miss b loves .......Florentines

I mentioned here that during my recent trip to London I enjoyed a perfect flat white coffee and a florentine at Nude Espresso....

....and I was determined to recreate this very indulgent biscuit.......Well, here is my version.....based on Delia's recipe.

miss b loves .... St Ermin's.... a very special London hotel

Visitors to London are often overwhelmed by the vast choice of hotels but I can certainly recommend St Ermin's which far exceeded our expectations a couple of weeks ago ..... 

St Ermin's Hotel is an elegant Grade II listed Victorian building, located in a surprisingly tranquil spot in central London. It's just a couple of minutes from St James's Park tube station and close to Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.

Set back from the road, as you enter the grand tree-lined courtyard you sense that this is a hotel full of history.....and I love to stay somewhere with a story to tell! 

St Ermin's was originally a mansion block (serviced appartments) built for wealthy Londoners in 1889 on the site of a 15th century chapel(dedicated to St Ermin). Ten years later it was converted into a hotel by JP Briggs, a Victorian theatre architect and designer. 

The lobby is glamorous and theatrical with the original curved balcony and rich plasterwork from 1899.........

miss b loves ........ exploring London, past and present.

London is one of those cities where there's always something new to discover, no matter how many times you visit.....

A couple of weeks ago on a rainy Thursday, after checking into St Ermin's (a hotel which deserves its own post!) I set off to Spitalfields, in the east end of London. At the heart of the area is the preserved Old Spitalfields Market (London's oldest market dating back to 1638!) five minutes from Liverpool Street station and Thursday is Antiques and Collectibles day......

The market is surrounded by modern restaurants, cafés, bars and independent shops including The Cambridge Satchel Company and The Lollipop Shoppe, a very stylish design store .....  

I was tempted by Lola's cupcakes .......

miss b loves ..........crodoughs and other hybrid cakes

Regular readers of this blog will already know that I have a sweet tooth! Cupcakes, macarons, pastries........I just can't resist sweet treats. Lately I have been reading about the 'cronut' (a cross between a croissant and a doughnut!) 

The 'cronut' was created in May 2013 by Dominique Ansel, the New York pastry chef who successfully trademarked the name in January this year. His recipe has inspired variations and last week, during our two day trip to London, I was determined to try one (or two!)......

Rinkoff's Crodough
Toffee Apple Crumble 

I was so curious and wondered what all the fuss was about and whether this was just another gimmick.....In the pouring rain we went in search of Rinkoff Bakery, a family business established in 1911 in Whitechapel. I'd heard that their interpretation, the Crodough was the one to try in London....