I had never iced a biscuit in my life until yesterday when I went along to a post-work icing workshop at the legendary Biscuiteers Biscuit Boutique & icing cafe in Notting Hill, West London.
For the uninitiated, Biscuiteers have made decorating biscuits an artform. Purveyors of the most creative cookies in existence, they bake and create biscuits decorated in every way possible. Often for major brands, usually for special events and every day for normal folk who can order their biscuits online or buy from their shop.
It's like biscuit heaven and a lot like what Willy Wonka's Factory shop would have looked like if he'd ever had one.
It's not surprising then that Biscuiteers were asked to make the official biscuits to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Roald Dahl's Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.
Here's some close ups of some of my fave biccies in the boutique...
I've never been to New York but these are the next best thing!
And as for cute stuff, there are so many very sweet animal biscuits and dainty designs like these delicate birdies too.
But that's all upstairs. Downstairs you'll find this....
...the space where the Biscuiteers team run icing workshops, events, have their cafe and hold private parties.
For Icing Lates the table was all laid out for participants before we arrived.
Take a closer look at the wall - it's covered in cookie dermy!
We were each given the same shaped biscuits to decorate and a picture guide for how they could be decorated.
First up we learnt how to hold the bag. I confess I wasn't very good at this part. I'm right-handed but for some reason my left hand wanted to do the icing so it was a bit strange!
We began by outlining the biscuits with icing details then 'flooded' the insided with runny icing and then learnt a range of icing techniques.
Finding a natural rhythm to icing was hard for a newbie and I got a bit of arm cramp....professional icers (biscuiteers have 50 during peak periods) certainly need to learn about icing posture as well as possess some incredible artist skills.
Voila! My creations all wrapped up and ready to take home. They last three weeks but I suspect they actually won't - I ate the butterfly on the tube home!
I'm always keen to try new crafts and I had never considered icing something I'd ever do but it turns out it's a really fun activity. Learning from the best icers in the business is a lovely experience and seeing the team talk about icing and watch them do it with such passion is a definite highlight.
If you fancy trying out some icing yourself they have workshops twice a week - it's worth noting the up and coming dates above or head to their website.
Right. I'm off to munch on biscuit number two but which one, the pirate ship or the frilly frock?
Biscuiteers, 194 Kensington Park Road, London, W11 2ES
www.biscuiteers.com
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