Ignoring the reflection of the Mini and the shop renovations going on opposite, did you ever see such a heavenly and tempting window? No? Well, nor had Sholto. And I'm not sure I had either, at least, not since I last walked past Laduree. We were en route to Holland Park when I made the foolish mistake of walking everybody down Kensington Park Road - I'd wanted to show my husband some utterly fabulous tiles in the window of Nu-Line - I briefly forgot that it meant that we'd walk past the Biscuiteers Biscuit Boutique & Icing Cafe. That entire circus in the window is made out of biscuits, which is something that Sholto, somehow, just knew. Obviously, we got side-tracked.
The inside of the shop is equally delectable:
I wanted to buy everything - as did Sholto who wanted to buy it and eat it all "Now now now! It will be yummy in my tummy!" - but was restrained from doing so by my husband who literally leapt back in horror when he saw the price of each biscuit. Admittedly, they are somewhat more expensive than those sold by Gregg's, which, my husband pointed out, is actually closer to our house so therefore a more convenient biscuit shop for me, in theory.
But the biscuits sold by Gregg's aren't nearly so pretty:
For Easter
For Christmas
For any time
And this is what I'd like next Valentine's Day, please.
They also make cakes:
For my tenth wedding anniversary party. (Maybe. There's another six years or so until I get there so I've got a lot of time to plan that party.)
And this is what I'd love for the children's birthday party, which is at the end of June. I have rather less time to plan that party.
However I'm actually going to make the cake myself for the children's party, mainly because I'm not paying £160 for a cake which ultimately I'm going to appreciate more than the children. Unfortunately though, my icing skills aren't exactly all that. I was informed that Esmeralda's pale green Christening cake, on which I'd carefully inscribed the date in sparkly pink icing pen, looked like a 'welcome home from jail' cake, the date apparently resembling a prison number more than anything else. My entire family now lovingly refer to it as 'the yuck cake.' So I was overjoyed to discover that the Icing Cafe also runs the Biscuiteers School of Icing.
There are various different classes to choose from. For instance, just before the children's party, I could spend a couple of hours learning how to ice a whole load (small tin) of beach themed biscuits. And I'd get an apron. More usefully, I'd also get the book. (For there is a book. Of course there's a book. I already have the Hummingbird Bakery one, tragically my red velvet cupcakes still don't taste as good as theirs, despite my having practiced many, many times.) They also run children's icing parties (Sholto is definitely still too young, he'd eat everything before he'd finished and come home high as a kite.) My cousin Zosia, also mother to a small child, wanted to know if one can simply drop in and ice biscuits - the answer is yes, and it is definitely an idea that I'm saving up for the next rainy day (oh, that would be today then.)
In the mean time, I'm at least now totally inspired to crack this icing thing. I'm going to make cakes that my family don't laugh at.
The Biscuiteers Biscuit Boutique & Icing Cafe, 194 Kensington Park Road, London W11 2ES
www.biscuiteers.com
