Showing posts with label cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cake. Show all posts

24 Jul 2014

Lotti's Voluptuous Delights

No, it's not the title of a burlesque show although if it were, it would be the most beautiful, well presented burlesque show! Lotti's is in fact one of the first places I want to tell you about on my self-titled, 'Tilly's Teesside Troughing Tour.' 

Lotti's is situated on Stokesley High Street. It's up near the end where Boyes is but a bit further down and on the opposite side of the road. 59-61 High Street to be exact. Just so you recognise it, it looks like this.


When you enter this beautiful tea room, you're immediately met with a sensory experience. Good music, the sight and smell of delicious food and drinks, and the charming, vintagey decor. If you're lucky enough to get a table straight away you'll be given a menu which is pretty in its own right. This isn't just your bog-standard tea shop though. For starters, the menu is packed with offerings that have that extra special detail, in particular, Strawberry scones with lime drizzle and unusual Earl Grey cake to name a couple. 

To enjoy whatever choose, you sit at quirky mismatched tables and chairs, surrounded by chintzy scatter cushions and lamps and doily bunting. The atmosphere has been really good each time I've been in too, the staff are all very friendly and helpful and the other customers all look to be of a similar mindset, appreciating good food and good company. You feel as though you're amongst friends! 

I haven't experienced the savoury food yet as I usually race in on a morning to make sure I get a table but I'm aware that they do Tapas and Cocktails some evenings too which I hope to experience in the not so distant future. They also offer Afternoon Tea and which is something that has become extremely fashionable in recent times and understandably so. Who doesn't love that sedate, 'ladies what lunch' way of life?! 

There are great reviews on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/Lottisvoluptuousdelights so you can see plenty more genuine comments and pictures there. 

Hurry down as soon as you can and give them a try yourself. I promise you won't regret it!


23 Feb 2011

Bake and Decorate by Fiona Cairns

Bake & Decorate by Fiona Cairns is one of the most visually engaging books I have ever come across. A feast for the eyes with its stunning images and the recipes are every bit as good as you might imagine them to be.



I made a batch of the 'classic shortbread which took no time at all and was made of ingredients that you would just have hanging about in your kitchen. The response from my family and friends was amazing. Everyone said it was the lightest  most melt-in-your-mouth shortbread they'd ever tasted. Here's some I made earlier! There's only a small amount there but the recipe in the book makes approx 60 biccies!




The recipe offers two suggestions, one makes the melty variety, one makes a more granulated, crunchy version. Cairns has also recommended flavourings that you can add to the mixture to make it a bit different. The vanilla sounds yummy! I'll definitely be trying this recipe and the others in this book again! Cairns also advises when you can freeze the raw dough and just bring it out to bake when you need some fresh biscuits which I think it an ideal idea for when you are unexpectedly entertaining guests!

There are baking and decorating handy hints for the reader at the beginning and end of the book. Even if you're the most experienced baker, you may learn a useful new tip! The recipes in the book are so delicious and make beautiful additions to an afternoon tea or would make a special home-baked gift.

RRP £12.99 Published by Quadrille.