Crossword Genius

Praise cook's welcoming coffee (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

flattery

'praise' is the definition.
(flattery is a kind of praise)

'cook's welcoming coffee' is the wordplay.
'cook' becomes 'fry' (I've seen this before).
'welcoming' means one lot of letters goes inside another (in sense of 'inviting in').
'coffee' becomes 'latte' (I've seen this before).
'fry' enclosing 'latte' is 'FLATTERY'.

(Other definitions for flattery that I've seen before include "Felt tray (anag.)" , "Mendacious praise" , "It is said to get one nowhere" , "flannel" , "butter" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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