The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Pretty Pink Valentine Treats

Lace-piped cookies from the brilliant Sweet Sugarbelle

Well, I needed look no further for beautiful Valentine cookies after I found these lace-piped pale pink ones, they are just gorgeous (as is her photography which is just as important as the cookie!). I usually feel I couldn't eat the prettiest treats, but I would have no trouble with these. Iced cookies have that nice crisp break when you bite into them and I have a drooly Pavlovian response when I see them. They wouldn't stand a chance.

Their talented creator Sweet Sugarbelle swears they're easy to do, these were her first try! Surely some are far more adept at these things than others, but if you want to give it a go she shares her (very comprehensive) tricks for perfection on her blog The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle, and shows us some awesome black, round versions as well. I might actually try these if I can make friends with the piping bag, but I feel a fight coming on.

Cake Journal's Louise created this gorgeous blue and pink Valentine cake

I love this Valentine cake for its pretty simplicty and because it's blue.  I do prefer the pastels to the hot-blooded red we usually get for the occasion, even when it comes to roses, the kind you look at and smell as well as the kind you eat. Louise from Cake Journal created this cake for Valentine's two years ago which also happened to be her 10th wedding anniversary, so it was double romance.

As for Valentine's Day in the Swelle house, I got a beautiful bouquet of flowers a day early, chosen by my daughter,  all in shades of pink of course. I can't say what Mr. Swelle is getting because he does read my blog, and Baby Swelle is getting a surprise Valentines breakfast in bed, and is reading this as I write it. Good thing the 'look at that over there' trick still works. She brings me breakfast in bed nearly ever weekend and wanted to tomorrow (she's on her half-term holiday), but I told her she needs to stay in bed for her own special surprise. (This morning I got some bread with jam on it because she can't use the toaster, a handful of corn flakes and a cold hot-cross bun. She told me that there were no butter knives in the drawer - there were - so she used one from the dishwasher but it was clean - it wasn't. Daddy reminded her to ask for help next time.) For serving I have a new floral tray with little hearts on it and I'm making her heart-shaped pancakes with a strawberry yogurt, cereal and raspberry parfait and an assortment of Valentine chocolates, and later on she'll be getting a pink Le Creuset cocotte with a rose frozen souffle. It's my first time making them so I hope it's not gross. The rest of the day will be spent running her around in the back garden to burn off some of that sugar high.

Have a lovely Valentines!

Inside is a chocolate cake with strawberry mousse!

Cupcake Monday! Valentine's Crisp Strawberry Pavé

Today's treat was meant to be the latest Café Gourmand at our local chocolatier Gareth James - he's always working on an irresistible new surprise and I was told this one has homemade strawberry marshmallows and a white chocolate parfait with passion fruit granita - but word must have got out because they had none left when we arrived! That's ok, we'll be back later this week.

The topic of texture arose and Gareth pointed me to their new Valentine's confection which I'd been eyeing up. It was a white chocolate pavé coloured pink by the freeze-dried strawberries, and soon I was out the door with some. (No, I did not steal them.) As soon I was finished taking my shots I ate one. Then, two, then three. If I'd been left alone any longer I'm afraid I may have eaten all of them! Gorgeous texture indeed - it has a delicate crunch thanks to the strawberries which are in perfect proportion to the thinness of the pavé. I really do have no self-control whatsoever. No regrets, either!

Oh yeah that's the stuff.

Photos © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Maisie Fantasie's Floral Beauties

Maisie Fantaisie must have the most gorgeous collection of wedding cakes, they are so ridiculously pretty without being overdone, the epitome of edible loveliness. And I love that their photos are beautiful, accessorised with the pastel patterned wallpapers and charming cake stands. To quote an adorable, small and always smiling Italian man who used to do deliveries for us at the production studio I worked at in Canada years ago,  "'preciate." That's how he said "appreciate" which was his way of saying 'Thank you." (Do you know how many bad photos of pretty cakes I see? Far more than good ones - what a waste and so frustrating!)

Here are just a few of Maisie Fantaisie's floral designs, and I'm glad Im already married because I would never be able to choose! (Well I guess there are other reasons, too.)

Each design has a suggested flavour, although you can have your pick of their many options which are as gorgeous as their cakes.  The cake on the bottom left, Romantic Rose, is described as:

Madagascar vanilla bean cake, Amedei Chuao chocolate buttercream, grosgrain ribbon, satab
ribbon, handmade sugar roses, sugar pipework.

Enjoy drooling!

Photos: Maisie Fantaisie

Cupcake Monday! Wintery Snow Cakes

 
A red velvet snow cake with snowman macarons! From Raspberri Cupcakes

(I'm back up and running after my laptop was incapacitated - again - last week. A severed cable and now even keys are falling off.  If this continues, reading my posts is going to be like playing Wheel of Fortune without the fabulous prizes.)

We haven't had any snow here at the coast this winter, unless you count one day in early December where it fell in huge, fluffy clusters and mostly all melted as soon as it hit the ground, and then got warm in the afternoon and made a lot of excited kids really crabby. After some freakishly warm days it's been properly chilly this past weekend if you consider -1° cold. The English seem to think because I'm Canadian that -1° is like spring to me. No way, cold is cold! Especially by the sea, it gets in your bones and apparently makes you really whiny. Except for the guys wearing shorts and a t-shirt, you know, because the sun is shining.

This morning there was frost on the grass and since that's the closest thing to snow right now, how about some snow cakes?

An Evergreen winter scene cake by Frances at Joules

Pearlized Snow Berry Fake Wedding Cake - just for show!

Pink Cake Box' Winter Wonderland Snowflake Cake

A Tiffany blue wedding cake topped with 'snowballs'! From The Twisted Sifter

And it turns out there's a movie called Snow Cake - who knew?  Possibly everyone but me. It's Canadian (so probably not, then) and stars Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. I would be very disappointed if I watched it and there was no cake to be found. 

Here are some interesting keywords I found on Cinematic Intelligence Agency that are associated with it:

Film Canada winter Ontario autistic car accident death relationship friendship drama snow OCD lumber

What? Lumber yes, cake no?!

Cupcake Monday! Limoncello Pipettes & Torched Pear Chips

Cupcake Monday is back after an unscheduled hiatus (ie. I didn't realise it was Monday, I guess holidays easily confuse me). I wanted to kick off the new year with a Swelle favourite, Arthur & Aleksandra and their inventive and wicked cakes.

Let's get right into it because this is torture! Above and below is the "moist orange & lemon sponge, drizzled with orange & lemon syrup. Topped with an indulgent cream cheese frosting and an almond wafer. Served with a pipette of Limoncello." I love lemon. I must have this some day. (I always wonder if Aleksandra eats the smashed ones. If not, I am not above receiving a box of cupcake remains in the post. )

This one just looks so good (not that this differentiates it from the others!). The baked pear chip is so neat and pretty, decorated with edible gold.  It's a sticky toffee sponge, topped with a pear-liqueur-infused, cream-cheese frosting. Drizzled with toffee sauce and served with a pipette of pear liqueur. It's best warm. Oooohhhhhh..........

Photos: Arthur & Aleksandra

Cupcake Monday! Ladurée's Noel Treats Overload

I have really been looking forward to this one! Come daydream with me, it's calorie-free. (But who cares anyway, right? Some things are worth it and more.) These heavenly treats are from Ladurée's 'Collection Noel 2011'. I think their packaging is the ultimate in pretty, when I was last in Paris I bought the Marie Antoinette loose thé you see in the blush pink paper cannister on the right because I wanted to see it in my kitchen every day, and I do! (And also because it's called 'Marie Antoinette', the combination was too much to resist.) It's displayed proudly on a shelf with my favourite teacups.  Somehow it got a little scratch on the front when I brought it home - why is it never on the back?! - and I admit it nearly killed me to see it blemished. (Somehow I got over it.)

Here are more of my favourites from the collection, which is nearly everything!

Yes, you can eat this. It's Ladurée's Christmas Ball filled with a delicate chocolate sponge, chestnut mousse and pear cremeux. Oh why do I do this to myself...

 

An icy blue gift box of 'Fleur de Neige' macarons

 

The bulldog is of course French. Ladurée often takes inspiration from cute animals for their package design, and sometimes the chocolates themselves, as in these coloured mice.

 

Ladurée's muse, Marie Antoinette. 

What a gorgeous blue! Nevermind the macarons, I'll eat the box.

 

A candy box made of chocolate!

The Gourmandises and Macarons hampers. That is one lucky girl who gets a hamper for Christmas.

Cupcake Monday! Putting Up the Christmas Tree

From Baked. Cupcakery

Yesterday we put our tree up, though I have to admit that's as far as we got, it's still naked except for lights.  (Why do they have that freaky strobe setting? Who would enjoy that?!) Ours is white with arctic blue baubles (well, it will be soon) to  match the living room but it's the green with red decorations that really gives me that nostalgia for childhood Christmases. Here's some of that, in cupcake form:

From Sweet Disposition

And this is pretty cute, Santa relaxing in a cup of hot chocolate:

Cupcake Monday! Marie Antoinette Violet Cake

I need a bit of Laduree cheer today and nothing does it like their very pretty Marie Antoinette cake. This is the first time I've seen it in the deep Blackcurrant Violet flavour. It's also made in pale pink and the dreamy Laduree green, and it's much smaller in person than you would expect from the picture. And one day I will buy one. I best start saving now, I recall seeing it for 60 euros on Champs Elysees.  I guess if you can have a £96 hamburer, it's not so bad. And now I go to bed craving French cake and hamburgers.

Cupcake Monday! 'Cupcake in a Jar'

First you'll notice how adorable these cupcakes are, in their pretty jar, and then you'll ask 'How do you get them out?' Or if you're quicker than me (not hard) you'll realise straight away they are for eating in the jar, with a spoon. I'll admit, until I saw the photo I was willing to go in with four fingers and a thumb.

Just when I thought I'd seen everything, here's a great gift-giving idea from G Desserts on Notonthehighstreet.com which is a brilliant way to give a cupcake, in person or through the post without the smashy-smashy. Other than a clown crying, there is no sadder sight than a smushed cupcake (though unlike  a clown it still tastes good. I don't know what that means.)

I have some on the way - in 8 different flavours which all sound divine - so I'll do a follow up nearer to Christmas when they arrive and let you  know if they live up to their irresistible packaging (I have high hopes), but in the meantime wanted to share as they really are a great gift for teachers, neighbours, lollipop ladies and men (I love that in the UK crossing guards are called 'Lollipop Ladies' because stop signs here are round), or friends. Or you. Don't be a martyr, go for it.

Cupcake Monday! The Sweet Paul Holiday Issue

(Sorry for the late post, I was on a client shoot yesterday)

If I wasn't in the holiday mood yet, I am now! We've had a true autumn in the north east of England, lovely walking weather with only a couple cold days and unlike last year, no snow, so I needed a push toward the holiday spirit.  For me, Sweet Paul's Holiday issue is now synomymous with those  nice homey festive feelings - it's impossible not to get excited from simply looking at the cover! (That gorgeous thing is Vanilla Cake topped with Sugar Star Cookies, made and styled by Paul.)

My parents can't make it over to us from Canada this year and we're a bit gutted, so we have to make Christmas extra special with lots of distractions for Baby Swelle, and I'll be getting most, if not all, of my ideas from this issue, including our menu. Our entire Christmas dinner last year was from Sweet Paul's first Holiday issue and it was fantastic. What I love most about his recipes is the ease of them. Paul always finds ways to take the things we know and do something really clever with them. His creations are a combination of comfort and inspiration presented beautifully, and I think that's why his fans have such a fierce loyalty to his blog and magazine.

Here are just some of the pages that have me buzzing:

I love this dreamy wash of icy blues - we have 'arctic blue' baubles for the tree to match the living room.

What fun styling! There's more of this in the story Big Cookies in a Small World

The Cupcake of the issue, little Christmas puddings!

Or these! Or both! 

Paul put a challenge to his favourite contributing photographers to cook, style and photograph their favourite holiday dish. It's fascinating (and drool-inducing) to see what they came with it!

Oh my god!!!

Photos from Sweet Paul Holiday Issue

Cupcake Monday! The Paper Doll Edition

Everyone needs a thoughtful and creative friend, preferably one who can bake! Like  Amelie of the blog Amelie's House who made these charming paper doll-topped cupcakes for her friend's daughter's birthday. That's a gesture loaded with goodness as it is but there's more - the dolls aren't random paintings but portraits of the birthday girl and each of her guests, in pretty watercolour.  How awesome is that?

I wonder how she will top that for next year?!

Photos from Amelia's House

Cupcake Monday! Sweet Paul's Autumn Issue

The Autumn issue of Sweet Paul magazine is a very special one, dedicated to Paul's mother who passed away in August after fighting cancer for over a year. In his editor's note, he recounts a vivid childhood memory of one day in Norway when they played together in the snow and then had hot cocoa with whipped cream when they came in from the cold. What a lovely memory. It made me realise how many of my childhood memories are of simple, seemingly insignificant events where food and family were involved.

So here's to making more memories! There's a recipe for Caramel Apples with Walnuts, they are such an indulgent treat and certainly a sticky one. I don't even try to fool myself into believing it's ok because there's an apple involved. I thought I was buying toffee apples on Saturday - because the sign said 'toffee apples' - but they were actually candy apples. They're not the same! It turns out it ripped out Baby Swelle's tooth, her first one to lose, and she unwittingly ate it. Heavy sobbing ensued, she thought she got robbed of her first Tooth Fairy visit!

Anyway, now I can make my own caramel apples, but I will be checking for loose teeth before serving them.

And there's a whole section for Mexican! One of my favourites for its limey, spicy tastiness.

 

There's always a new cupcake to try and this Chocolate and Mascarpone version sounds really tempting (I've just realised I've been saying 'marscapone' - good thing it doesn't come up in conversation often).

Ideas for creating cheerful interiors are plentiful and I like the mid-century modern flair of some of these pieces.

Here's Paul's To Do list before the next issue. His sounds like a lot more fun than mine. Can we trade?

See the entire yummy issue online at www.sweetpaulmag-digital.com

Cupcake Monday! Coolest Halloween Edition

Cupcake Monday's new love, Arthur & Aleksandra, wins hands down for most original and the coolest of the Halloween cakes. I mean really, how cool is a glass skull vessel with black cherry liqueur to dip your pipette in and drizzle over red velvet sponge and pure white cream cheese frosting? A clever trick and a glorious treat.

If you love what Arthur & Aleksandra are doing (how can you not?) see their first Cupcake Monday feature here and visit their blog. Then prepare to suffer intolerable cravings!

And their brilliant version of the Halloween bat: Rich chocolate sponge topped with a white chocolate and milk chocolate frosting. Embellished with  a dark & white chocolate shard. Dangerous indeed!

Photos courtesy Arthur & Aleksandra

Cupcake Monday! Simply Beautiful Wedding Cakes

In any kind of design, simple is the toughest look to get right. The risk is a bland, underwhelming result if the lines, details and quality of the materials and craftsmanship aren't elegant and refined. Wedding cakes included. (But at least if it's a dud you can still eat it. You can't eat a pair of boring beige pants.) Maisie Fantaisie is my favourite for simple at its very best and most special. And if I ever get married again I'd want their blush pink two-tiered cake with perfect rows of tiny sugar pearls - just kidding honey! (About the wedding, not the cake.)

Mine was blue with three wide but shallow layers and simple flowers here and there. Not nearly as impressive as these but it caught my eye (you know me and blue) and I went for it without a further look so as not to obsess about it and check it off the list. (Bridezilla I was not. Wifezilla, probably.) The cake was tasty but generally forgettable. One cake I will never forget is my friends' which had a custom made bride and groom topper that looked remarkably like the two of them. Before the cake cutting it was crudely snatched off by a rambunctious young nephew who wanted to play with it, and when he realised it was made of sugar he began to suck on their heads! American Bridal has some fun and unique wedding cake toppers for all kinds of themes, including a groom piggy-backing his bride on skis! Mine would have been a lone groom looking around nervously – I was 20 minutes late for my walk down the aisle. (I blame a friend who locked herself in the bathroom of my suite to get ready when I needed to get in!)

And I have a small confession - I ate nearly the entire cake myself. But not at once! We did start to cut and serve it of course but I think a lot of people didn't trust a blue cake so we didn't cut the whole thing, had the better part of the upper layers were left. So we brought it home and froze it, and I had a piece a day until it was gone. I regret nothing!

Photos: Maisie Fantaisie

Cupcake Monday! The Canadian Thanksgiving Edition

   

A beautiful Thanksgiving cake from Pink Cake Box 

Another year, another missed Thanksgiving! We don't have this holiday in the UK, for obvious historical reasons. It's a bit of a drag not being home for Thanksgiving dinner - if only turkey leftovers could be mailed to me. Canada Post might do well to introduce a foiled-lined envelope for the holidays. (Please know I'm kidding.)

So in the spirit of No Thanksgiving, here are some cakey homages to the holiday which many people now call Turkey Day, which is rather unthankful! It's about as sentimental as Salami Day (which I had yesterday and am really regretting it).

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada!

Cute and gross at the same time! Turkey Dinner cupcake from Family Fun

 

Simple vanilla with chocolate Kahlua frosting from Paula Hennig

Thanksgiving Pie Cupcakes from Cake Decorating Corner

Cupcake Monday! The Best Mocha, Ever

     

Well, in my opinion it is. And it's right on my doorstep at a chocolatier called Gareth James in Tynemouth which means I have no choice but to indulge myself once a week because it would appear that is the limit of my self-control. (Translation: I have no self-control.) This mocha is the perfect blend of their own dark chocolate and cream and I prefer it as served, with no added sugar. For me, it really could not get any better than this.

This chocolate paradise is the vision of the very talented and inspired Mr. James who has agreed to show me how it's all done in their kitchen upstairs, a treat in itself. It's located just across the street from my daughter's school so she begs me to take her for a hot chocolate (also the best, ever) and to share their truly irresistible Cafe Gourmand, and I pretend to need convincing.

The Cafe Gourmand, which comes with your choice of cuppa, is an ever-changing tasting plate of new creations with some of their classic favourites,  such as their wonderfully decadent and now famous brownie, scoop of homemade sorbet or ice cream - ours was blackcurrant and I had to fight for a few spoonfuls - and choice of two truffles.  Upon recommendation from their really lovely manager Emma, I had the Earl Grey which has a smooth, clean finish. And if you think Earl Grey with dark chocolate sounds weird, well you should just put that out of your head. It's delicious!

The new additions last week were a slice of banana bread which will feature in their new breakfast menu (I cannot wait to try their pain au chocolat!) and the 'shot' which is sometimes a palate cleanser but on this day was quite the opposite - a little drink of warm, dark chocolate to fully saturate the taste buds. You can see the heat fogging up the glass. I have to admit, I can't handle that much chocolate even when it's the best of the best, and my daughter had maxed out as well, but there was no way I was leaving it behind. I regret nothing!

Photos © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! The 'Sweet Couture' Edition

When I was finished with my London Fashion Week events for the day on Saturday I (hungrily) went for a walk and came upon a cheery cupcake shop in Covent Garden called Sweet Couture. It's a tiny but bright and colourful place and I thought  a cupcake and a latte would be the perfect appetiser before dinner. Whatever works, I was on my own so no rules!

I didn't even contemplate the different flavours, I just needed to get my teeth into one and went with the red velvet. It was good and hit the spot, really fresh and tasty. I chatted with the nice young girl working there and then shared a table with two sweet German girls who were visiting. Everyone who came in was happy. It's unnatural to be in a cupcake shop and act like a jerk!

I left with a box of mini cupcakes as a small thank you to the incredibly wonderful people I stayed with for the weekend. They were super cute and very popular so I recommend getting in early if that's what you're coming for.

And now I sign off with a massive craving for cream cheese frosting. You are not alone!

 
 
 
  

The walls were decorated with white cupcake tins - brilliant!

Photos © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Maisie Fantaisie's Cupcake Wrappers

  

A while back I was given some really neat cupcake wrappers to try. They're from Maisie Fantaisie and I was hoping to use them to pretty up my own cupcakes. Well, that didn't happen so I bought one from the bakery up the street. I have great two designs - the fun candy stripes you see here, and vintage rose in pink which is waiting for the right cupcake to do it justice (this one for some reason looked far better in stripes!).

The great thing about these cupcake wrappers - which are purely decorative and meant to be added after baking - is that they are reusable. You can even wash them with water and washing up liquid to remove frosting grease! I plan to have a little tea party with a dozen or so which would make an impressive display. (And I would secretly not want anyone to touch them and wreck the scene! I'm fun that way.)

To get your own and see the other gorgeous designs available visit Maisie  Fantaisie at www.cupcakewrappers.com

Photo © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Petit Fours 'Chapeaus'

I love petit fours. For some reason, if it's pretty and sweet, it's even prettier and sweetier when it's miniature. Being more of the type who craves the savoury, I'm usually content with a tiny taste of something sugary rather than gorging on half a Victoria sponge. I'm the person who orders an Old Fashioned at the donut shop back home, during the rare occasion where I find myself in a donut shop. (Which reminds me, I finally decided to assert my Canadian-ness when we were in Toronto a few weeks ago and try the coffee at Tim Horton's. I only started drinking coffee regularly this year - until about three years ago I thought it smelled amazing and that its flavour was in inverse proportion to its olfactory charms. My mother was making us coffee every morning and I thought I needed to cut back, I wasn't no longer feeling that caffeine jolt I loved so much, and needed so much. After two weeks I found out she was using decaf. Decaf! In the morning! Oh, Mommy.)

These adorable petits fours made to look like little hats are by Olivia who shared them on Cake Central. The rim is a sugar cookie and its accents are 'chocolate plastic'. I have no idea what chocolate plastic is, it sounds edible and inedible at the same time.

Having said all of that about going easy on sweets, I have to admit I'd probably clear the plate of these if left alone with them. Chocolate plastic and all.

Cupcake Monday! The Bon Voyage Edition

After six weeks at home in Toronto and Niagara we're getting ready to fly back to England tomorrow. I'm sad to be ending my tropical holiday (when you live in England, Ontario's scorching summers are like an island getaway) and I will miss my family and friends who I won't see for another year. Therefore I will cry into my cupcake. Except that I don't have a cupcake to cry into so I've found a photo that will have to do (I really wanted to return to Willow Cakes in Niagara-on-the-Lake but sadly ran out of time, they are divine).

This cute cupcake from Cakes by Lorinda is a nice and cheery way to look at leaving, though I think 'bon voyage' is usually meant for travelling rather than going back to where you live. Though we do have a stop at the Exeter airport on the way back and you know that will be an exciting adventure. (No offence to the nice people at the Exeter airport.)

Cupcake Monday! The Afternoon Tea Edition

 

It's tradition every summer visit home to meet with my lovely friend Bridget for afternoon tea. She introduced me to the best scones ever at Whitehouse tea room in Waterdown a few years ago (I believe it's an English family recipe and you can buy their mixes), and this year we decided to change it up and meet in my favourite place in Ontario, the very English Niagara-on-the-Lake. (Whatever you know or assume about Niagara Falls, imagine the exact oppposite for NOTL.) 

Bridget suggested the Prince of Wales hotel for a proper afternoon tea, in their charming Victorian Drawing Room. Perfect choice. Tea service of this sort, with the three-tiered silver stand, finger sandwiches, scones and petite fours, are always very expensive. It will make your brain smoke if you try to figure out what you actually paid for each cucumber finger sandwich, so best not to. Traditional afternoon teas are about polite ritual and ambience, and Prince of Wales provides it, without the stuffiness. It's a really lovely thing to do, especially in a salon this pretty. After I sat down, a woman who was on her way out came over to tell me how much I was going to enjoy it and how thrilled she was to leave with such a big box of leftovers. She was so sweet and I have to admit I was happy to know you could take your extras home. I wouldn't have thought! (I'm a leftover girl. Some people are and some aren't.)

 

 

 

 

   

 

Even the bathrooms are charming. (I know, it's weird to take photos in there but this one was at least in a quiet area and wasn't being used. But I still felt appropriately embarrassed.  Still did it, though.)

 

There's a rich mahoganey library bar which made me want to put on a smoking jacket and fetch my pipe:

More of this pretty, pretty town later this week!

Cupcake Monday! Pastel Macarons

  

I saw these macarons when I was picking up a mango cheesecake at Pusateri's in Toronto for my daughter's birthday (it's made by Laroca and it's so good you'll make noises). I was looking for a Cupcake Monday subject and although macarons are regulars here, I couldn't resist the pastel colours, especially the lilac and the turquoise with pink filling.

There was also a deep red strawberry balsamic flavour but it drew attention away from the pastels, so I ate it.

After the little shoot in front of my family (I'm pretty sure my grandmother thought I was nuts for setting up macarons in different 'poses' and photographing them, so I told her 'they're for cupcake monday' which didn't seem to help), I just had to try each one. That may seem rude but I first asked the others if they wanted to take half first. (If no one heard me that's not my fault.) However, there were takers for the half-eaten macarons and I think it was their first time eating one. Life-changing.

My favourite was the poppyseed which tastes like my lemon verbena handcream smells. That's a good thing.

If you're in Toronto and you love cherries, Pusateri's has the biggest I've ever seen at the moment. I didn't catch where they're from, but they are really sweet and well worth the price. And don't forget to pick up some macarons!

 

The carnage

Photos © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Chocolate Treats From Toronto

 

I was hoping to have all kinds of neat treats from Toronto to show you by now. If there's one thing I miss about Toronto it's the food. The variety, the quality, the originality, the abundance and the accessibility of it. I've just talked  myself into a second lunch.

I have the most boring and lame sounding excuse for not getting out more. Too busy working and it's been too hot to venture outdoors (you know what happened last week).  I told you it was boring and lame. Also, I have a tendency to go nuts when buying for Cupcake Monday. It's an annoyance for all to take photos in a busy patisserie and it's hard to get a nice shot through a class case, so I take the prettiest home. When I was in Paris in April and Richard Gilles took me to the best places in his neighbourhood, Fauboug Saint Antoine, I went home with several boxes of pastries and then realised it was far too much to eat! There are worse dilemmas. I am aware of that.

However, I did sample some delicious goodies at Delica at Yonge & St. Clair the other day. My bestie Tammy introduced me to it when we met for lunch. It's a tiny little place that makes simple and wholesome, high quality food and it has  counters in lieu of tables.  In the front they have the neatest alternatives to the high table and stool presentation - white painted shabby chic trays protruding from the wall. How sweet.

I had a yummy prosciutto sandwich that was very lean (that's important, you don't want to eat fatty prosciutto in public - you wind up ripping at it like a rabid dog and then some hangs there from your mouth when you finally get a piece to break free. It's completely undignified). On the way out, with Cupcake Monday in mind as well as a craving for chocolate, I picked up a mini banana and chocolate loaf on Tammy's recommendation, some homemade 'Oreos' - which, if I recall correctly, had a slight mintiness to them which is a good thing, and tiny chocolate espresso cupcakes that were so good and rich and moist that I made noises. I will be going back for more of those but I have to be early, at 12:30 they only had two left. No mystery there.

Photo © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Pretty Parasol Toppers

 

Pink paper drink parasols from Gracious Bridal

As mentioned in last week's Cupcake Monday, I had planned to post on a certain highly respected French patisserie in Toronto. I did go in on Saturday, a day where the temperature was 46 degress Celcius with the humidex (that's 115 for Fahrenheit folks). The tiny shop had no air-con, and if the lights had been on I would have mistaken it for the surface of the sun. I'm still not sure. It was so suffocating that my husband had to go outside - into 46 degrees - to get some relief. Now sporting an even thicker sweat moustache, I bought some decadent looking Mississippi Mud Pie brownie-type desserts for my bestie who was having us for dinner that night and got the heck out. The next stop was across the street for dinner wine at the Summerhill LCBO and it's the most impressive alchohol selling establishment around, it's massive and very posh, they have a tasting room and other neat things and I hope they didn't mind that I cooled my bum in one of their open refrigerators for a minute.

So instead, I'm doing a parasol theme. I've noticed a few women about town using parasols and I like it! One was a pretty ivory lace and it reminded me that I should get one and that it won't look weird on the street. I love a wide-brimmed hat, and my mother-in-law gave me a black one that is very chic and I love it, but on the really hot days (that's nearly all of them in Ontario summer) you just can't have anything on your head if you're going to be out for a while. So the parasol makes a lot of sense.

(I saw several cupcakes with parasols but most were of the standard girlie drink variety, and there were some more innovative ones but the photos let them down - always a heartbreaker!)

 
I don't know where this originated, and it has nothing to do with food, but it's gorgeous!

Cupcake Monday Revisited: (Still) Sew Yummy

(Today I was travelling, we're going between families while we're here in Ontario for our summer visit home, and now the time zone is five hours behind the UK so things might be a little off here and there(like this post), but I do plan to be blogging regularly.)

Before leaving Toronto this morning I had hoped to pick up some pastries and Cupcake Monday subjects from Petite Thuet but the sign said 'Ferme' on Monday. I'm not being cute, it did say it in French and I like that.  There's an interesting story behind the man, renowned and controversial Alsatian chef Marc Thuet, who apparently has wrapped up his second season of Conviction Kitchen, a TV series in which he opens a high-end restaurant in Toronto from scratch and staffs it with convicted criminals. No murderers, I checked. It's hard to prepare food with butter knives.

Just one or two doors down is Pastis where we had a great French dinner on Saturday night, and I noticed a few other French places that warrant exploration in the dense with goodness Rosedale area. I know where I'll be focussing my attention when we go back, things have changed from last year as they tend to in the city.

The house fish soup at Pastis was divine as was their Assiette Gourmand which included a mini creme brulee, profiterole and double chocolate torte which was like firm butter and was served with a pistachio creme. We each ordered one and must have been nuts not to just share but I guess it's just not a successful dining night out if I'm not doubled over in cramps on the way out. I also had Steak Frites and I'm sure they cook the frites in duck fat, and they give you a ton, so I felt like I'd eaten a bowling ball and not one of those little 5-pins either.

The photo I'm showing has absolutely nothing to do with this post! To save time and get Cupcake Monday up (which I blew by writing a lot) I dug out an old edition, one I didn't even remember when I saw it so I'm hoping it'll be new to you, too!

This sewing machine topper was made a few years ago by the amazing cupcake sculptress Zalita who I featured in the not so final Cupcake Monday post and earlier with her utterly charming vintage tea party cupcake. They may not be a tie-in but all of these things sure are adorable and amazing.

Hopefully I'll be able to show some Petite Thuet next Monday...

Cupcake Monday! A Favourite Truffle

 

In a case of "one for you, one for me" (at least it wasn't two for me), I couldn't resist temptation when buying my daughter's teacher's thank you gift. (We're on our way back to Canada on Wednesday.) I went with something from Charbonnel et Walker and saw their dusted pink strawberry truffles which are a favourite. I usually stay away from the super sweet which is how I find white chocolate, but there's something about their strawberry filling that gives me cravings.

I shared them with my husband and it's a good thing I saw him before he went out the door to get Baby Swelle from school - he had some of the dust on his nose. I don't think it could ever be a good thing to show up at your kid's school with white powder on your nose. "It's truffle dust, I swear. I'm just fancy that way!"

   I popped them in my 1935 art deco liqueur glasses just for fun

Photos © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Ladurée and Neat Pasta

  

I feel a bit silly showing macarons yet again, but people like to look at them! My theory to support is that they make people happy to see them because 1) they're round and there's something about round that is aesthetically pleasing for some reason 2) they're colourful and colour makes us feel good 3)  we're masochists and like to torture ourselves by looking at tasty things that most of us can't readily procure.

These were a most well-received present from Mr. Swelle to me and Baby Swelle from his recent trip to Tuscany. I think I drooled a bit when I saw that glorious pistachio bag with the flaxen braided handles. Obviously these are not Italian, they came from the Ladurée at Charles de Gaulle aiprort where apparently patience was running short, and therefore the flavours were chosen in haste. But you can't go wrong, can you? This was the first time I tried the chocolate. I've never selected chocolate when I bought a box, figuring why would you have chocolate when there are so many gorgeous flavours to try? Turns out I was missing out, the chocolate was divine.

I have to say Pierre Hermé is my absolute favourite for macarons, but you can't beat Ladurée for packaging, decor and all-round decadence, an homage to their patron saint, Marie Antoinettte. Speaking of her, the silk tapestry under the box is a souvenir I brought home from my visit to Versailles, and it was based on a design commissioned for the tragic Queen.

And especially for Baby Swelle, the pasta freak of the family, 'Pasta Loca' from Tuscany in all kinds of neat shapes with colours and flavours from various vegetables. It's exceptionally tasty with a splash of olive oil and fresh parmesan. I accidentally overcooked it and it was still worlds apart from the other allegedly Italian pasta I've bought here when cooked al dente.

(Yes, you can see the wipe streaks on our lacquer table. I am aware of it.)

Cupcake Monday! Lovely Lollies

What gorgeous lollies! Cupcake Journal makes the prettiest cakes and all things related, and these vintage-inspired cookies are among the loveliest I've seen with their pale pink roses, that irresistible minty green and white icing 'pearls'. Wouldn't these make a wonderful kitchen decoration? For about a week, I'm not sure we could leave them alone much longer. 

Cupcake Journal says the fondant decorations are made with a silicone cupcake mould from Karen Davies. Time to investigate!

Photos from Cupcake Journal's Flickr 

Cupcake Monday! Wimbledon's Strawberries & Cream

  A simply gorgeous incarnation from 6 Bittersweet

Today is the first day of Wimbledon, so Cupcake Monday had to be about strawberries and cream! A simple pleasure, there's nothing like a sweet, red strawberry made decadent with a dollup of ultra nutritious thick cream! Ah, but sometimes you must. And it's tradition!

Is it just me or are sweet strawberries hard to come by? Would you believe I didn't know strawberries were supposed to taste sweet until I was 26 years old and ate a particularly perfect specimen at my uncle's wedding? It was a revelation. One of pure embarrassment as when I exclaimed "Wow! These strawberries are amazing, they're so sweet! Are strawberries supposed to be sweet?'' I was met with the kind of looks that say "I hope you're getting a taxi home." Oh, and I guess raspberries are meant to be sweet as well, I only figured that out last year when I finally found one that wasn't tart. I grew up near the fruit belt in Ontario. There is no excuse for having grown up with sour berries! Luckily, there's a stall at the Tynemouth market near where I now live in England that has the most amazingly fragrant and SWEET strawberries. So much wasted chewing.

Click the links for the recipes for these ripe and creamy beauties.

This recipe from Woman and Home uses strawberries in the icing for full-on fruity flavour:

These fairy cakes from the BBC have a jam surprise in the middle, which I have to admit I honestly don't care for! I prefer cake all the way through which of course you can do as well:

Cupcake Monday: Sweet Paul Summer Issue is Out!

Just about everything that's great in life is found in Sweet Paul magazine.  Food, colour, beauty, light, surprise and delight - just what you need to create a blissful moment for yourself, or bond with family and friends, in or around your own home. (Though you don't even need to do anything, just looking through Sweet Paul is a massive treat! But you must, and you'll see why.)

New York-based food and interiors stylist Paul Lowe aka Sweet Paul has just launched his summer issue, the 5th and biggest yet at 144 pages filled with mouth-watering recipes, eye-popping interiors and wonderfully creative people sharing their craft, always with a little of the unexpected thrown in and all so gorgeously styled and photographed. This issue was as hungrily anticipated as a dark chocolate donut and strawberry lime float (page 122) on cheat day.

Paul tells me he thinks this is his best issue yet, and I wholeheartedly agree. A fresh new layout debuts as does a print version of Sweet Paul magazine, now available at newsstands in Norway, Paul's home country. Lucky them!

As always, I want to make everything from these pages, but my first crack will have to be one of Paul's incredible summer salads. Have you ever seen potato salad presented so brilliantly? Yes, that is potato salad on the right! Now that is food styling at its finest.

Paul presents his summer brunch menu which includes lobster rolls, Pimm's cups and yet another neat idea for guests' place cards:

I have promised my daughter to make something from the Sweet Paul Soda Fountain story, such a sacrifice:

And a picnic is in order which might look a little like this:

 

I could go on and on and on but best you just go see for yourself!

 All photos from Sweet Paul magazine, summer issue

Cupcake Monday! Sweet Apologies

 

 Gigi & Big Red show off their strawberry chocolate cupcake ornaments

So sorry for the sparseness of posts last week and the lateness of Cupcake Monday - can we pretend this is the midnight edition? I guess we don't have to pretend, it pretty much is. I've been busy planning my first event for Swelle Boutique and my daughter was on half term, so the blog drew the short straw, though it was never far from my mind. Just what a bad boyfriend would say to smooth things over!

To make up for it I bring you candy and flowers. In cupcake form, of course.

A picnic of the cutest treats by Hello Naomi

Lilac and pink 'hydrangeas' by iilgemini

Beautiful roses by Gabby Cupcakes

No More Fish in the Sea? Selfridges Answers with Project Ocean

 
The Project Ocean t-shirt by activist and fashion designer Katherine Hamnett

I love fish. I make salmon, trout or some kind of white fish for my family once a week and I feel like I'm doing something good for them. So it's disturbing to hear that if overfishing continues, the major fisheries will collapse by 2050.  Imagine Britain without fish and chips! I kid but it's dire news indeed that if our ways don't change we could wipe out entire species  and leave the seas barren by the time my daughter is 45 years old.

Selfridges is bringing the issue of overfishing to the forefront in Britain with their launch of Project Ocean which challenges the public to imagine a world with “no more fish in the sea”.  The initiative is spearheaded by Selfridges Creative Director Alannah Weston, working in partnership with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to increase awareness, inspire changed consumer habits and raise funds. 

Running until 12th June, the project is both a celebration of the oceans and a forum for conservationists to issue an urgent public wake-up call to address issues of sustainability, overfishing and marine protection. Participants include international marine protection campaigners and 22 environmental NGOs, as well high profile activists from the worlds of art, fashion, culinary arts, and entertainment.   

Selfridges has displayed commitment to the issue by eliminating all endangered fish stocks across all their restaurants and food halls, which means we can buy our fish knowing we are not contributing to the problem. Find out which of your local fish markets offer the same commitment. If they come up short, know which fish are threatened and don't by them. To help, Project Ocean has developed a “Fish Guide” in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) to identify which fish to eat and which to avoid, suggesting alternatives to those under threat.  The guide is free and available in booklet format or via a more detailed phone app version, including recipes from participating chefs and a sustainability-minded restaurant guide compiled by Fish 2 Fork. 

As part of its commitment, Selfridges has sponsored the creation of a marine reserve in the Philippines on a unique double barrier reef, creating a safe haven for endangered fish.  The public can help ZSL to help set up and support marine reserves around the world by donating to Project Ocean and purchasing bespoke Project Ocean ribbons, bracelets and access. A marine reserve manifesto developed by participating NGOs will encourage society to make their policy makers act to protect marine reserves on a long-term level.

So far Project Ocean has raised £83,705. To help further you can donate here

You can learn more by visiting the Project Ocean micro site, show your support on their Facebook page and follow their progress on Twitter.

Cupcake Monday! Sheffield's Fancie-est Cakes

If only I'd known about Fancie Cupcakes when I visited Sheffield last spring, it would have made my trip to get biometriced at the city's immigration office so much more pleasant, and most certainly sweeter!

Fancie was founded by pastry chef Amanda Perry who has grown a single shop into a city-wide chain in a very short time, and surely the people of Sheffield are grateful! They also host neat events such as "The Ultimate Cupcake Experience", where they provide everything you and your friends need to recreate your favourite Fancie cupcake.

I had a little chat with the lovely Amanda to find out what's behind the pretty treats at Fancie:

Why a cake shop?

AP: I am a trained pastry chef so puds have always been my thing. I started Fancie three years ago - before I realised how cupcake-obsessed the world and his wife were going to become! Today we have four shops and a wonderful army of staff including our team of bakers who start at 3am every morning!

What's your absolute favourie dessert?

AP: I'm a total chocoholic so it would have to be a really good bitter chocolate torte or a simple but delicious Brownie!

Any standout moments you'd like to mention?

AP: I was once taken to see a very special guest in a restaurant in the Lake District where I was pastry chef, only to see Stephen Hawking sat there. He turned to me and said "I really like your sticky toffee pudding." That was quite a compliment!

Wow, indeed! And what's your favourite flavour of cupcake?

AP: My current favourite is our praline flavour- chcocolate brownie base with a choc hazelnut frosting and sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts! Deeeelish.

And it was at this point that I seriously lamented not having a Fancie shop near me and had to deal with an unbearable cupcake craving, which I am now having again! If you stand the tempation, you can see more yummy Fancie treats and get location details at their Facebook page.

Yes, they do macarons!

 
Someday I will dive face first into one of these

 

Their Raspberry & Rosewater cupcake has completely done me in.

All images courtesy of Fancie

Cupcake Monday! Pear Perfection at Junior Masterchef Australia

Earlier this year I was following the Junior Masterchef Australia series on TV and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The final 12 contestants were nine to 12 years old, each exceptionally talented and intelligent chefs who were also the sweetest people ever. They were genuinely excited for each other when one nailed an advanced recipe (nearly everyone one of them did, repeatedly) and I actually got teary watching as they hugged the victor with ear to ear smiles. No egos or insecurities, simply pure joy for doing their craft, peers and mentors proud. Those who think  society is doomed because of teenage wastrels just need to stop paying attention to the tabloid news and watching 16 and Pregnant. The future is bright. And tasty.

One of the last challenges was to pull off an ambitious pastry called Pear Perfection, created by chef Adriano Zumbo to truly put their skills and intuition to the test. The two remaining competitors, Jack and Isabella, were intimidated by this complicated dessert, and rightly so. Zumbo gave them a brief lesson in crucial things to watch for so it didn't fall flat and then they were on their own.

There are seven separate elements in this highly textured pastry:

1. Sable a Choux (the green crackly stuff on the outside, if you wondered)
   
2. Pear Vanilla Creme Patissiere
3. Pear Gel
4. Green Chocolate Squares
5. Pear Mousse
6. Green Marzipan
7. Almond Crunch

Not only did they both create a brilliant dessert, Jack was awarded an 11 out of 10 by most of the judges, because they thought his was better than that of the chef who created it! And after tasting it, Zumbo concurred, which you can see in the video below. Imagine?! And this was his first time. Isabella received 10s across the board - Pear Perfection indeed.

Fancy a try? You can see the full list of ingredients and the recipe at the Masterchef Australia website. I'd love to have a go myself and am fully prepared to have to eat a gooey green mess when it's all over, or a cripsy mess. I don't have a chance, our oven is the worst.

This segment from Australian TV shows us clips from the Pear Perfection challenge and a view behind the scenes as it addresses the issue of where new child stars Jack and Isabella (Isabella had the most overall points in the end) might be headed. I think they'll be just fine.

And here's how Pear Perfection looks on the inside, this is Adriano Zumbo's original creation as photographed by Cavanaugh Photography (they have others as well!):

 

Cupcake Monday! Fiona Cairns' Royal Creation

You may not be aware, but two Fridays ago there was a wedding in England between one of the world's lesser known princes and a girl he met at school. It went off with minimal fanfare and left the British populace largely unaffected but for a vicar who did cartwheels up the aisle after the ceremony, though rumour has it a red squirrel crawled up his pantleg and the gymnastics were a peppy attempt to loosen it from his knickers.  It's not known whether the squirrel has since repented.

Kidding aside, the cake was pretty spectacular. Sometimes you see the results of what wealth can afford people and you think "What a waste of money." Not here, at least in my opinion. Renowned British cakemaker Fiona Cairns created the official version in an all-white, flower and ensignia-adorned traditional fruitcake.  Its delicate and elegant and not at all pretentious, in relative terms, compared to some ostentatious celeb cakes which were five and six plus feet of what would appear to be subjective beauty. Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and his bride Mette-Marit had a 7 tiered wedding cake of raisins and rum that weighed 140 Kg, measured 2.69-metre high and was decorated with Viking ships. Hmmm...I hope it tasted good.

Fiona talks about how she felt when she was asked to make the Royal wedding cake and explains the 'language of flowers', a Victorian tradition that Kate asked her to incorporate into the design of the decoration:

 

The delicate details:

Fiona Cairns with her Royal masterpiece

Photos © AP

Cupcake Monday! Ladurée and Angelina's

Now, I must confess these Ladurée Champs Élysées images are sneaky pics. When I took Baby Swelle for brunch we were early so we queued in the shop, and I suspected you're not allowed to take photos because you don't really see it there, and I couldn't magine they would allow their exquisite haven of delights to become a flash-fest free for all.  I was discreet so as not to be intrusive, then was spied and told 'no pictures.' I got in trouble at Ladurée. I hung my head in shame, then was buoyed when it was my turn to choose. I took home macarons, a gift box of teddy bear chocolates in different colours and flavours for Baby Swelle that I will probably eat most of myself, that mauve egg, and some of their lovely Marie Antoinette tea (which I cannot believe I haven't tried yet - what is wrong with me?!) It's not hard to recognise that it was France's last queen who inspired the decor at Ladurée.

I also took ma petite to Angelina's. I know it's a tourist favourite but hey, as much as I hate to call it as it is, I am a tourist in Paris. And I couldn't rest until I had tried their famous chocolat chaud. It's liquid chocolate that you 'dilute' with whipped cream. Craziness. While the entrance area and shop were pretty (they allowed photos but I didn't take any, sometimes I just don't want to look like a tourist then I regret not having the photos later) and the ground level dining room looked nice enough (it's no Ladurée), I have to say that the upstairs looked like it hadn't been thought of for decades, which is probably the case. That's where we sat. Charming it was not. If you go, wait for a table downstairs, it will be worth it unless you're just there to get your chocolate on. 

I asked for their most beautiful pastry and our server brought me their Religieuse pistache. Usually they are decorated with gold balls but this one was missing them, and I have to say I've had better. Way better, in Paris. It wasn't the freshest. We shared one hot chocolate which you pour for yourself and we couldn't finish it between the two of us, it's just too much, though I know many who can handle one all to themselves. They were obviously born with iron stomachs. See that tiny bit of brown liquid in the cup? That was all I had and it was more than enough.

Back to Ladurée whose unwavering commitment to an enchanted experience have never let me down:
      

Ladurée ice cream!!!

I adore Petits Fours but didn't buy any, it's just all so overwhelming that you don't know where to look and your head spins. And unless you want to drop 100+ euros on pastries that should be eaten that day, you have to curb your enthusiasm. Just before I snapped these photos someone bought the Marie Antoinette entremet in Ladurée green, an unbelievably gorgeous cake that for a moment I considered taking home. Then it was gone.

Photos: The Swelle Life (To the people at Ladurée - no more sneaky pics, promise!)

Cupcake Monday! The Ladurée Easter Edition

 

We returned from Paris last night kicking and screaming (in my mind, anyway). I was so exhausted from my glorious nine-day tour of gluttony that I fell asleep reading my daughter the Marie-Antoinette story book that I bought for her at Versailles (they left out that nasty last bit). And missed being the Easter Bunny. Daddy forgot, too. Luckily I woke up before she did, realised, and got right to it. Phew. Childhood innocence saved.

Not having the time to buy the Easter treats before we left for our trip, I had no choice but to buy them in Paris. That might sound like a dilemma to celebrate rather than lament - I prefer to buy handmade chocolates for Easter - but it's incredibly expensive there. Paris barely tolerates Cadbury but there is an artisanal chocolatier on practically every corner, so that's where you go and all of them are pricey. I saw a large chocolate egg for €140 and nearly laid one myself. Smaller treats, then.

There were a lot of chocolate fish as is the tradition, and neat things like a real egg shell filled with dark chocolate (it at least looks real, we're still not sure!) Update: it was real. 

On our last full day in Paris I took my daughter to Ladurée. I booked the Castiglione Salon, the prettiest room, and we shared a brunch which was tough to finish between us - we had to bring home the macarons for later and had no room for their divine Saint-Honorés! It still stings.

But we left with the mauve coloured white chocolate Easter egg done up in a pretty lilac Ladurée ribbon that you see in the photos with Baby Swelle, and some other pretty deliceuse that I will show you next week. We heard movement inside the egg - it contains tiny Ladurée surprises! We're about to investigate...

Easter photos © Denise Grayson, The Swelle Life

Photo of Castiglione Salon from Laduree

Cupcake Monday! The Paris Edition

Yesterday I explained that while I ate a lot of tasty Parisian food, it was devoid of Cupcake Monday subject matter. I promised I would make up for it, which I did, and I have the sweet breath and searing stomach pains to prove it.

First, the savoury (though I must admit I ate macarons for breakfast. They were there.) We had lunch at a nostalgic place, Le Cercle cafe in our old neighbourhood at the corner of Rue Gay Lussac and Blvd St-Michel, adjacent to one of my most favourite places on earth within my most favourite place on earth, Jardin du Luxembourg. Not only are its typically Parisian sidewalk tables great for people watching, you can count how many jaywalkers nearly get run over crossing the intersection! Seriously, it's nuts.

I had the duck confit with frites, Le Cercle has the best, and because all of that wasn't fatty enough I had them with the peppercorn sauce they serve with their pepper steak.  I regret nothing!

Having nothing to do but sit, eat and walk around all day, we decided to go somewhere else for coffee and dessert. So we headed down to Les Editeurs just behind St-Germain, a stylish library of a restaurant-cafe with creative dishes that for the most part I have only ogled on other people's tables. A great place for food watching? 

We had only coffees - I was saving the sweets for later - but Baby Swelle had the cassis sorbet which came with two chocolate wafers that mostly ended up in crumbs on the table, and how I wanted to eat those crumbs:

 
 

Next I was on my way to Place de la Bastille to meet Richard Gilles, you may remember him from that fantastic shopping and pampering tour of Fauboug Saint Antoine he treated us to recently. It was great to spend a bit of time chatting in his neighbourhood at Café Français, and the topper was my personalised tour of the area's best patisseries and chocolatiers. 

Seduced by the glossy pinks and rich chocolates of the ultra slick Lenôtre, I went a bit nuts.  I was handing over euros for pastries so fast it never occurred to me that they all had to be eaten tonight! Naturally the bar fridge in our room isn't working, either. 

We did manage to show this pretty treat from Dalloyau who's boss:

And I just love this mini latch-lid canning jar of strawberry and white peach which I will eat once we locate a spoon!

  

The packaging came at no extra charge. I love taking home pastries like they're little presents.

Photos © The Swelle Life

Cupcake Monday! Les Cupcakes de Ladurée

 

I'm off to Paris this Saturday for eight days and all I can think about is pastries. When it comes to macarons I actually prefer Pierre Hermé, I just can't see how it gets better than his artful way of combining fresh, complex flavours so good that obscene noises come out of your mouth. But for old French, pastel-drenched, gilded charm, nothing beats Ladurée for the treat of all treats.

I've never had one of their cupcakes but it's time to rectify that. Look at them! So regal, pretty and perfect.

And considering we lived in Paris I find it a downright shame that I have only had one of Ladurée's divine pastries. How did that happen? Oh right, it's because Paris is full of this heavenly stuff, and one can only eat so many pastries. You think there's time, then next thing you know you're at Charles de Gaulle airport and security is telling you you're too pregnant to fly, only you're not pregnant. Was that just me?

I may have to find a way to justify ordering this  Marie Antoinette entremet:

A religious experience indeed!

Images from www.laduree.fr

Cupcake Monday! The April Fools Edition

I would just like to preface this post for those only seeing it now, and say this is the worst Cupcake Monday post I have ever done. I am aware of it.

I'm a little late on this (imagine that?!) but I didn't think of looking to see what was out there for April Fools cupcakes until today. A recent post would qualify, those neat corn-on-the cob cuppies that looked pretty real would trick people, but really they'd be mostly delighted. There's not a whole lot of foolin', is there?

So in the spirit of the day, how about instead of pleasantly surprising someone, we try to make them feel stupid? (For next year of course, unless there's a May Fools Day I'm unaware of). That's what it's about, right? It's called April Fools for a reason. A bit of humiliation, but not so much that your pal's usual good nature will be compromised.

I'm bothering to post this at this time not because I really want you to make your loved ones cry; rather the idea behind the cupcake above is a neat one that is useful for kids. And a good prank for adult friends. And by good I mean really mediocre. (Speaking of kids, I came across a post for a 'fake fried egg' - it's pound cake (the toast) with vanilla yogurt and half an apricot (the egg) and a commenter complained "My son did not find this funny at all. It ruined his day. I hope you're all happy!" It's clear where he gets his sense of humour from.)

This is a mini meatloaf made to look like a cupcake, obviously. Give it to your bestie and she'll likely take a bite, make a face like Laura Dern crying, and then when she realises what it actually is and that it's normal food, finish it. Happy ending! When it comes to your child you have a choice whether you tell them what it really is before they eat it. If you enjoy seeing the fruit of your loins gurn, cringe and collapse in sobs, say nothing! And then you can leave me a nasty comment about how I've ruined your day. If you'd rather not risk destroying your child's trust in 10 seconds and make them food phobic, you can present the cupcake as what it is - a cute way to enjoy meatloaf.

The 'frosting' is coloured mashed potatoes (I have to admit that seems a bit gross to me) but who knows, it might go over. Want to try? Find the recipe at Family Fun 

To Sip a Cup of Roses...

To sip a cup of roses you need some whole dried fragrant rosebuds with hot water poured over in a pretty teacup.  Mine come courtesy of my lovely friend Kate who got some as a gift at the Charles Anastase show last September. I think that beats a bottle of water!

The tea is soft and tastes perfumey, as you would imagine, and it's gorgeously aromatic. So be sure to indulge in a sniff with every sip! (I didn't feel like drinking the rest of  my third cup so I just held it to my face and repeatedly huffed it. Best to do that when you're alone.)

Update! My brilliant Kate offers this suggestion for the leftover tea (after huffing it, of course): "I freeze left over tea into little ice cubes.  Something pretty to put into home made limeade in the summer!" For Kate's fantastic limeade recipe see here!

My small collection of teacups and pots are among the prettiest things I own. I've decided to show my absolute favourite teapot in a separate post because I love it that much (it's a 1920s handpainted Noritake pedestal pot and you can see a preview in the shots below), but for now here are some of my favourite cups and saucers which include my newest Wedgwood, a stunning little deco set with lavender and pink flowers, even on the inside of the rim (I love it when the pattern is carried through to the inside, it's so stark otherwise). It was the obvious choice to host the rosebuds.

Befitting such a gorgeous set was the box it came in. Look what you get when you buy something from Wedgwood's Harlequin collection (it's perfect atop the ivory French bookcase which needed something but I wasn't sure what):

Below is an adorable cup and saucer Christmas tree ornament from Wedgwood, if you haven't guessed. I wouldn't dare hang it on the tree, that slippery ribbon would slide right off the needles and it would probably break, and who wants to see this sweetness only once a year? So it sits on my French antique aqua painted side table where it and the other breakables act as a magnet for the hands of friends' small children (my daughter has never broken anything of mine so I forget that she's not typical). You can actually hear my teeth grinding.

This trio is from Royal Albert's 100 Years collection. They re-released an iconic style from each decade starting with 1900, and I had difficulty choosing whether to get the 1930s Polka Rose or the 1990s Hartington Lane. I know, you can't believe it either, that I went with 1990s design over the 1930s. The Polka Rose is a mint green tiny polka dot pattern but it just seemed such an obvious choice for me, so I went with the lilac set from the far less enchanting era, you don't see lovely purples all that often and I do love them.

If you look closely at the saucer and dessert plate below, you'll see a subtle (but more obvious in person) cross-hatch pattern all over the lilac. That is pretty much what makes it 90s, I can't really explain why it does but I think you might know what I mean? It's not a pattern that would likely ever be repeated as such and it bugs me a bit, actually! (I know, total weirdo.)

The most discernable features of good china are its pristine sheen (no relation to Charlie), and the gorgeous gold gilt detailing. I will just sit and stare (not for too long, don't worry), you can see how solidly made and perfect the pieces are, and you can feel it in your hands.

 

Come back for Interiors & Exteriors next Thursday if you want to see more of my favourite teapot!

Cupcake Monday! Tutus and Teacups

 

I'm in the mood to look at pretty things - you? Swelle favourite Kylie Lambert of Australia's Le Cupcake not only makes exquisitely decorated cupcakes, she also photographs them beautifully. You wouldn't believe how many fantastic creations I can't show you because the photos are awful! The lighting is too dark or they're blurry or the icing looks sweaty - ick! We can always rely on Kylie to deliver true, edible beauty.

The bar (barre?) has been raised, we must now be prepared to eat our work-of-art cupcakes in vintage teacups and saucers that match our embellished tutus. Unlike real ballerinas, we're allowed to eat ours!

 
 

Images from Le Cupcake

Cupcake Monday! Sweet Paul's Spring Issue

Happy first day of Spring! The pure sunshine that is Sweet Paul magazine is upon us again with the spring issue, a special Kid's edition that will appeal to anyone with a sense of adventure. And tastebuds. You don't need to be changing nappies to benefit from Cupcakes on a Stick or gush at the cuteness of a table styled with a pastel pink giraffe figurine sniffing cucumber sushi on a lime green cakestand (Paul Lowe outdoes himself yet again!).

If you do have little ones, you'll want to get all over this issue. Do something from one just one page (I suggest the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwiches then give me your address, I'm coming over) and you'll instantly become Coolest Mom or Dad on the block. Oh right, this is about the kids!  Yes, they will love it, too. And as always, there's something for our four-legged friends. Leave it to Sweet Paul to make dried liver treats look appealing!

And if you like eggs, there's a whole section for yolky treats! This is good news. I need options because 4 out of 5 times I fail hugely on soft boiling an egg by forgetting about it until 12 minutes has passed, the egg has turned to rubber and almost all of the water has evaporated out of the pan.

 

Images from Sweet Paul magazine

Cupcake Monday! The Beautiful Butterflies Edition

In my eternal quest to seek out spring I bring you butterfly cupcakes from Le Cupcake, who make some of the most beautiful and lovely ones around. The settings for the photographs are also gorgeous as is the quality. I come across so many impressive little creations that are let down by bad photography and I can't show them, so it's always a treat to find photos as pretty as this.

Cupcake Monday! The Fashion Edition

I just got back from London Fashion Week and saw some really gorgeous shows - photos will be posted starting later today, they take a bit to edit! So in the spirit of the event that has left me crippled and incredibly inspired, here are some adorable fashion cupcakes from the Clever Little Cupcake Company in Lancashire, England. The ones above remind me of paper dolls with their cut-out clothes.

Look at those tiny little mules! Bite-size, edible, glittery mules!

 

Photos from Clever Little Cupcake Company 

Cupcake Monday! Treats You'll Love at First Sight

Red Rose cupcakes by Bakerella. See how to make the roses here - super easy!

Valentine's Day, whatever your situation, should be about nice little indulgences. Sweet things. If not for someone else, then for yourself! (A single friend celebrates 'Anti-Valentines' with another friend - they watch horror movies, pig out and revel in their drama-free life!)

For our daughter I have a tiny set of three porcelain nesting dishes. They say 'I', 'Love' and 'You'. It fits perfectly with this little game we do, so despite being only five years old, I really think she's going to like it, she is the sweetest. It was such a small thing but I'll never forget waking up for school one morning when I was young, I'm guessing I was around 11 years old, and found a little trail my mom had made for us with cinnamon hearts on the coffee table, leading to some red foil wrapped chocolates on a doily. It was really nice and totally unexpected. Of course then I expected it every year after that but none was forthcoming! It was a one-shot deal. In grade four our teacher walked up and down the aisles, dropping handfuls of cinnamon hearts on our desks. You would have thought we'd won the lottery by the smiles on our faces. You know those cheap chocolate-covered marshmallow hearts/bunnies/santas you find at convenience store counters during the holidays? I love those. They are such crappy quality and they get worse and worse every year and I feel a bit sick after eating one, but I still love them. Don't tell anyone. 

I wish I'd gotten on Valentine's Day sooner so I could make one of the fantastic looking treats here, all come with recipes or decorating instructions so you can make them, too!

Bakerella's Macaron Pops. Oh yeah, that's the stuff.

   

Glitter Jam Cookies from the lovely and local Katie Cakes

 

And these are from the amazing and wonderful Sweet Paul:

Pink Vanilla Mashmallows with Candied Violets. In a jewellery box. Yes, please.

 

How gorgeous is this Raspberry & Almond cake and setting?

Cupcake Monday! The Birdhouse Edition

Not sure who created these stunning gingerbread birdhouses, but I found them at Cutest Food 

This week I'm into birdhouses, who knew lots of cakemakers were doing them? I should know by now you can find anything in cake form. I even saw a bong cake. I love the folksy birds and pretty blossoms and vines that Kandy Kakes has used to adorn their gingerbread houses. How neat! (FYI - they did the bong cake!)

  
 

Not the greatest photo quality here, but the cake below is just charming with it's gorgeous pink roses and butterflies. And are those birds edible? I would assume so, considering they're Edible Delectables.

 

From Small Things Iced - love the white wood grain base!

This is right out of a fairy tale, from Jacques Fine European Pastries

 

I think this one's my favourite, those flowers are just gorgeous. From Nevie Pie Cakes.

Cupcake Monday! The Cameos and Bows Editions

So sorry for slipping in Cupcake Monday just under the wire, first I'm late and then my connection cut out mid-post for two hours, to punish me, no doubt. Despite my tardiness I've been antsy to get these gorgeous little cameo and beribboned cupcakes out to you. They're made by Katie 'Cakes' Deacon of Pet Lamb Patisserie and I Heart Katie Cakes blog in Newcastle, England. Notice her pretty teacup cupcake cases which are the perfect finisher for such special treats. I've had Pet Lamb cupcakes and they are delish!

Katie makes lovely bows as well and after repeated requests to do a tutorial she happily obliged!

You can see her fondant bow-making tutorial here. Oh god I want a cupcake.

 

Cupcake Monday! The 'Most Beautiful Cake I've Ever Seen' Edition

 

Cutting into this cake should be considered attempted murder. I've seen a lot of gorgeous cakes since Cupcake Monday began in 2009 but this has to be the most beautiful yet. This stunning wedding creation is from pastry chef Erin Gardner of New Hampshire's Wild Orchid Baking Company.

Cameos, a skeleton key, pearl buttons and delicate brooches spill out of a vintage jewellery box, all edible of course - if you can bring yourself to do it! And know that I would fight you if you tried.

Here's a closer look at the detail:

As for what's inside it could be bricks for all I'd care because I'd never bring a knife to it! Just a little lick, maybe.

Here are more gorgeous cakes from Wild Orchid Baking Co:

 
All photos from Wild Orchid Baking Company

Cupcake Monday! The Pretty Ones + Porcelain Roses and Heartbreak

Let's just bask in the prettiness of these cupcakes which appear to be wrapped in ketchup cups! (Also brilliant for Jell-o shooters I recall from back in the day. I wonder if they stole theirs from McDonald's.) I was going to post more but these mini beauties really do it for me and so I don't really want to look at anything else (I'm loyal that way). Hope you don't mind.

The icing roses remind me of those tiny, delicate porcelain flowers. I have a silver anchor necklace just covered with them, I got it in Paris from Les Bijoux de Sophie. I came close to a public hissy fit when I was at a restaurant in Montmartre and its long pendant got hooked under the edge of the table so when I went to stand up it sheered off some of the roses. Augh! I'm still not over it. It stings. Although, it did teach me a lesson that things don't need to be so precious and I even tried to convince myself that it was more interesting that way. I had a story! Not a good one, but a story nonetheless.

 

I love its pretty take on the cheesy sailor tattoo. I still wear it and tell myself it's more beautiful in its accidental asymmetry.

And if those cupcakes are yours please do let us know as I found them with no credit given, for shame!