23 Comments
Jan 28, 2022Liked by Jolene Handy

Hey Jo, the cookies are gorgeous. Betty's looks completely inviting and a place worthy of an occasional "splash out" (stole that from Mike). But let's talk a little bit about that picture of little Fritz. Adorable! And what a great story. Quite inspiring. TTK is off to a great start in 2022. I loved last week's "Confection Cosa Nostra" tale. Keep on Rockin' Jo...actually, keep on bakin'...

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I love pastries with evocative names and these fill the bill, along with a charming history. Thanks for sharing such a delightful story and treat, Jolene—plus a fascinating fellow blogger. I’d love to visit Bettys one day (even in the rain!), but meanwhile those cheeky rascals are calling my number!

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Jan 28, 2022·edited Jan 28, 2022Liked by Jolene Handy

This Brit is not normally a fan of tarted-up scones (yeah, what's that about? How do you improve on a proper scone with butter or cream and good strawberry jam?) but I make an exception for these, and yes, I have eaten them at Betty's in York! I think the name makes them irresistible. Well, that and the glace (candied) cherries, which, like you by the sound of it, Jolene, I always hoard for emergency Brit baking cravings.

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Thanks for the closing image of you nibbling and drinking tea inside your cozy apartment in all the January glory of Chicago! Mike's input and photo--yes! A real sense of community as I read, and we are all off in our places, yet brought together--thank you for that, too!

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Your Fat Rascals look like the real thing, Jolene! In fact... (I'm sorry to say this, Bettys) I think they look better than the variety on sale in the cafe's shop.

Bettys won't let me back in after saying that. (And neither will Yorkshire. Or England.)

But the taste is everything here. I can't comment on your Rascals, but I can say the taste of the ones in Bettys is out of this world. Their food generally is astonishing - and when I was a student living in York, I didn't begrudge occasionally splashing out (it's not cheap) on an Afternoon Tea: sandwiches, cakes, scones with clotted cream & strawberry jam and, well, the actual tea...

In less pandemical times, Bettys also runs a cookery school for members of the public: https://www.bettys.co.uk/cookery-school Very much on my bucket-list for when the world gets a bit more back to normal. I will take photos! (Except, not of the food I make, which will look hilariously awful. The *other* stuff, I mean. Other people's food, and so on.)

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Feb 3, 2022·edited Feb 3, 2022Liked by Jolene Handy

If you are in the UK and don't want to bake yourself, Betty's do deliver to your doorstep. a friend regularly orders a box of goodies from there.

I am unfortunately on a keto diet at the moment, but am making a list of things to try when I am liberated - these are definitely on the list. ;0)

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Feb 1, 2022Liked by Jolene Handy

Oh, thank you for sharing this piece of charming, delectable history! It's been a white since I had cup after cup of tea, and it's time...

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Those rascals look delightful. I'm always charmed by all things tea! When travel used to happen in the before times (sigh) and I was looking for things to do, I'd check out tea spots. Tea offers so many possibilities, all from a single leaf!

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deletedJan 29, 2022Liked by Jolene Handy
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