Cat Food Cakes - Halloween subscription box

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - I hope you're ready for some spooky treats today!

I've been an admirer of the Cat Food Cakes creations for a long time now - the cakes always look so scrummy on Instagram and the flavours sound amazing. It's a bit of a mission for me to get over to her bakery, which is open on a Saturday morning....but I've discovered that she also offers mail order boxes of scrummy treats! Available as a subscription (a cake subscription is possibly the best subscription ever - just imagine.....cakes arriving through the post every month!) or as one-off boxes, it's a great way to enjoy some scrummy treats yourself or to treat a friend.

I decided to try out the Halloween themed box from Cat Food Cakes (you know I love a good themed cake!).....and I wasn't disappointed! The treats were all freshly baked and well packed, so they arrived in perfect condition. Each box has a cake pot, cake pops, brownies, a marshmallow and bar of chocolate - something for everyone...

Cat Food Cakes - Halloween Box

It was so exciting to receive the pink box through the post - what a wonderful treat! Unboxing the treats was also fun as it was all themed, including the napkin and bar of chocolate! Now you'll have to forgive me because I got a little excited and although I have sampled everything, there aren't photos of everything - whoops! 

The cake pot was divine - a pot of spiced pumpkin cake with vanilla cream cheese buttercream. It reminded me a little of carrot cake, but better! The cake was moist and well balanced with the buttercream. I ate mine in several sittings as the pot is quite big, it was really easy to decant the cake and buttercream from the pot.

The two spooky cake pops on sticks were huge! Made with vanilla cookie dough and dark chocolate chips, dipped in white chocolate. They were super sweet, but balanced with the dark chocolate chips. 

Now I'm afraid the brownie was where I managed to not take photos! In my box I had one slice which was stuffed with marshmallow and Oreo cookies and a slice of blondie decorated with sprinkles. Both were soft and scrummy, brilliant washed down with a cup of tea! The chocolate one was probably my favourite. Again the portion size is very generous, as you get a big bar of each brownie in the box. 

Finally you have the bar of chocolate (which I haven't tucked into yet) and the coconut marshmallow which will be going into my next mug of hot chocolate!

All in all you get a great variety in the box and the portion sizes are great throughout. You can cut the various bits into smaller pieces and enjoy a taster plate! The one-off box is £29.99 including delivery (you get a 15% discount if you subscribe), and the cakes are all fresh, well made and oh so enjoyable! There are different subscription / gift options - take a peek at the website for more information. 

Have you tried any other mail order cakes that I should know about (this is a brand new world to me!!), if so leave me a comment - I think I need to investigate more!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

Time for Tea....CUTcakes and Tea....45 Park Lane

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends......we hope you're feeling tea-riffic today!

Last weekend we had the absolute pleasure of visiting 45 Park Lane to try their American inspired afternoon tea at CUT. The afternoon tea launched in Autumn of last year and I've seen lots of scrummy photos of the American inspired savouries and sweets....so we decided it was high time we tried out this indulgent afternoon tea adventure for ourselves.

CUTcakes and Tea is served in the hotel's lounge, which is modern and stylish. We were greeted by name on arrival and all the waiting staff very friendly and knowledgeable about the afternoon tea and also the hotel and it's large art collection.

After we picked our drinks (you can pick from a good selection of teas, coffees or hot chocolate), the savoury plate was brought out....

Now as you may have guessed, this isn't a traditional afternoon tea....and there isn't a single finger sandwich to be seen on the savoury plate. But I have to say it was a wonderful plate! The current savoury selection includes:

‘Guest Dog’ by restaurant Bubbledogs chef Sandia Chang Golden Corndog, Southern BBQ Sauce
Wagyu Beef Slider, Shallot Marmalade, Cheddar
Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Bisquets Coleslaw, Jalapeño Aioli
Tuna Tartare ‘Sandwich’, Avocado, Ginger
Crab Cake, Basil Aioli, Tomato Relish

Such a good selection of freshly prepared bites!

The aroma from the plate was mouth watering and it was hard to decide where to start first. Both fish dishes were fresh and the flavours within the mini dishes balanced well. I was pleased to discover that the crab cake was not stuffed full of potato like so many others.

The corndog was light and very tasty, I loved the Southern BBQ sauce which was sweet and spicy - my first ever corndog was a success! It's also very pretty to look at, with a golden tint to the batter!

The chicken in biscuit was also light....I've only had American biscuits once before and they were quite stodgy. These were fluffy in the middle and worked really well with the chicken. The piece of chicken was succulent and hot!

The mini slider was so cute....built exactly how a normal slider would be put together, complete with mini pickle! It took about three bites to eat and I loved every mouthful. We were asked how we wanted the slider cooking, which I thought was a nice touch.

I don't think I've ever taken so many photos of the savoury dishes!!

Next came a mini banana and toffee milkshake.....again extremely cute in appearance and big on flavour. I really enjoyed the milkshake, which was rich and creamy and had a wonderful banana flavour (which wasn't at all artificial).

Now came the nod to the traditional afternoon tea..... a scone, which clotted cream and strawberry preserve. The scones were served warm and we were given a mixed berry jam as well as the strawberry preserve, due to a strawberry allergy in the group.

Now this might look like all the other scones on our blog....but this is different....this was described as one of the best scones in London....and claim is actually true! Having eaten rather a lot of scones across London, we are often told that the scone we are about to enjoy is the best....but unfortunately it's often not! So often the scones are either under baked or over baked, with a claggy texture. 

This scone was light as air, didn't fall apart when cut and made the perfect base for the cream and jam! It was well baked, not at all claggy and had a wonderful glaze.

Finally we made it to the sweet selection.... sorry for the awful photo....

As you can see there is a good selection, again all inspired by American favourites:

Peanut Butter Pie
Crème Brûlée Doughnut
Red Velvet Cupcake
Graham Cracker S’more

There is also a Pink Lemonade Cake Pop, which I missed from the photos!

It was hard to decide which order to eat these in and by this point I was a little worried that I would get too full (I wanted to enjoy everything in the lounge rather than take it home on the train!).

As simple as it sounds - the crème brulee doughnut was so good, a fresh doughnut full of a crème brulee custard. I could have eaten several of them! I enjoyed the fresh raspberry with the red velvet cake. The peanut butter pie had a lovely berry jam in the middle, giving a sweetness to the peanut flavour. The S'more was messy, but very scrummy - with a layer of chocolate sauce. 

This is a more expensive afternoon tea, perfect for a celebration. But it's worth every penny....the food is fresh and tasty, the service unpretentious but attentive and the setting relaxed yet refined. It's what I look for in an afternoon tea - the whole experience. 

To find out more about this afternoon tea pop by the 45 Park Lane website. We'll definitely we back again when they refresh the menu.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

The Wednesday Tea Review - T2 Morning Sunshine

Hello there!

Happy Wednesday - welcome back to another tea review from Tea With Me and Friends. We're still working our way through the T2 teas that we bought at Christmas time - there are plenty for us to try!

Today we thought we'd share a breakfast tea with you - Morning Sunshine! Doesn't it sound wonderful?? It's also described by T2 as the ultimate breakfast blend, which is quite a claim to make. 

This tea is a blend of Assam, Darjeeling and Rwandan estate black teas. 

This tea should be brewed between 2-4 minutes, depending on how robust you like your cuppa in the morning. You can enjoy it with or without milk.....but you know me....I drank mine without!

This tea is designed to brighten your morning every day...

I thoroughly enjoyed this cuppa - it's got a bright bold flavour, which is a little malty. It's something that can be enjoyed every day and I found it complemented my morning cereal well. 

I often start my day with a cup of black coffee (yes, shock horror I know!), but I would happily replace that with a cup of Morning Sunshine.

If you'd like to find out more about this tea, or other teas in the T2 range pop by their website

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea.....Vivi, Centre Point

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends, we hope you've had a tea-riffic week!

Recently Sheree and I visited a brand new restaurant and bar to try their afternoon tea. As it was still a soft launch period when we visited I thought I would share the photos of our visit, but this won't be a full review article. Soft launches allow new restaurants and bars to try out their menus and make tweaks before they formally open.

Vivi is a 60s inspired restaurant, located in Centre Point near Tottenham Court Road. They offer all-day dining in a beautiful setting, with four different dining / drinking areas. The styling is absolutely gorgeous, with lots of pinks, blues and gold.....I'd love to go back and enjoy a cocktail or two at the bar...…

Afternoon tea is served from 3pm each day and the menu, much like the main dining menu, features retro classics with a twist. Each guest is given their own afternoon tea serving in a funky box (so no fighting over the last cake!) which contains the sweet selection and savouries, scones are served in their own box and there is also a serving of candy floss each....



The savouries are a mix of traditional flavours from salmon to cucumber, from egg to my favourite....coronation chicken! The sandwiches include traditional finger sandwiches, a delicate pinwheel, an open sandwich and a Vivi club sandwich, the selection of shapes and breads is very appealing....



The sweets are served in the top part of the box and includes a mix of retro classics....from Battenberg cake to filled eclairs from Victoria sponge to carrot cake.... there is something for everyone!



You can opt to have a traditional afternoon tea, accompanied by tea from the tea menu. Alternatively you can also enjoy your afternoon tea with a glass of champagne.

Vivi officially opened on Monday 25th February following their soft launch. If you visit for an afternoon tea we'd love to hear your thoughts....leave us a comment!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

The Wednesday Tea Review - T2 Geisha Getaway

Hello there,

Happy Hump Day! Time for another T2 tea review from the box I treated myself to at Christmas and this time I want to share a tea with you that really makes me smile.....the Geisha Getaway....

This is a flavoured green tea that reminds me of sunnier times. The sencha green tea is blended beautifully with pieces of pineapple and coconut to produce a sweet, summery cuppa!

This tea only needs to brew for 2-3 minutes and should be drank without any milk. The tea is a light green / yellow colour once brewed and has a tropical aroma that will have you dreaming of beach holidays. 

It might not be the tea for you if you're not a fan of sweeter teas, but if you are looking for something that will make you feel summery you should give this one a try!

I drank my tea hot (which was really enjoyable), but I imagine it would taste just as good served cold with ice cubes in the hotter months. The flavour is bold, tropical and refreshing.....I wonder if we could make a summer cocktail using it??

Do you have a tea that makes you smile? If so I'd love to hear all about it...leave me a comment below!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel 

Cream Tea Sunday - Rosemoor Kitchen Farnham

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - sorry we've been missing for a while....we've had the worst Internet access over the last month (to be honest it's been hideous since last September, but the last month has been even worse than usual)….but we're back and we've got an awesome looking scone to share with  today!

Rosemoor Kitchen has recently opened on Downing Street in Farnham (Surrey), its a relaxed café offering a good range of breakfasts and lunches. To be honest I'm a bit of an addict....I love their poached eggs for breakfast and have managed to drag loads of people to sample the menu since they opened!

The café is small, but has a wonderful atmosphere and great service. The furniture is comfy and practical...watch out for the beautiful covering on the seats at the back (my favourite place to watch the world go by!). If you arrive before 12pm you can order off the well put together breakfast menu....today I added a sausage to my usual poached eggs and Lorna enjoyed French toast with crispy bacon and lots of syrup!

But enough about those wonderful eggs...you're not here for eggs....you're here for scones! 

I was pleasantly surprised when I realised there was another menu available, apart from breakfast and lunch.....yes, there is a cake menu! And on the cake menu we found their cream tea for two....

The cream tea includes two large scones, a pot of mixed berry jam, a pot of cream and a large pot of tea. You can pick your favourite tea from the tea menu, on this occasion we opted for the green tea.

The scones are served warm and the servings are all so generous, you will not run out of cream! The mixed berry jam is a little tart, but its still enjoyable. The scone was well baked and perfect for piling on the cream and jam!

The cream tea for two costs just £8.50, which I think is excellent value. We both got over two cups of tea from that giant pot and were full from the scones. The service at Rosemoor Kitchen is friendly and warm, even when its really busy the team are smiling and attentive to all tables. 

If you happen to be in the Farnham area, I would highly recommend popping by. As well as breakfast and scones I can also vouch for their wonderful burger on the lunch menu, which our mum enjoyed recently! I'll definitely be going back again to work my way through the menu.

To find out more about the Rosemoor Kitchen pop by their Facebook Page

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

The Wednesday Tea Review - T2 Southern Sunrise

Hello there!

Happy Wednesday! We hope you're having a good week!

Welcome back to another tea review from the T2 tea party box! This week we're sampling a flavoured fruit tisane from the range called Southern Sunrise....

This blend includes hibiscus, lemongrass and grapefruit and is inspired by the Australian summertime. It's a tisane designed to invigorate, with a wonderful aroma and sunny colour to the liquor. 

First disclosure ….I have no idea why I have included a fake pineapple in the photo...there is no pineapple in this drink! Maybe I just wanted to make the photo more summery?? The teacup I have used is another one from the T2 collection - I love this cup and use it all the time!

As you can see the tisane has a gorgeous yellow colour once brewed and the aroma as its brewing is so summery....that alone should lift your spirits!

The flavour is really interesting as the lemongrass really comes through, making it not an overly sweet brew. Once again I tasted the tea both hot and cold and I think I preferred it as a cold drink - it was very refreshing, perfect on a hot day.

I think you could drink this tea at any time in the day - first thing it's a bright and zingy hot drink, but drinking it cold in the afternoon would be very refreshing.

Have you tried this T2 blend - if so we'd love you hear your thoughts! 

Thank you for popping by today and don't forget to pop back next Wednesday to see which drink we'll be trying next!

Rachel

The Sunday Chocolate Review - Montezuma's Black Forest Gateau

Hello there!

Another Sunday.....another chocolate review!

Last week we took you to New York, this week we're heading to Germany for Montezuma's Black Forest Gateau pudding bar! Black Forest Gateau originated in Germany (and the real deal is so so good), but became popular in Britain in the 1970s when families would enjoy a pudding of chocolate sponge, cherries and lashings of whipped cream. Montezuma celebrates this pudding within their Great British pudding bars (which also includes Eton Mess and Treacle Tart).

Unlike Godiva who we featured last week, Montezuma is a relatively new chocolate brand, starting its production in 2000. This is a small British family business of self-taught chocolatiers, who wanted to reinvigorate the British chocolate making industry. 

This chocolate bar is nice and simple and features only two things......dark chocolate and cherries! Two of my favourite things - I love making cakes inspired by black forest gateau so I was really looking forward to trying to this bar!

Slightly more robust than the Godiva chocolate from last week, this chocolate had a really good snap when you tried to break it.  I was pleased to see the cherries throughout the bar - this was both aesthetically pleasing (the pink against the dark chocolate) and also meant that the bar had a good chance of tasting of cherries!

The dark chocolate is rich and bold, something I really like in a dark chocolate and its really well balanced with the cherry flavour. Its quite reminiscent of black forest gateau….the only thing missing is the cream! The cherry flavour is authentic and doesn't taste artificial. 

All in all I really enjoyed this bar of chocolate and would probably by it again. I found this bar in the sweet aisle of my local supermarket, it was on offer at about £2.00 for the bar. Because its a rich chocolate you can't gobble lots in one sitting (I tried) and therefore it will last you a little while (unless you are sharing....but I wouldn't recommend that!).

Have you tried this chocolate bar or any of the others in the pudding range? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for popping by today and don't forget to pop back next Sunday for another chocolate review!

Rachel 

The Wednesday Tea Review - T2 Creme Brulee

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're well today!

Before Christmas I treated myself to "A Tea Party for Twenty" from T2 teas....but then I completely forgot to review the teas! Whoops! The box is a festive collection which includes twenty teas and tisanes from the T2 range. T2 is an Australian tea company who create innovative blends using real tea leaves (blends include banana bake and raspberry rush as well as a range of breakfast blends from around the world and more traditional teas) they have a real passion for tea and their shops are a pure delight to visit....which is where I found this pretty little box....

Inside the box...…just look at all those teas....

As there is only one Christmas tea in the collection I've decided to still feature these teas on the blog as you'll still be able to buy them in a T2 shop or on their website if you fancied trying them yourself.

I decided to start with one of the flavoured black teas - Crème Brulee. 

This is a black tea flavoured with a hazelnut praline flavour. It's supposed to be a decadent sweet treat - vanilla, hazelnuts and caramel flavours blended with a black tea. Enjoyed either with a dash of milk or black.

I decided to drink my tea black (as I usually enjoy tea without milk), and I followed the brewing instructions using boiling water and leaving the tea to brew for approx. three minutes.

Did I mention that T2 also have an amazing range of tea cups? This one was a gift from a friend, but I love all their china - worth popping into store just to marvel at the different colours and patterns!

Back to the tea....this is definitely a sweet treat...if you have a sweet crazing but want to avoid the calories this tea could provide the answer! You can taste the vanilla and the hazelnuts, which blend well with the black tea. 

I wouldn't drink this as a morning cuppa as it's too sweet, but it work perfectly as a guilt free afternoon treat. It also tastes good once its gone cold (I've got an awful habit of leaving cups of tea and coffee all around the house and finding them hours later!) - it was actually more refreshing once it had gone cold and I could imagine drinking it cold on a hot summer afternoon!

Have you tried this tea? If so we'd love to hear your thoughts....did you enjoy it black or did you try it with milk as well?

Thank you for popping by today....pop back next Wednesday to see which T2 tea we'll be trying next!

Rachel

The Sunday Chocolate Review - Godiva New York

Hello there,

Hope you've had a tea-riffic day!

We've decided to start a new feature on the blog.....one that is very dear to my heart! If you didn't already know I'm a bit of a chocolate fiend....I love the stuff, but I can be a bit picky (for example I hate the chocolate that Easter eggs are made from). There are so many different varieties and flavours of chocolate available now that it can be hard to know what to try next.....so we're taking the hard work out of it for you....any excuse to try new chocolates!

Our first feature is the limited edition chocolate from Godiva - their New York Apple and Salted Caramel chocolate. This is a blend of milk chocolate, apple and salted caramel and is supposed to take you on a flavour journey to America's Big Apple!

If you haven't heard of them before, Godiva are a luxury Belgian chocolate brand that has been making chocolate since 1926 (so they must be pretty good by now!). They now have stores in more than 80 countries worldwide and are quite famous for their fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate (which I am yet to try).

First off....the packaging is so pretty, both inside and out! If you're a sucker for packing like I am, then you will find this very pleasing! The illustrations are very sweet. They also have a London version, which is inspired by Eton Mess.....I've opted not to try that one as it has white chocolate as a base which I'm not really a fan of. 

The gold foil makes this feel like a luxurious bar of chocolate. However, I didn't have to go into a Godiva store to buy it.....I found it in the sweet aisle of my local supermarket, it cost me just over £2.00.

This chocolate bar includes Godiva's milk chocolate, apple pieces, caramel pieces and additional apple flavourings. The milk chocolate is so smooth and creamy, a really lovely chocolate....it's blended with pieces of salted caramel which are quite chunky in size and what can only be described as a bizarre apple flavour.

Its definitely an apple flavour, reminiscent of sharp green apples, but possibly slightly artificial. Its not unpleasant and it blends well with the chocolate and caramel flavours, but its just a bit bizarre!

As you can see from the photo the chocolate bar itself is slim and delicate and the fillings a good size - its nice to see good pieces of caramel throughout the bar!

Another slightly bizarre point is as you eat the chocolate, the apple pieces rehydrate themselves and you find yourself with real apple in your mouth after the chocolate has vanished.....do you think this counts as one of my five a day??

All in all a pleasant bar of chocolate, but it didn't leave me jumping for joy nor did it really remind me of my trip to New York. I'd eat it again if someone gave it to me, but probably wouldn't rush out to buy it!

Have you tried this chocolate bar - what did you think of it, we'd love to hear your thoughts!

Thanks for popping by today, pop back next Sunday for another chocolate review!

Rachel 

Time for....some Danish Baked Goods!

Hello there!

Happy Sunday! Hope you're feeling tea-riffic today!

So....I walk passed Ole & Steen on Haymarket rather frequently, but I'm always on my way somewhere else and have never popped in despite the scrummy looking window displays! If you've not discovered Ole & Steen before, its a Danish bakery who has been handmaking their breads and cakes for 20 years, with eight sites across London.

They open from early to late and no matter what time of day, they always have something tempting in their windows. When walking passed at about 9:30pm one Saturday night we spotted the following in the windows...

So many pastries and cakes....I had to go in! 

I was surprised at how busy it was at night time, but discovered that they offer an all day menu as well as the sweet treats you can see above. You can enjoy a range of Focaccias, sandwiches and stews during the day and into the evening.

As it's bakery, Ole & Steen offer a take away service a well as the eat in option....so you know what happened next....yes treats were purchased!

I decided a cinnamon swirl would be perfect for my Sunday morning treat the next day and I'm so pleased that I finally bought something from Ole & Steen! 

This Danish pastry swirl is crafted with cinnamon, marzipan and a vanilla custard. Considering I ate mine the day after I bought it, I was very impressed. The delicious pastry was still crisp and fresh and the inside was velvety and scrumptious! You couldn't taste the marzipan, but it added a wonderful texture to the swirl. The swirl was flavoured with the perfect amount of cinnamon and it went really well with my morning coffee.

The inside of the swirl....

At £3 per swirl it is a treat, but the quality of the bake was brilliant (even the next day) and the size was generous….

I'll definitely be heading back to try more treats out as this swirl was delicious! 

Do you have a favourite bakery or a favourite baked treat? We'd love to hear about them!

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for something cute from Peggy Porschen!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends!

I've finally made it to the Peggy Porschen Parlour in Belgravia and I wanted to share my experience with you. I've wanted to visit the Parlour for ages, it looks so pretty and the cakes so scrummy, I wanted to see whether it lives up to the hype and Instagram love!

Located on a corner, its pink exterior can be spotted from the end of the road....

I visited when they still had their Winter Parlour decorations up from the festive season, designed to compliment their Cosy Collection sweets and treats.

The interior of this tiny parlour has shelves full of pretty bakes that you can buy to enjoy at home - its really gorgeous!

The Parlour is a small space and because of this they do not take reservations (they also ask that you return tables after an hour), you just have to turn up and keep your fingers crossed! There is seating both inside and outside, but be warned.....it's cosy! If you arrive and there are no tables free and you don't want to wait, you can have any of the cakes available as a take away option.

As well as the standard menu of cupcakes, layer cakes and tray bakes, the Parlour also offers seasonal specials. Among others, the standard flavours include chocolate heaven and salted caramel cupcakes, lemon, raspberry and rose layer cakes and chocolate brownies. The menu is extensive, but all the cakes are on display and the staff are knowledgeable if you need some help picking your treat.

The Cosy Collection, which was available when we visited, included the Cosy Cashmere layer cake - an almond sponge layered with a smooth coconut buttercream. There were also starry snowmen cupcakes, either in a chocolate flavour or gingerbread and lemon flavour and a variety of cute iced biscuits.

We opted to try a slab of chocolate biscuit cake (and slab is the right word....it's a very generous serving!) and a gingerbread and lemon starry snowman cupcake. The chocolate biscuit cake was like a rocky road bake, it was indulgent and scrummy - packed full of pistachios and marshmallow. You could probably share it between two people though as it was very rich.

The cupcake was super cute to look at....just look at that tiny snowman!

The cappuccinos we enjoyed were also rather pretty looking....

But I bet you're wondering what the cupcake tasted like....was it all style and no substance? I'm please to report back that it was absolutely delicious! 

The sponge was moist but light, and full of spicy gingerbread flavour. The topping was a lemon cream cheese frosting, which again was light in texture but well flavoured. Together the flavours blended really well and made for a very enjoyable cupcake. 

Although it looked like a big blob of frosting, the ratio between cake and sponge was just right. Nothing was too sweet and I really enjoyed this cupcake. Plus it was really cute....just look at that tiny snowman....

I really enjoyed my visit to The Parlour, the prices are a little expensive but the quality of the food was great. I would also probably only visit with one other person as there isn't much space (we watched a group of five squeeze around a table the same size that we had for two).

If you'd like to see more about Peggy Porschen's Parlour pop by their website

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel