Bye Bye Broadway

Having spent 18 months selling our wares to the beautiful Broadway Market-goers, and building up a (sometimes addicted) customer base, we’ve taken the decision to move the business online and focus on private events and bespoke orders. Like these oh-so-French macarons that we made for the Vestaire Collective, adored by Vogue. And these GBBO specials, featured on ‘An Extra Slice’.

So if you’re in need of a macaron fix, or are planning a shindig, you just need to get in touch using our contact form or send me an email to Alice@AlicesBakery.com.

We’ve loved our time at Broadway Market and have met so many brilliant peeps. The amazing team who keep the market running (and standing, whatever the weather!), our fellow traders, like Miss Crofton and Martin Mossop, and most importantly of course, our dedicated customers saying yes to macarons,week-in-week-out. WE LOVE YOU.

If you’d like to stay updated on our plans, adventures and special offers, just complete the contact form, using the subject ‘keep me updated’ and we’ll keep you in the know.

Huge thank you’s to everyone who’ve shown us so much support and love over the past 18 months at Broadway come rain or shine!

Big love,

Alice

Nigella, on toast

Nigella was worshipped in our house while we were growing up, by the whole family (although not all for exactly the same reasons), and her ‘How to’ books are still the first place that I search for simple and delicious recipes. So when my sister and I heard that she was going to be chatting to Alain de Botton about the meaning of food at an event run by The School of Life, we were pretty bloody excited.

Here are my 10 favourite (paraphrased) snippets of Nigella from that evening:

1) People think of cooks as nurturing souls, when in reality we’re usually quite controlling.

2) There’s something wrong if food is the most important part of your dinner party.

3) on Alain de Botton – if you were a vegetable, you’d be a green bean. And shortly after – there’s nothing wrong with green beans, I like green beans.. these are the kind of questions the Sunday supplements ask.

4) On staying with friends – I always take my own food in case I get hungry, I can’t stand to be at the mercy of others when it comes to eating.

5) On the 22 minute lunch break – it’s not necessarily about how long you take, it’s about sitting down together and experiencing each other as people, not just colleagues.

6) Even if you’re not the most distinguished cook, remember that at the most basic level by feeding others you’re keeping them alive.. try not to give them food poisoning.

7) Quoting her mother – I don’t know why you’re so shy, no-one’s interested in you anyway.

8) On being healthy – our understanding of healthy is always changing, a few years ago we thought margarine was healthy.

 9) Quoting Oscar Wilde – everything in moderation, including moderation.

10) The older I get, the more I feel that memories are so much more important than things.

Cutest Snack of The Day..

We baked some oh-so-French macarons for the Vestaire Collective ‘Say No To Fakes’ campaign, and they shared them with some of their fashionista friends including Vogue, Stylist Magazine and Telegraph Fashion. We’ve never felt so a la mode!

The Great British Bake About

Needless to say, GBBO is my favourite show on TV. It’s got the drama of X Factor, the combination of finesse and calamity, akin only to Strictly, and more puns than you can wave a whisk at. In honour of tonight’s final showdown, and of all the great puddings, desserts and pastries born from our fair isle, I’ve created this interactive map of eponymous eats and recipes. Enjoy!

A Slice of The Action

We were lucky enough to be invited along to the filming of GBBO’s sister show “An Extra Slice” a few weeks ago, hosted by the brilliant Jo Brand. And in celebration of biscuit week and our favourite GBBO hosts, we took along some pimped (and pruned) macarons for the ride.

They were featured on the show and even made their way onto this Facebook poll. Paul is out in the lead as the best looking. I mean best likeness. His hair strands did take an inordinately long time to perfect.

Monica Galetti was certainly a fan anyway!

Cocktails in the Cake Mix

We’ve just about recovered from two nights of boozing and baking related activity, hosted by Cocktails in the City. An event which brings all the best bars in town under one roof. We were selling cocktail-charged macarons to appreciative (more than slightly inebriated) punters, including piña colada, amaretto cherry bakewell, espresso martini and bourbon salted caramel flavours.

It’s got us feeling merry about the return of our Christmas brandy butter macarons. Only 11 weeks to go!

If you’re into edible alcohol – then check out our pals Smith and Sinclair’s cocktail confectionary – now stocked in Harvey Nicks. Think fruit pastilles (only fruitier)..

And make sure you check out Cocktails in the City, which graces cities all over the UK with its overproof presence. Next stop Edinburgh..

Vegan-astrophy

Unsurprisingly, a lot of eggs get cracked in my house. And a lot of egg boxes come and go, in all shapes and colours. They’re  delivered in hundred plus packs, wrapped in clear packaging, under the watchful and confused gaze of the security guard, who is now convinced that we’re keeping chickens in our studio apartment.

Egg white, the most important ingredient in a macaron, is the gloopy beating heart of Alice’s Bakery. And the egg box packaging we use is a protective little reminder of that. Egg yolk, however, is the sworn enemy – one tiny spec can turn what-would-be stiff peaks into limp mounds. I’m kind of fed up of the by-products too – I’ve made enough hollandaise, mayonnaise and lemon curd to lubricate the entire London Underground for another 150 years.

But standing bum to bum each Saturday with a vegan market trader, who can’t eat macarons, got me thinking about making some egg-free ones. And so I nonchalantly promised to whip some up for next week.

I stocked up on Orgran egg replacer, pectin, xanthan gum and stuck my chemistry goggles on – surely this mix of bizarre ingredients can’t taste good. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to find out. My macarons sunk into a seriously sorry state (salami like photo evidence below).

I’ll be walking on egg shells until I crack this one – so if there are any vegan bakers out there willing to share their tips, please, please do. I would hate to be left with egg on my face. OK. Dad yolks over.

In good news, I’ve just had some beautiful heart-shaped egg boxes delivered for my Valentine’s day packaging. We’ll be delivering on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th so get in touch if you’d like to say I love you with macarons this year.

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