The French Fancies? Don't mind if I do! A morning with the Edinburgh Cake Ladies...

A couple of months ago those (in)famous Edinburgh Cake Ladies announced that in addition to full blown bake nights they would be hosting a monthly coffee morning.  While the idea of the morning coffee meets was to open the group up to people who might not be able to come to evening events I couldn't help but feel a teeny tiny bit jealous.  I even contemplated feigning illness to attend the first meeting...but instead I drooled over the updates on my phone over my own pathetic cup of tea and banana.  

This month, however, was a different story.  No no no I didn't call in sick *cough* *sniff* *barf*...I just so happen to be my Easter Holidays! 2 whole weeks to fill my days (and evenings) with cakes, and the lovely Cake Ladies.  

The date of the April Morning meeting finally arrived and this morning I pottered over to The French Fancies, a sweet little French Patisserie in the Broughton area of Edinburgh.  I had not been before, although I had zoomed by on many walks.  I was doubly excited about this month's coffee morning...first because I actually had the time off from work to attend and second because I have recently finished read-rooling (reading and drooling) over Amy Thomas' book Paris My Sweet.  

The French Fancies is lovely.  The tea pots come with their own cosies, knitted by the owner's mother, and the tea is looseleaf...a nice added touch, and it was hot.  The pastries were great.  I started with a rum baba (is 10:30 am too early for rum??) and two macarons...one pistachio and one rhubarb with ginger.  There was lots of chit chat (mostly of the baking variety) and also lots of oohing and ahhing as new people arrived and ordered from the pastry case in the front.  

After a short interlude fellow cake eater Alison and I went up to have another look at the pastry case (I was surprised it wasn't totally depleted with 12 cake ladies sitting in the back room)...I opted for the Paris Brest.  I casually said to Alison...well if I don't finish it I can always take it home.  She looked at me as if to say...not finish it? yeah right...

She was right, I totally devoured it.  Choux pastry filled with praline cream...how could I not? 

Tweet