NIGELLAS WITH ATTITUDE 3: BEST FAT RASCAL

Matthew "lustful sigh" Wilson has a new TV series coming out this September, for those of you who don't stalk him 24-7. I therefore declare the committee's avowed intention to celebrate this by holding a one-time-only Fat Rascal baking contest in his honour. Here's the recipe. 

Extra points for the vanilla-scented mascarpone, obv. 

How COOL is Happy Mouffetard????? Look what she has done!!! She comments, "I can report to Fat Rascal (the real one) that having eaten one (cannibalism?) they are like a stodgy rock cake and quite hard going. or perhaps that's just mine. I'm currently working on the Victoria Sponge - could get messy."

Stodgy? hard going? That must be what the vanilla-wafted mascarpone is for! 

24th august update

I can't believe the effort going in Fat Rascal making around the country, especially when it appears to be the case that they aren't actually the world's best cake. Hurrah for all you Emsworthians! 

Helen just sent this one, these look amaaaazing. She says, though, "Here is my entry for the Best Fat Rascals. As you can see I only just managed to take a pic before forever hungry teenage son spotted them. They say they are yum with butter." She clearly never even got to find out! She may be the Patient Gardener, but she should clearly be a teeny bit less patient when it comes to eating homemade cake.

And now Victoria has pitched in with a baking effort: "This is my attempt at Fat Rascals. I'm indebted to Happy Mouffetard for her comment that they were a bit stodgy, as it made me look carefully at the recipe. It seemed to me there wasn't enough fat for 10 ounces of flour, so I added another ounce of butter, and then another one for luck. I've never eaten a Fat Rascal before, but they're rather nice (although I think just one would be enough to feed a family of four for a week). Aaargh, I can't believe I'm taking this so seriously! Competitions really bring out the worst in me. I'll have to have another read of Karen's fabulous comic and lighten up."

Another lovely entry, this time from Dobby. She writes: "Having been inspired by all the other entries, I have been desperately trying to find a category to enter. But, I don't grow veg and as a new garden, I don't have much in the way of flowers. Also, there is no way I wanted to be in competition with Karen at An Artists Garden (as if that would be even possible). Oh dear, what could I do? The cat wouldn't stay still long enough to dress up as a pig or a chicken, but I do like baking. So, my entry is attached. I leave it to you to decide if it is a very strange looking pig, or a Fat Rascal. As can be seen, the cat enjoyed it!! Why is it that when you want a cake to rise it doesn't and when you want it to keep the shape you so lovingly created, it rises and expands it all directions? From Dobby."

Hmm I think we all know the feeling about the rising..... A lovely entry!