Cyclops cat, Bowie cat and a chocolate lemon ricotta cake

Today we upped the stakes and the crazy gang tackled two recipes: orange shortbread and chocolate lemon ricotta cake.


In honour of The Garnham's new cat, Chester, we made cat shaped shortbread, decorated with an assortment of sprinkles. Miss Evie was ever the bold decorator and completed her cats in record time. Miss Daisy procrastinated but her dedication to design (as well as smartie snacking) was unparalleled.

I made a Bowie Cat (green smartie and blue smartie eyes). Only to outdone by Mr Charlie's Cyclops cat (at the top of the blog).

After biscuit baking, we moved on the cake. Ingredients were monitored by Mr Charlie and who knew Miss Daisy was a dab hand at egg separating at 6? Miss Evie helped shake out the flour and everyone helped to whisk the egg whites into a snowball mass of fluffiness.

Half the cake is now on its way up to St Albans. The rest DBFB is going to scoff for pudding tonight!

Bye, bye Joey and Pierre BBQ

Mr and Mrs Rapagoalie and Miss Camille are heading off to Australia on May 2nd. So we had a little BBQ to say goodbye and wish them well. As they are leaving Europe, we drank whites from across the continent, including one of our very own English ones.

So we started with a couple bottles of Gavi, La Toledana 2009, 13.5% from Piedmonte in Italy, made from the Cortese grape. Grapefruit on the nose and palate, lots of freshness and perfect for chicken, halloumi and salads.

We then moved between Vina Sol, 11.5% a Torres staple. Fruiter than the Gavi and made from Parellada grapes from Catalunya in Spain, it has lots lemon and green apples on the nose.

Going a little heavier, we moved to France, to a Mercurey 2007, Grand Vin du Bourgogne, produced and bottled by Jean-Marie Calloux, 12.5%. Golden delicious apples, baked with a touch of honey.

We then cracked open the fizz: an English wine! Ickworth Bubby Quality Sparkling Wine 2004, 11.5%. This is from Suffolk and was picked up earlier in the week whilst on holiday. It's grown on a tiny 2.5 hectare vineyard on a National Trust property. Made from Auxerrois, it is produced in the same way as Champagne, by 'Méthode Traditionelle'. Lemon biscuits all the way with a lovely freshness.

Staying on the fizz we then drank Neon Cava. Or Happy Cava. Which was a semi-sec Cava mixed with a little elderflower cordial.

And lastly we had a little Eight Below, vodka with Icewine from Canada. As a seasoned gin drinker this lovely - more flavour than a plain vodka, with a distinctive muscat grapey-tang.

This isn't going to last long in our kitchen!