Almond cookies with green tea cream

My mum got me an amazing book for my birthday called

1001 Cupcakes, Cookies & Other Tempting Treats,
and these almond cookies with green tea cream were requested by Scott.

You make a basic sweet cookie dough and chill it in the fridge.

One half is rolled and cut out normally, while the other is rolled
with a layer of flaked almonds so they get embedded in the dough.

Meanwhile you make a thick cream by infusing hot milk with green tea,
before adding sugar, custard powder and cream cheese.

Then you sandwich them all together with the almond side on top.

My green tea cream is more apricot-coloured than green,
but it still tastes good.

Summer berry muffins

I had loads of berries in the fridge,

so decided to make raspberry and blackberry muffins.

I really like how they look in the pale blue
and white polka dot cases.

We ate them warm with blueberry ice cream.

Sadly didn't get a photo as we ate them too quickly and the
ice cream was melting, but it was very tasty.

Istanbul canapes

I love canapes, so was excited to see what Istanbul
fashion parties had to offer...

Check out the cheese, grape and pumpkin installation
at the newly opened Pera Palace Hotel...

A feast for the eyes, if not the palate.

But who could have known what was in store on
the Bosphorus boat cruise...?

Plus potato and grease croquettes modelled by Max Usher.

Obviously Istanbul is not all about silly party snacks,
there is a veritable feast of food on offer...

So thought I would end with this poignant image of the last
baklava that no one dared finish at Hamdi restaurant today...

So good!

Technicolor cakes

Well, these are quite possibly the best-decorated cakes
I have ever seen...

It is Cesca's actual birthday today (see below's Burger cake post)
and she has brought in yet more treats to celebrate.

Alongside a classic red velvet from Hummingbird was this
box of delights, made by Cesca's brother's girlfriend.

Vikki, I salute you.

Your cakes are awesome.

Burger cake

Wow!

Look at this beast of a cake that Cesca at work brought in today for her birthday...

Congrats to her very talented friend Zara Ferreira who made it.

I am very impressed.

C:HV cakes

As Tom is a big Chev Chelios fan I decided to make
Crank: High Voltage double shot espresso cupcakes for his birthday*.

Those weird little bits of shrapnel are actually cola-flavoured
exploding candy, for that authentic high voltage kick...

Here's Tom (aka Lee Christmas) with an arsenal of deadly treats.

And here he is, shovelling his second cake...
just before he started grinding a picture of Corey Haim (RIP).

Big thanks to Greer McNally for the awesome pics.

* which was months ago, sorry.

Supcakes™ at Joey's hen night

So, the Alice the baker creative team have been talking
about alcoholic cupcakes for a while now... great for parties etc.

And the working title is... Supcakes™.

And what better time to premiere Supcakes™, than at
Atb creative team member Joey Marshall's hen night?

We decided on Malibu and coke...

... and Baileys.

The perfect combination of nostalgia, tastiness and tackiness,
we think you'll agree.

Here's chief hen Poppy doing the honours, with a very fashionable doll.

(Don't ask...)

And here is the beautiful bride-to-be (and prolific blogger) Joey kissing said doll,
ably assisted by the lovely Lindsey D.