
There is a real life royal story behind this cake. Back in the 19th century Queen Victoria’s Swiss born chef, Gabriel Tschumi, came up with a recipe for a very fine, intensely chocolate cake. It clearly went down well with Queen Victoria, and very likely with succeeding monarchs because our very own Queen Elizabeth, Queen […]
Many customers of mine are looking for ways to keep healthy by making small yet manageable lifestyle changes to their diet. This means I often get asked about reducing sugar when someone makes a bespoke cake, pastry, or French macaron order. When it comes to sugar, I think it is important not to discredit it […]
For anyone who suffers an egg or gluten allergy, celebrating special occasions (such as a loved one’s birthday or enjoying Christmas time) can sometimes pose a bit of a challenge food-wise. This can be especially the case if you aren’t organising the special event yourself, as it makes it difficult to control (or know for […]
