Wednesday 27 June 2012

When life serves you lemons


The last 3 weeks have been yard yakka at Chez GG.

The real proper flu has struck.

Not man-flu.

Not a bad cold.

The real deal.

Fevers for a week.

Chills to the bone.

The littlest had convulsions from the fever.  So scary being taken back to a place we were at when he was 12mths old- I wrote about it here.

It was super scary. 

GourmetBoyfriend was overseas.  I was alone. Panicked by what was before me.

I flew my mumma over from Adelaide to help me, scared of the next few days on my own.

We got through.

Thankyou Mumma.

GourmetBoyfriend came home.

But the sickness continues.......nearly all 7 of us have had it.  

Enough now.

We MUST be limping towards the finish line.....I have to believe that.

In the meantime I am baking.

As I do when things are not great........
pic courtesy of Snorg tees


GOURMET GIRLFRIEND'S LEMON RICOTTA CAKE
I'm not a huge cake baker.
I mean I do love a good cake but I have never loved baking them- although when I do they usually turn out great.
I am particularly partial to citrus cakes (my all time fave is Claudia Roden's Middle eastern Orange cake) - do you remember the Citrus Cheesecake I baked not so long ago, that was delish!!
I like cakes that are a bit out of the ordinary.
I usually always have Ricota in my fridge ready to make my Ricotta Gnocchi so I thought I might whizz out a ricotta based cake & use some of the gorgeous lemons we were gifted (thanks Luke)
I use lemons EVERY day.  A squeeze on my eggs, a bit on my pasta or noodles, some in my tea, or popped into whatever I am cooking, or to make a new batch of preserved lemons (my recipe for preserved lemons is here)- i just LOVE them. SO when we are offered lemons i NEVER say no...bring them on I say!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
  • 175g butter
  • 175g caster sugar
  • 3 lemons zested & juice of one
  • 250g ricotta
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 125gSR flour
  • 1tsp baking powder


METHOD:
Heat oven to 180.

Grease & flour a 20cm springform tin.

Beat sugar & better till light & fluffy

Add eggs, lemon zest and juice, ricotta and mix

Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks, fold through.

Add flour, baking powder and mix well.

Spoon into greased tin.

Bake for 35mins or until firm & golden in colour.

Cool in tin for an hour before serving.


Here is a lovely little concert with some faves of ours ~ Kings of Convenience;  you can listen to it while you bake.....

14 comments:

  1. I hope you're all on the mend super-fast! That's no fun at all. >_<

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  2. When life gives you lemons - make the donna hay lemon and yogurt cake (easy to find recipe on-line and easy to make)- unbeatable taste. Hope you are all feeling better. Love and kisses from across the ditch. xxx

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  3. Hope you're all feeling better soon x

    How the heck do you crack an egg into your hand and take a photo at the same time - U R AMAZING!

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  4. I hope life gets happier soon. Yummy cake and lovely tunes as always :)

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  5. My baby boy - 17 months - had febrile convulsions last night from fever - SCARED OUT OF MY LIFE!!! Hope I never have to experience that panic of calling 000 and having an ambulance with lights and sirens pull up.

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  6. Thank you for recipe and best wishes to all at GG household for a full recovery. Go GG mumma!
    I will be making this cake tomorrow as our victory sign as we move out of the trenches of the neighbourhood flu too.
    Lemons courtesy of neighbours from my walks with the dog...overhanging branches of course!

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  7. What a crappy few weeks for you all :( Here's hoping it passes very, very soon. x

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  8. Beautiful post, GG..as always. Here's to many healthy, happy days ahead.

    We also had very scary convulsions at 18 months (Felix is now nearly 5). Rushed to hospital, in ICU, with a whole team around him and no response to meds. Very very scary.

    Thankfully recovery was 12 hours away. (I can only imagine what a week felt like...my goodness...what a most horrid of scares). When Felix eventually awoke his first word was 'raff' (as in giraffe). At first I though he was hallucinating (and many scary thoughts crossed my mind) but then saw a giraffe mobile hanging above us....best giraffe I have ever seen in my life!

    I'm looking forward to making this...and remembering the resilience and wonder of our beautiful boys.

    Monnie xo

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  9. Doesn't sound fun at all GG but I reckon that yummy cake would've lifted a few flagging spirits - you've just lifted mine too.. your blog is like a warm hug x Clance

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  10. Please get well everybody at Chez GG. Thinking of you and sending you lemony squeezes. xxx

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  11. Not fun times GG....Wishing you all speedy & full recoveries xx

    I love this recipe! I shall add it to the ever increasing list of GG recipes to try. It would make my life a lot easier if you had a cookbook!I would buy it today!!! It would save me from copying out all the recipes I want to try. I have them all filed away in my recipe folders & then write all over them if we liked them or not & if I switch any ingredients. I hope you dont mind that I do that?

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    Replies
    1. oh Reannon that is ACE!!!! I LOVE that you do that! xx

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  12. i wish i could get you a chicken noodle soup! sending on the mend vibes down to you....when life gives me lemons i make a gin and tonic...yes, a cook book would be fabby fabskins - i too have kept so many of your emails that my husband complains bitterly about all my junk....he loves to eat your junk though...mucho appreciado for sharing even when you are so stricken with the ills....you are super ace xo

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