Good afternoon everyone,
On the pastry counter this week a few changes. The Chelsea bun with its brown sugar, dried fruit filling and milk glaze is back. We are sneaking it in before summer dictates something much lighter. We've also got hazelnut shortbread, apple crumble financier and rhubarb karpatka (choux pastry sandwiching rhubarb compote and whipped cream) using Styan's first outdoor rhubarb of the season, and for the weekend special, a bit of fun... We have done a recipe swap with Lizzy and Eric at Elsewhere Bread, a bakery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We had been admiring their chocolate and rye muffins from afar, so we asked to exchange recipes, with them opting for our ricotta bun formula. These muffins are soft and tender, pleasingly light and intensely chocolatey, with a cocoa streusel on top. We love being part of a global network of like-minded bakeries, and recipe swapping is a great way to connect to those further afield. We love the thought of Dawn at Evelyn's Wholegrain Bakery in Toronto making a version of our ice cream sandwiches for her customers. We must try out her Kentucky butter cake some time...Beyond recipes we can confirm that the Irish baking contingent are especially generous, having just planted a wild plum tree sent by Sarah at Seagull, and watching our daughter run around in summer hand-me-downs sent by Ciara at Ursa Minor. It seems the generosity of spirit we seem to sense in our favourite kind of bakeries extends beyond the food produced, and we are grateful beneficiaries.
Another pizza night comes around. The margherita and the aubergine have become our staples, and after the popularity of the Calabrian sausage last time, we are returning with a spicy sausage, hot honey and red onion affair. The bianca gets a classic treatment, with spinach, nutmeg and ricotta added to our roast garlic, creme fraiche base plus Redemore, our preferred British territorial cheese for its superior melting qualities, rocket and parmesan.
The big news this week is that Harriet and Hugo have been working hard behind the scenes so that we can now offer additional toppings. For these we naturally turn to The Ham & Cheese Company, purveyors of the finest imports. Southern Italian hand-filleted anchovies on your Margherita perhaps? Or thinly sliced, 22 month aged Bayonne ham draped over your Bianca or Aubergine? The choice is yours. Based on last time, preorder is still recommended, though we are hoping to be able to take more walk-ins on the night, and Hugo will be there with bottles at the ready.
MARGHERITA - red base, cheddar curds, buffalo mozzarella, parmesan
AUBERGINE - red base, cheddar curds, roast aubergine, buffalo mozzarella, parmesan
SPICY SAUSAGE - red base, cheddar curds, fennel & chilli sausage, red onion, hot honey
BIANCA - white base with roast garlic, ricotta, spinach & sage, Redemore, rocket, parmesan
ADD ONS - Slow-food anchovy fillets OR Bayonne ham
SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE POT - set chocolate custard, salted caramel sauce