Good afternoon everyone,
We very much hope you have all had restful and joyful summers. We have returned from our European road trip to ten days of solid rain forecast for Oxford, but the memory of eating Black Forest Gateau in the Black Forest lingers on. We visited Cafe Decker, a 60 year old konditorei and confiserie in a tiny town called Staufen, in search of some authentic Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte and stumbled into a paradise of cakes and gateaux, chocolates, biscuits and ice cream. Hugo went the whole coupe, as it were, whilst Kate stuck to the mission at hand. It was the kind of place where even the espresso comes with a side of whipped cream, dispensed via a countertop tank the size of a Henry Hoover, and the surname of the server is printed on the receipt, prefixed by the title 'Frau'. The BFG itself consisted of a surprisingly light chocolate sponge, black cherry compote with kirsch, generous layers of the aforementioned whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a literal glacé cherry on top. Immensely enjoyable and one ticked off the confectionery bucket list.
It wasn't all cake and cream in the Black Forest. On a sunny Sunday morning we passed through a sleepy village, all the shops closed and not a soul to be seen. A little kiosk in the square advertised itself as a wine bar, and to our great delight, on our return a couple of hours later it was open for business and seemingly doing a roaring trade. The mostly venerable villagers were out in force, joined by a gaggle of lycra clad cyclists, all enjoying aperitifs and snacks. An energetic and charismatic frau was presiding, dispensing glasses of spritzy white wine straight from the barrel, bottles of pilsner, and plentiful good cheer. The counter was stocked with a dizzying array of home-made sweet and savoury baked goods - cheesecake, streusel tart, strudel, pretzels, flammkuchen, zwiebelkuchen. Three snacks and four drinks for less than twenty euros. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better we spotted the name, Fiff's Avenue. Good times.
As we begin to piece the bakery back together, oiling the bread tables, feeding up the starter, and for Hugo chewing up half a day rearranging the wine and retail shelves, we welcome the distinctly autumnal turn the weather has taken. The very last of the plums will be used for almond crumble financiers, the remaining apricot jam filling thumbprint cookies, and we've decided it's as good a time as any to bring back Chelsea buns, using the most fragrant organic nutmeg and cinnamon from a direct link to Sri Lanka, an exciting development we shall write about in more detail soon. Also back after an outrageously long hiatus is the walnut tart, a capricious Hamblin classic based on the Tarte aux noix du Périgueux, which we think fits perfectly with the season.
Thank you for reading. We look forward to welcoming you at Iffley Road and the Covered Market this coming week.
Have a lovely Sunday,
Kate and Hugo