Crumbs to Crunch

Bath is a town steeped in history, well-known for its attractive Georgian buildings, connection with Jane Austen and, of course, its Roman Baths. As we're  Austen fans , Bath has always been high on our list of favourite places. Luckily, we've had the opportunity to visit the town many times, which means plenty of chances to find the perfect place for afternoon tea. The most famous tea room is  Sally Lunn's  which is situated in a lovely old building. For fellow Austen fans, I would also recommend the tea rooms at the Jane Austen Centre . Spend the morning looking round the fun exhibitions (plenty of opportunities to dress up in bonnets and practice your fan flirting), then pop upstairs for tea in the Georgian themed tea room. It's good fun as all the teas are named after Jane Austen characters and the people who work there are dressed up.  Scone and Bath Bun at The Bath Bun Tea Shoppe However, this week when I visited Bath, I decided it was time to eat a ...

There has been a Great British Bake Off shaped hole in my life since the show ended last month. I could no longer follow the dessert related triumphs and meltdowns from the comfort of my sofa until I discovered  Le Meilleur Patissier . This is the French version of Bake Off and is pretty much exactly the same but in French. Instead of Paul and Mary, they have Cyril and Mercotte. The contestants do the same type of challenges but the only real difference is that the cakes are mainly French. In a way, Le Meilleur Pattisier is more interesting to watch as I have not heard of at least half of the cakes.  Last week the contestants had a particularly difficult challenge to make their own Bavarois . This is a mousse made out of different layers of mousse and fruit with a sponge base. When the judges cut through the middle, the inside was stunning with the different colours of each layer.  After I watched this episode, I knew I had to try some. I found a salted...

We heard that Brittany produces a lot of butter and salt so we were intrigued to try some of there salty buttery desserts. A slightly salty cake may sound strange but is actually quite nice, if not a little heavy! We bought some  Far Breton which is a type of flan with prunes. We are not huge fans of prunes so this cake was not our favourite. However, we  were also curious to try Kouign Amann which is a flaky buttery cake that featured on Great British Bake Off.  Slices of Far Breton and Kouign Amann The Kouign Amann caused many problems on the Great British Bake Off as nobody had ever heard of this breton cake. However, in Brittany, you will find this cake in every bakery. Having tasted the local boulangerie's Kouign Amann, we were inspired to make our own . We knew it would be a challenge but if they can make it on the Great British Bake Off, so can we!  We wanted to use an authentic French recipe so we used this excellent recipe  fr...

It is no secret that we love ice cream but sometimes the same old flavours can get a bit dull. We're always on the looks out for new flavours and found a peculiar tomato ice cream  in Nice.  We even created our own  apple crumble ice cream . However, making your own ice cream requires a lot of effort so on a lazy day Murphy's  in Dublin is the perfect antidote to vanilla induced boredom.   As soon as we entered, we realised that this was no ordinary ice cream parlour. The staff were quick to sing the praises of their most popular flavour - salt. Yes, you read that right, salt . We were highly sceptical but were astonished to find that salt ice cream is strangely refreshing. It actually reminded us a lot of Mini Milks which are ice lollies that were very popular at children's birthday parties. Our nostalgia for Mini Milks pushed us to be more adventurous so we asked for a scoop of brown bread ice cream and another of oat flavour....

As was fairly obvious in my recent post about the beginning of autumn, I can feel a bit negative about the start of the colder months. However recently I've been reconnecting with the outdoors, and I have to admit that autumn sure is beautiful. Winkworth Arboretum is probably the best place to see those autumn colours. Near Guildford in Surrey, this beautiful collection of trees really comes into its own in autumn. The grounds cover a hillside, so you can find yourself winding down a secluded pathway, hidden beneath a beautiful orange canopy. The maple trees are particularly beautiful at the moment, and their stark red colour really makes the landscape stunning. There are plenty of secret corners and good trees to climb! And when you've finished your leisurely walk, there's always time to pop into the tearoom next to the wigwam for a scone or two... Another place to see those autumn colours is Windsor Great Park. At a weekend, this park has such a lovely ...

Guinness is pretty much synonymous with Ireland as you cannot escape the brand from the many pints sipped in pubs to the numerous Guinness related souvenirs. It seems that when in Ireland, it is practically obligatory to try this stout. However, I am not keen on beer and so felt like I was missing out on this typically Irish experience. I was fretting about this predicament until Fellini  saved me. This little café in Cork gave me the opportunity to taste Guinness in my favourite form - cake. I indulged in a chocolate Guinness cake and a jug of hot chocolate. At first I was reluctant to try it because stout and chocolate seemed like a bizarre combination. However I was pleasantly surprised. I could definitely taste the Guinness but it added to the richness of the cake. As a result, I can proudly say that I have tried Guinness and have done one of the "musts" as a tourist in Ireland, even if it was only in cake form!  The spiced orange cake and caramel meringue wer...

We can't deny it any longer, autumn is upon us. After a glorious summer of sunshine, travel and cake, it can be hard to settle into the dreariness of the colder months. We're back at work, the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting worse. Sigh.   However, it's not all doom and gloom. Autumn does bring with it some fairly spectacular seasonal foods. In the cake world, the king of autumn is the crumble.   Recently we tried a pretty good crumble in Dublin that we just had to share. Queen of Tarts is a cosy little café with two premises- one just opposite Dublin Castle, and another round the corner in Cows Lane. Both ooze comfort and homeliness, with the warm colour scheme and magnificent cake stands. It's just perfect when you want a snug hideaway on those gloomy wet days.     So once you're inside, you've thrown off your coat and shaken the rain from your umbrella, what are you going to order? My advice would be the crumble. Th...