London Cupcake Update

You can hardly take two steps in London without bumping into a cupcake... First stop - HummingBird Bakery!
All aboard. They've got special Halloween cuppies.

YIKES!

And they offer a daily special flavor...

In Covent Garden, you'll find Crumb Dollies and they've got cupcake trees!

If you're not crazy about cupcakes, you better leave now and that includes me. These lovelies are from Ella's Bakehouse and they reside in Selfridges Food Hall.

There's a lot of cupcake competition at Selfridges from Primrose Bakery as well...

Lola's Cupcakes has a cafe to boot

Boxes and boxes including what they call 'Tinies' and we call minis...

AND they have GIANT cupcake cakes! OMG I have to admit I rather fancy these elegant numbers from Fiona Cairns...

Maybe it's the lovely flat tops that make these so appealing.

I, for one, am not big on tons of fluffy icing sitting a top my cupcake (if I even liked cupcakes...)

Competing alongside all the cupcake concessions at Selfridges is Pierre Herme's macarons and chocolates. Frankly this is not doing PH any favors in my opinion.

Quelle dommage :(

Out of sheer exhaustion I broke down and had a cuppa and a cupcake in Selfridges. (I did not eat the icing but the cake part was quite nice)

A late stop in Fortnum & Masons to pick up some Earl Grey et voila.

Les cupcakes!

Harvey Nichols has a highly decorated set o' 6 beauties.

Plus they have a pop-up shop of special small cakes from British pastry chef formerly of the French Laundry, Claire Clark.

I loved this witty drawer display...

They're featuring her new book, 100 Perfect Desserts, which has been out for a bit in the US. Would you call these cupcakes on the cover?

Marks & Sparks' iced buns caught my eye as a possible antecedent of the cupcake or 'fairy cake' as the Brits call it.

What do you think?

Yesterday the 22 bus stopped at Duke of York Square and there was another open market . Of course there were cupcakes from Peggie's who does 'couture' and wedding cupcake towers.

Who knew?

I saw these adorable clown hats at Pollock's Toy Theaters in Covent Garden. Don't they look like the perfect hat to wear while you're eating a cupcake, if you happen to eat cupcakes that is...
Lots more to come on Pollocks later.

I'm week-end posting since I missed Friday a week ago, whilst traveling and I may miss tomorrow.

I must be on the Eurostar by 5:13 am

Eeeek!

BON WEEK-END PBers!

French obsessions

Surprise, surprise. Guess what?

French girls have a lot of the same obsessions as we do.
Yes they adore our cupcakes. And yes they put a wonderful spin on them that makes them presque unrecognizable...

miam-miam

Bagels? Oui!

I have to drag over 12 sesame bagels to French girl from NYC. Who'd a thunk it?

SJP? Mad about the girl. They can NOT get enough of Sara. I saw an Elle post that SJP wore the same shoes to 4 events! They care more than we do peut-etre? Scarlett, another French obsession -can't get enough. Gossip girl? Fahgettaboutit! They LURVE her.
They are every bit as crazily obsessed with losing weight as we are. How do I know this? I hang out at the Relay in the train station. You can read all the mags to your hearts content and even take pics!
J'adore le Relay!
They love our coke. But regarde!
I would drink coca too if Karl was on it - so chic.
And a silhouette to boot.
Drawing by Soledad - Elle
They adore l'iPad aussi...
Et les chiens.

Hello Kitty? Surement ouiThe obssession to make DIY macarons has become universal. But who offers a box with kitchen thermometer and a pastry bag? The French do that's who. I know because I bought this set for all of 12 euros at the musee Arts Decoratif of all places.

Even though the French don't want you to take pictures.

They are out there shooting just like us.

Loving chocolates is a universal, but who makes the best chocolat?

The Eiffel Tower belongs to all of us. Do you know Australian photographer Carla Coulson living in Paris? She has a new book out, Paris Tango full of her gorgeous Paris photos. Do drop by her blog, Carla Loves Photography.

BIG MERCI PB readers for buying books and stuff at Amazon.com!

Because of you, I have gift certificate points to buy a NEW COMPUTER! That means many more macarons for you in Paris because of your kindness :)

my exhibit at the DC Alliance Francaise is coming up.

The opening is next Friday the 17th

6:30 -8:30

Please RSVP

202-234-7911 xt31

2142 Wyoming Avenue NW Washington, DC 20008

There will be macarons.

BONNE WEEK-END PBers!
 

Fr Girl's B'day!

Guess who's B'day it is tomorrow?

Yep that's right.

It's FRENCH GIRL'S BIRTHDAY!

All together now PBers give a shout-out svp.

HAPPY ANNIVERSAIRE FR GIRL!

Fr girl, I hope yr gonna finally light up those macaron candles of yours on top of the frigo... Will certaines personnes will be making mini-madeleines for their B'day? I know for sure certaines personnes will eat comme habitude, a huge hunk of beurre with a petit morceau of toast for petit dejeuner on their B'day...

Magnolia Bakery

New York Memories, original watercolor, 9" x 12"

I'm back on the streets of New York. I'm on assignment - I'm researching cupcakes at MAGNOLIA BAKERY for a painting commission from PARIS.

I looked in the Magnolia's window at 401 Bleecker Street at West 11th Street. It was Bedlam. Hands grabbing at multi trays of cupcakes. Was a bake sale going on ?

Do they mark down their cuppies after 4PM like at Eleni's NY? I better get in there and buy.

First you grab a box.Then you have to choose.Decisions...decisions.They brought out a fresh tray of cupcakes. YAY
I asked someone, 'are they on sale'?
They looked at me like if I was crazy.Magnolia Bakery is full of signs -CAKE RULES. It's a little bit like going off to summer camp once you enter the bakery.ONLY 12 CUPCAKES PER PERSON!(Or off with your head)ORDER WELL IN ADVANCE FOR HOLIDAYS!BE MINDFUL.
DO NOT REST YOUR PURSE OR CUPCAKE BOX IN THE CAKE DISPLAY WINDOW!

The CAKE DISPLAY WINDOW.

 Hey wait, these cakes are pretty.

Magnolia has very pretty Key lime cheesecakes.

AND chocolate pudding mini pies.

Not to forget this FAB peppermint icebox cake. Very traditional American old fashioned cakery going on here. You can make these if you get The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.

Back on the street I noticed the cupcake icer applying her pastry arts skillfully to each cuppie.When she saw me taking a picture, she shook her finger at me...just like in France. Hey, I'm out on the street? It's true that there are BIG cupcake wars in New York City. And everyone guards their secrets like diamonds.

My one beautiful cupcake. I don't even like cupcakes, cake or icing, but I admit I gobbled it down. J'adore Les Cupcakes! Temptation is rampant at Paris Breakfast.

What's a girl to do?