and more...

Paris pastries...

Here are some other random photos from patisseries around Paris... if I won the lottery I would live here, and come to one of these places every morning for breakfast, but for the moment I will have to make do with salivating outside the window like a pauper!

Laduree Champs Elysees (outside)

We passed the much larger branch of Laduree late at night so only got photos of the building from outside, still pretty impressive though!

Our Laduree Feast!

Despite enormous temptation I managed to limit myself to buying just one pastry for myself. (Also we were running out of money and they aint cheap!) I plumped for this gorgeous Strawberry and Pistachio St Honore, while Chris went for the Praline Millefeuille, and we also bought a box of 6 macarons for later as I couldn't come to laduree without trying them. MAN ALIVE these were tasty treats!
(Macaron flavours are - fleur de sel, pistachio, raspberry, cassis, chocolate and coffee)

Laduree Boxes!

Laduree Paris!

This week we were on holiday in Paris for my birthday and my first stop was the Laduree around the corner from our hotel near the Place de la Madeleine... Was a bit paranoid about taking pics as I know they are a bit fussy so only managed to get a few of the shop itself - also the queue was moving so fast we were hustled in and out within about 30seconds!

Cheesy nibbly things

Here are some little cheese biscuits I made using the last of what was left in my fridge last week. I can't stand being too poor to buy ingredients so making these and chomping on them with a glass of wine (there's always enough money for wine) was a good way of tricking myself into thinking I was richer than I am. Cheesy nibble, anyone? Made a nice change from bloody baked beans. They are sprinkled with poppy seeds, sea salt, cumin, paprika and black pepper respectively. I say poppy seed was best, Chris says salt.

Bunny rabbits!

I made these to stick on top of the cake I made last weekend - in the end they didn't get eaten as they were too sweet to destroy, and instead are being kept as family pets.

My first wedding cake finished! Hooray!!!

Top tier

Bottom tier

Phew! My first ever wedding cake is finally done and dusted - gave myself wrist cramp piping all the lacy bits so now i've finished i'm celebrating by lying around all day eating maltesers, before I get started on the next cake i've got to make this weekend.

Jam Tarts

Being extremely skint and not having anything sweet in the house, I decided to make the easiest and most jammily satisfying thing in the world, jam tarts! Luckily I had some really nice locally made blackcurrant jam and a cheapy old jar of raspberry in the cupboard, so I got a nice mix of quite sharp and very sweet ones. I made some mini ones too, as then I can eat three times as many and not feel guilty! Hooray!!

Plane Cake

Here is a cake I made last weekend for an ex-pilot's 80th birthday party. I got a bit stressed out making it because it didn't look as much like the picture as I wanted, but the client was very pleased so it was all fine in the end. Also left it til the last minute so was icing, decorating and swearing like a trooper into the early hours of friday night, which may account for all the stress. Foolish!

Baked Amaretti Plums with Greek Yoghurt

Cor!!! I've only just finished eating these and looking at the picture makes me want it all over again... Luckily i have another 4 plums in the kitchen but will try to abstain until tomorrow as part of my half-arsed attempt at a more healthy diet. Good lord they are tasty, and I love the dark ruby syrup that oozes from the fruit and mingles with the white yoghurt so prettily...

Lovely old spanakopita...

I could eat this pie every day I think. Although it takes a while to wilt down the mountains of spinach it is well worth it for the finished result.

Sunday Lunch, not a roast in sight...

Had people over for lunch today so dragged myself out of bed early to start cooking, complete with shocking hangover caused by only 3 pints of cider! What has happened to my booze tolerance?? Anyway, managed to get going and just about got it all done in time!

Feta and parsley cigars - I could eat these all day but managed to restrain myself and wait until serving them... also have lots of leftover filo pastry so can make them again this week! Hoorah!



Thank you Diana Henry - Georgian Aubergine salad - griddled aubergine with coriander, greek yoghurt, pomegranate seeds, walnuts and enough garlic to destroy your social life for a week!

And potato salad with dill, red onion and gherkins.



We finished with Lemon Posset, which I will also be eating all week as I made enough for about 20 people! Hooray again! Bang goes the diet for another week - some things are much more important than being slim, lemon posset being a fine example...