Hi, I’m Lloyd, and I have to admit—I’ve got an unstoppable sweet tooth! Chocolate is my biggest weakness, but if chocolate’s not around, I’m pretty much open to anything sweet.
You might remember when we wandered through the charming villages in the Cotswolds while staying at the stately Wood Norton Hotel. One of those evenings, after savoring a delightful dinner, we ended up at the bar for cocktails and met Lisa, a Londoner who owns Madeleine’s Cake Boutique—a sugar lover’s paradise. We got to chatting about cakes, cookies, and travel (but mostly cakes and cookies), and Lisa challenged us to visit her for a cookie decorating masterclass. Always eager to tackle new challenges (and sample cookies), I happily accepted.
Before visiting, we had been traveling nonstop, with little time in London. So, when the weekend finally arrived with beautiful sunshine, we couldn’t have picked a better day! Although the decorating was indoors, everything feels better in London when the sun’s out. Plus, we don’t often get the chance to enjoy regular London activities, so this was a great opportunity.
Upon arrival, the aroma of freshly baked cakes immediately captivated me, and I was eager to see more. After exploring the boutique and sampling some treats, we headed into the kitchen ready to craft what I imagined would be cookie decorating masterpieces!
Our class comprised six enthusiastic cookie lovers, including Georgia, as we dove into learning the art of the perfect cookie. I’m not usually one for cooking or baking classes. Enjoying food is more my thing (as my photos show), so I wanted to up my culinary game and seized this chance.
Yaya, on the other hand, is the more skilled cook and baker (don’t let him know I said this), and he wasn’t thrilled with my attempts (okay, I might have sneaked some cookies away before decorating). I did boast about outdoing Yaya but couldn’t resist picking up a few of his techniques. I was determined to not let him end up with better cookies!
The first lesson was drawing neat lines with thick sugar icing to create borders, prepping the cookies for ‘flooding’ with icing. Though the term ‘flooding’ sounded dramatic at first, it made sense after outlining the cookie and filling it with icing, which naturally spread to fill in gaps if mixed just right.
After over an hour of icing, I crafted a set of cookies I could call ‘epic.’ Of course, this is relative—as seen on Snapchat, a few did get dented or had missing bits, but icing sugar turned out to be excellent cookie glue!
I didn’t expect these classes to be such a blast! In a world filled with adrenaline seekers, it’s refreshing to focus on simple, joyful things. The best part was enjoying it with Yaya and Georgia. We had heaps of fun and a competitive spirit made it even better.
While waiting for our icing to set, we indulged in prosecco, Madeleine’s special tea, freshly baked cheesy scones, and a rich slice of Guinness cake—the first time I tried it, and now I’m hooked!
After lunch, it was back to the cookie-decorating showdown against Yaya. Though this rivalry was mostly in my head, Yaya’s cookies looked far better, and Georgia was brilliant throughout. Given her knack for Halloween costumes, it wasn’t surprising.
I dotted, sparkled, dusted, and textured my cookies, all while keeping an eye on Yaya’s work. Whether it was the prosecco or laughing too much, I ended up with some pretty wonky lines, handing Yaya a clear victory!
Finally, Lisa joined us, showing her expertise. My next ambition? Decorating a cake like this masterpiece. With my recently showcased decorating skills (or lack thereof), care to bet on my chances of replicating it? 😉
