paul a. young & the delicious brownies

I'd heard lots about Paul A Young, he did a tutored tasting and talk at the Chocolate Week event in London back in the autumn, which a cheeky but horrid cold kept me away from. In addition blogs like Wee Birdy (by the way, if like me you love beautiful shops then check out this blog) have raved about his Islington store. I've recently rediscovered my love for Camden passage, partially fuelled by rediscovering Loop, and decided to pay their small London flagship a pilgrimage.

I'd heard about the brownies, and frankly, they're not what you would expect a chocolatier to produce - too cakey, not distinguished enough etc, but Paul's shop is a homage to everything and anything related to the cocoa bean; offering chocolates, truffles, sauces, brownies and even ice creams as well as their tasting nights.

Initially arriving in the store on a quiet Thursday afternoon I was ignored by the assistant and I was prepared to seriously mark them down in a Portas-like fashion as I browsed the carefully edited selection of treats, however as soon as he noticed me the service was fantastic and we talked for a considerable length of time about salted chocolates from the various producers stocked in the store and my new found love of salted caramel. The level of knowledge was akin to a good wine shop, like Hackney's Bottle Apostle, I even got a free salted caramel truffle and nearly got away without paying, so carried away the coversation about chocolate and food in general became.

Now the reason you're here is to hear about the goodies, and they didn't disappoint. I picked up a milk chocolate salted chocolate, two small salted caramel truffles (plus one free) and the brownie. Both of the chocolates were a marvel and I ate them shortly before heading off to the Bistrot Bruno Loubet (and I wonder why my thighs aren't skinny). b Their particular sea salted caramel has a different sort of taste, and a more honey like texture than Artisan's, slightly sweeter and more fluid, but still salty and delicious. Asking me to say which I preferred would be like picking your favourite child, but they are both delicious. meanwhile I saved the brownie for a time when I could appreciate it fully.

Man, I'm glad I did. This is a brownie force to be reckoned with, and I think there's something to be said for being made by a chocolatier instead of a baker. It was moist and not a bit cakey, more like a solid and deliciouss mousse. This was the kind of cake this blog was set up to appreciate, and a worthy contender for the Ottolenghi brownie which had been my previous favourite. In fact I tried it with my favourite sauce (well, it doesn't last long in the cupboard!) and I thought I'd gone to heaven.

At the time of the visit, which was a few days after valentines day, they still had a valentines version of the brownie in store, which I'm sure had a few more bells and whistles but the original version is awesome, and any fan of chocolatey cakes should give it a whirl.

Paul A Young is based at 33 Camden Passage and also has a store in the Royal Exchange near Bank.

More information about the ranges can be found on the website.

My beautiful neighbourhood

http://www.timeout.com/london/feature/659/london-area-guides-shoreditch

Look what Time Out has to say about La Ditch. Now none of this is cutting edge by any means, bit being a neighbour to any place that swings is why I can never give up and move to the burbs. Also the cakes aren't as good, but that's besides the point.

ottolenghi - islington

My love for Ottolenghi goes all the way back to when I was a student at Kingston University and doing an internship with a now gone bust fashion label. The owner, at the time on maternity leave brought in some cakes which were some of the most delicious I've ever tasted - a bitter sweet chocolate tart and some gorgeous fruit patisserie. Where had these cakes come from? All that was left was a small piece of the sticker used to seal the box.

When I finally moved to central London about four years ago I happened to be walking past and the penny dropped. Ever since Ottolenghi has been a go to venue for fantastic, delicious cakes and the most wonderful salads too.

I want to do the place full credit, with multiple pictures of the spectacular theatre they create with their food but in the meantime I'll have to describe it cake by cake.

Today I happened to have a little wander in Islington, a day off work prompted a visit to Paul A Young and then a jaunt further up Upper Street.

Although, at nearly 5pm, they were tidying away the selection of cakes still looked fantastic. The chocolate cupcake, complete with a generous dollop of mascapone caught my eye; dusted with cocoa, it looked more like a torte than any run of the mill cupcake.

I've never, ever had a cake from Ottolenghi's which disappointed and this was no exception - goey and with a moist centre, this was the most exquisite of cupcakes and comes highly recommended. It required a fork, after an attempt at hand eating left me covered in chocolate.

Also recommended are the brownies, the baileys cake, the flourless sponge cake, the other cupcakes, the tarts... You get the idea.

Back soon with a full post.

cupcake club: the event

So, to some pictures from the cupcake club meet itself.

Unfortunately marred by the tube strike, the turnout was pretty tight but everyone who came along was lovely - there was Anne from I heart Cupcakes and Manny, Kelly from An American Cupcake in London and Marcus, who came along bearing extremely delicious brandy snaps and also very kindly bought me a pint of Blue Moon.

We ate cakes, we talked about the Walking Dead and moaned about TFL and afterwards I felt like I never wanted to eat a cake again (I soon recovered from that).

Firstly Kelly made both mulled wine and gingerbread cupcakes, aside from the sweet gingerbread men the cakes were delish. Even Mr LROC liked them and he only likes fruit cake. Anne's caramel and Bailey's cakes with a soft centre and Quality Street on the top were amazing and just the thing for a pre-Christmas get together. Also, suitably festive were her sprout cakes which won a prize for most novel cake at Cupcake Camp. Although tasting much more like a carrot cake and the cake itself being delicious, I couldn't shake the knowledge that I was eating sprouts, but well worth a try.

On that note it will be fab to meet up again, and hopefully some more cake bloggers too.

Lola's

Yesterday evening I headed to the Lola's cupcakes counter in Selfridges for an early-week pick me up. Technically I am supposed to be trying to cut down a little - I'm busting out of some of my size 10 clothes - but decided that visiting Niketown to buy some new jogging leggings to wear later in the week was activity enough and I deserved a little reward. I'd previously had Lola's vanilla cupcakes at a work do and not been hugely impressed - the vanilla flavour was too strong and too artificial but I was prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt, and give their undoubtably pretty cupcakes another try.

The counter is in the foodhall, just in front of the Pierre Herme counter and back to back with the more generic bakery. It offers cakes to take away but also seating - although I couldn't see any drinks on offer to accompany said cakes. By around 7pm there was no queue, and some of the flavours were sold out.

The overall look and feel is quite cutesy, but in a minimal, designed fashion. The cupcakes come in a staggering variety of flavours and both mini and maxi sizes. They look much more artfully iced than their Hummingbird rivals - the frosting is stiffer - sitting in carefully piped formations. Hummingbird tends towards a more home-baked look. And unlike Hummingbird, the focus is solely on cupcakes and large event cakes instead of a diverse range of pies, brownies, cookies and so forth.

The packaging and visual material is also a delight, the duck egg blue boxes and neatly designed menus look great as do the colour coded circles which mark each flavour both in store and on the website.

I selected two mini red velvets, a large chocolate and a large banana, intending to offer the banana flavour to Mr LROC.

Whilst I never normally go for mini cupcakes (why have less?) the mini red velvets were divine, each comprising about two mouthfuls, the balance of frosting to cake was perfect. The cream cheese sweet but not too vanilla-y with a generous sprinkling of red velvet crumb. Banana followed their excellent example. I was given a sample size portion from my ever-generous husband and again found a moist banana-loaf style sponge topped with a light yellow cream cheese frosting reminiscent of good homemade carrot cake. However, I was disappointed with my chocolate cupcake, which I found to be bland and a little on the dry side. The frosting was neither rich nor creamy, and it could have easily been both; and the cake was dry and dull. I expected to come across a gooey chocolatey centre or even more cream cheese but just found more cake.

Verdict: great visuals and a brand identity and the mini red velvets are tiny nuggets of heaven but steer clear of the chocolate. Prices are slightly higher than the Hummingbird bakery, but overall the cupcakes are a little bigger.

As well as the Selfridge's concession, they have outlets in Topshop, Harrods and do deliveries direct from their Primrose Hill bakery (is this area just bakeries? It seems that way, how do they afford the rent?). Their website is http://www.lolas-kitchen.co.uk/index.html.

artisan du chocolat

London is filled with specialist, small scale chocolate companies making brilliant products and another favourite of mine is Artisan du Chocolat. I was first drawn in by their concession at Selfridges which features molten chocolate being swirled in a posher version of a slush puppy dispenser. They also have gorgeous packaging and, so I'd heard, amazing salted caramel. I was more familiar with the attention to detaikl and craft they lavish on their bars - single original, flavoured enhanced by tea and mixed with spices all feature alongside some of their more creative products.

I'd never visited one of their stand alone stores and decided chocolate week, and therefore the temptation of free tastings and chocolate cocktails, was as good a time as any. At first I struggled to find their Westbourne Grove store and went on a rather roundabout route back and forth to Portobello road, but their it is, nestled on the Bayswater end of the street but still with some very pleasant neighbours.

The interior of the store is fantastic - modern and glossy shades of orange and white - one wall is reserved for the bars and another is a cabinet of their truffles and innovative chocolate discs. The store also has banquette style seating for tastings, cocktail consumption and gelato, and a tasting was in progress on my visit. Hence I didn't take any in store photos.

Whilst their salted caramel features in lots of recipes and is available as a sauce (and on tap maybe? please?) they don't have it combined in any of their bars so instead I made a beeline for the caramel honeycombs (£5.99) and seasalted caramels (£11.99), intending to take them home and indulge. I couldn't resist sampling one of the caramels on the tube home - it was divine. A fairly unassuming exterior with a bitter dark cocoa dusting gives way to a intense, rich caramel that's just the right side of salty. not too bitter and not too sweet; I could eat it forever. Choosing whether to suck or bite has an impact on the taste sensation, I prefer to prolong it.

I tried the original plain recipe, but they also have variations flavoured with banana, pink and black pepper and lemongrass.

The honeycomb was a kind of very posh crunchie - the chocolate coating it was rich and expensive tasting, just the way I like, and whilst the honeycomb itself wasn't a vast improvement on Cadburys, the subtle salted flavour added a dose of j'ne sais quoi.

I'm now heading to Chocolate Unwrapped tomorrow at Vinopolis, where the company's Zoe Burgess will be conducting tastings amongst other exciting events. The UK's premier chocolate companies will be in attendence, and I'm hope not to make myself feel sick!

One final word on Artisan du Chocolat - how can you not love a company who have the good humour to produce this? I have a feeling they might love the same trash TV as me!

cupcake camp

I thought I should give Cupcake Camp London an honourable mention, since they contacted me, and the whole event is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the North London hospice.

The event, which is happening at Halloween, aims to bring together both amateur and professional bakers to sell cupcakes to be consumed and judged by the lovely ladies from the Primrose Bakery. Held at Camden's Proud Galleries between 2pm and 5pm I plan to go along in a tasting capacity! Fellow cake bloggers, including An American Cupcake in London and Made With Pink.

This is taken from the press release....

Hosted at Camden's stylish Proud Galleries, Cupcake Camp London will be a mass-gathering of people who love to indulge in the darling of the baking world - the cupcake. Supported by live bands, competitions, prizes, a Create-Your-Own Cupcake Art room and a frosting bar; the focus of the day will be the delicious cupcakes donated by England's wonderful baking community. Whether you're a professional cake baker, an enthusiastic amateur, or just someone with a sweet tooth, this event is for you.

Organiser Daisy Coole said: "Bakers are encouraged to bring along their best creations to be judged by a fabulous panel, including the lovely ladies of Primrose Bakery - Martha Swift and Lisa Thomas. "We also need lots of non-bakers to drop into the event and raise money by eating the best cupcakes our capital city has to offer."

Cupcake Camps have ballooned in popularity since being founded last year as a tasty way to raise cash for charity. They attract anything from 250 to 1,000 participants and raise thousands of pounds for good causes.

London's first ever Cupcake Camp will raise money for the North London Hospice, spurred by Daisy's own experience with the 'fantastic community-centered charity'. Daisy, full-time musician and sometime baker, lost her father Bob Coole to kidney failure earlier this year. She said: "A serious addiction to baking cupcakes and my connection with the North London Hospice came into my life at the same time. Dad was a patient at the hospice and the nurses were simply amazing.They were caring and supportive to my Dad and my family, offering cups of tea and a shoulder to cry on as we sat with him for up to 24 hours a day. After Dad died, baking was a huge comfort and the physicality of it was very theraputic so I went on a baking frenzy.

"When Dad died I never got to say thank you to our nurses. This is my way."

sunday vintage

The lovely Kathy of 5678 vintage (who I often namecheck) is, as well as being a super friend, a blogger and etsy seller but now she is a vintage stall holder too! Along with our mutual friend Lena, she set up a stall in Hanbury Hall, just across from the Sunday Up Market.

Kathy has a fantastic eye and had a great range of dresses, blouses, accessories and shoes.

Hanbury Hall is also a great venue - it's basically a village hall in the middle of Spitalfields and unlike most of the markets has sofas to sit on, a changing room, coffee and tea and even a loo! There's even cupcakes, so I needed to give them a try. Unfortunately the woman selling them is a little on the crazy side - cakes are iced to order but the piped icing looks rather like it was done by an over zealous toddler. Although it was nice it did taste rather home baked, and not necessarily in a comforting way. Not worth £2 but sustinance non the less.

mildred's

Last Saturday, following a potter round the National Portrait Gallery to see the portrait prize exhibition and a few alpine lagers at the John Snow, we headed to a fellow Soho institution; vegetarian restaurant Mildred's.

London review of cakes has been a vegetarian for the last 14 years (with a recent foray into fish) so to have the entire menu to choose from is really quite a privilege. Everything is vegetarian and there is a wide selection of vegan, gluten and wheat free dishes too and the best bit is that it doesn't seem in the least bit sanctiminous or wholefood-y, in fact the dining room itself, the menu and the staff are all rather stylish in a Soho kinda way.

Beginning with an organic vegan abbey brewed Belgian beer, unusual because they are normally not veggie at all, called Daas. It rivalled the better known Belgians for taste and maltiness.

I went on the enjoy the artichoke crostini with lemon aioli and the burrito (which I was warned was hot but I have a seasoned habanero-liking mouth and found it completely fine) all of which were delicious. However it was the puddings that were truly divine - if only being meat or dairy free meant they were guilt free too.

I opted for the white chocolate and pistachio cheesecake, and my dining companion Kathy went for crumble, which in the photo below looks more like a kind of cheesey soup but that was just the copious amounts of custard it was served with.

Now I don't actually like crumble although I know thousands do, I've been soul searching about why this is for some time now and I've come to the conclusion that I don't like anything I was ever made to cook at School and was then served reheated at dinnertime, having been carted round for the best part of the day in a warmed up school rucksack. This all stems from the first time I ever made food at my first playgroup aged about 3; we made marzipan balls and I promptly vomited them up on the way home. Now I have to pick it off cakes lest I be reminded of those sweet balls gently patted by sweaty chubby baby hands. But I digress, and I was reliably informed that the crumble was muy deliciosa.

The cheesecake was perfect - just the right texture and with a gently baked crust. The addition of pistachios added a delightful crunch, and the base was crunchy, sweet and not at all dry.

Next time you're in Soho and fancy a meat free dinner in a great, casual little restaurant then give Mildred's a try. They also own Mrs Marengho's - a nearby deli and takeaway of the kind that makes me wish my office was near civilisation.

Walking back to the tube station, as the evening was beginning to get dark, I also had the chance to complete one of my first 'assignments' from Tom Ang's Digital Photography Masterclass. Purchased at a bargain price of £5 to help improve my photography skills, the first task was 'capturing city lights' so the neon lights in Soho's 'sex alley' - the thoroughfare connecting Berwick and Brewer streets seemed like the perfect place to begin. Let me know what you think.

a birthday picnic

On bank holiday Monday it was my friend's, the lovely Kathy of 5678 vintage, birthday. So we celebrated with a picnic in her little garden in Hackney which she styled perfectly with rugs, bunting and polaroids. I made marshmallow cupcakes and a now-famous coconut meringue cloud cake as well as salads and we drank Pimms all day long before heading to the local for a swift pint to conclude the day - bliss!