The Florentine Tearoom

 

I am forever on the hunt for new and exciting cafe's and was overjoyed when I discovered The Florentine Tearoom. My eyes instantly lit up when I walked into his quaint little cafe for the first time! It is my new favourite spot with it's elegant interior and scrumptious delights. I love a good old fashioned tea party and am never one to say no to a cup of tea and a sweet treat especially when shared with friends!! When you order tea at The Florentine Tearoom you get a large pot and a beautiful vintage english china teacup, milk and sugar all served on a gorgeous antique style tray. I love the fact that The Florentine Tearoom only serves leaf tea as I'm not one to drink teabag tea......I know I may sound like a bit of a tea snob (if there is such thing!) but teabag tea is something I just don't like and leaf tea just tastes soooo much better!!! ......

The Florentine Tearoom is located on Ranfurly Road in Epsom and I would highly recommend it!! I have been there several times now and it never disappoints! It is the perfect place to catch up with friends for a morning or afternoon tea date. It has a warm and cosy feel about it and is so so charming I'm having an extremely difficult time keeping away!!!

Simran xx

club sandwich 

They have a great selection of sweet treats as well as some pretty tasty savoury delights! The roast vege tremazino with haloumi is definitely worth trying!!

They also make scrupmptious blueberry pancakes which are served with yoghurt and honey which is a nice change from the usual maple syrup

The custard slice is AMAZING!!! If you like custard slice then this is most definitely worth giving a go.

The tokyo lime green tea is a nice alternative to the usual varities. It is soothing and refreshing and one of my favourites. You also get a few antioxidants thrown in without noticing (since it's green tea) which is a bonus! so it's delicious and healthy!

And for those of you who just NEED your daily coffee fix, the usual fare can be found at The Florentine Tearoom :) despite the name they do also serve coffee!





                           

There is seating in front of the cafe so although the the place may look small when you first walk in there is plenty of seating space as there is also a little courtyard out back to enjoy your treats.

The pistachio macaroon = delicious!! If your just after something really small

                                          

Sweet Temptations

Baking sweet treats is one of my favourite pastimes especially when the weather starts to cool down. It's not for everyone but I find it to be somewhat therapeutic and a fantastic stress release....even better when combined with a secret sing along to some super girly beats! (Britney, lady gaga and katy perry make perfect companions .... part of a playlist especially saved for such occasions!)

Chocolate Brownies are one of the greatest afternoon delights and difficult for many to resist. They are especially good when paired with a piping hot cup of tea. 
So yesterday when the weather was a bit average outside and slightly confused about whether it wanted to rain or shine, I decided to whip up some chocolate brownies to share with friends over afternoon tea.

Chocolate brownies are especially good when they have a firm outer shell and a gooey fudgy centre. My favourite chocolate brownie recipe is by Donna Hay. She is definitely one of my favourite Australian chefs with her 'fresh, fast and simple' attitude to food. I admire her ability to style food in such a way that is simple and incredibly aesthetically pleasing. Her books are filled with beautiful photography and amazing recipes.

 This luscious brownie recipe is sure to please. It's smooth and rich with a sensational texture and has the ability to transport anyone into chocolate brownie heaven!!!



 Chocolate Brownies

250g butter, chopped

200g dark chocolate, chopped (70% cocoa if possible)

1 3/4 (200g) cups brown sugar

4 eggs

1 1/3 (200g) cups plain flour, sifted

1/3 cup (35g) cocoa, sifted

1/4 teaspoon baking powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius or 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth.

Place the sugar and eggs in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until well combined.

Add the flour, cocoa and baking powder and whisk until smooth.

Pour mixture into a lightly greased tin lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 40-45 minutes or just set and allow to cool in the tin. When cooled you could dust with icing sugar or cover with chocolate icing and sprinkles if your feeling a little young at heart....who doesn't love rainbow coloured sprinkles!!

 To make icing combine 40g of melted butter, 2 tablespoons of sifted cocoa, 1 1/2 cups (240g) of sifted icing sugar and 1/3 cup (80ml) boiling water in a bowl Stir until well combined and spread evenly over cooled brownie using a palette knife if you have one :)





Antonia, Jacinda and Grace enjoying tea and baking at Jacinda's cute little abode


When I was in Sydney in February I popped into Donna's gorgeous store on holdsworth street in the super cute suburb of Woollahra and instantly fell in love!!! The Donna Hay general store is filled with gorgeous homewares, books and delectable sweet treats! These are a few pictures I took outside :)
Simran x