Ginger bread at Auntie's

As a kid, I loved reading books that talked about sweets. Desserts and treats always make a memorable appearance in good children’s literature, or at least, they do in every book I regard as good.

Nobody, of course, is better at this than the Brits. English stories always featured some dessert I’d never heard of, which sounded so good and exotic that I never quite knew if it was real, or utterly fantastical.

Narnia, for example, had Turkish Delight. Dickens rambled on about flaming Christmas Pudding in A Christmas Carol, which I adored. I know a few books that mentioned treacle, which always sounded good, though I had no idea what it was. Tolkien wrote a whole story about a baker’s quest to make the world’s finest ‘fairy-cake’. And nevermind Roald Dahl - Fox and Badger’s stores of fizzy cider, plus the scrum-dilly-umptious universe of Mr. Wonka & co.

It’s still going on. I bet half of J.K. Rowling’s global success is due to the inclusion of Bertie Botts All-flavour Beans and frothing mugs of butterbeer in every Harry Potter book. Who wouldn’t want a taste?

Now that I actually live in the UK, I obviously go bonkers when I come across one of these fine-sounding treats. I have to have it. Like on Sunday - Azure, Emmie, and I went out for tea to Auntie’s. Azure ordered Lady Grey and apple pie, but I had “Hot Ginger Bread drizzled with warm maple syrup, topped with whipped cream”. Never heard of such a thing, but boy, it seemed straight out of the storybooks.

It was awesome.

Emelyn also dined out at Auntie’s, having some carrot-zucchini-butternut-squash puree. I’m tickled to report that she was perfectly behaved. One old Englishman went so far as to wander over to our table, pause, and say, “Well she certainly doesn’t shout much”, with a nod of approval.

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