Today is the accession of Queen Elizabeth II. How hard must it have been for her 60 years ago?

At just 25 not only did she have to cope with the death of her father, but also take on the responsibility of becoming queen!

After watching the King’s Speech it’s really made me think about what their lives might be like. As a member of the Royal Family pretty much everything is in the public eye, especially grief. I am VERY glad that I am a mere commoner!

Face Britain

Of course, this year sees the Diamond Jubilee and plans are in full swing to commemorate the event in style. One of my favourite is Face Britain, a national project that invites all young people in the UK to submit a self-portrait.

The artwork will be part of a world record attempt and hopefully the biggest online gallery of self-portraits in the world. All portraits will go into the online gallery and be part of a special portrait of HM The Queen, which is going to be projected onto Buckingham Palace!

Embarrassing I know, but I had to remind myself
(with the trusty Dairy Diary) how many years the
diamond represents! Yes it’s 60……I’ll get my coat.

For others like me, here’s a list of anniversary dates:

No celebration would be complete without a special cake.
Here’s a gorgeously retro one to cook for your special occasion.

Black Forest Gateau
Or just as a treat for yourself! Enjoy….

Serves 8–10
Preparation 50 mins
Cooking 25 mins
Per portion 613 kcals, 44g fat (24.3g saturated)
Suitable for feezing
Suitable for vegetarians

150g (5oz) butter, melted
6 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
225g (8oz) caster sugar
50g (2oz) plain flour, sifted twice
50g (2oz) cocoa powder, sifted
4 tbsp Kirsch liqueur
450ml (3/4 pint) double cream
410g can black cherry pie filling
Chocolate curls (made with vegetable peeler)

1 Grease and flour bases and sides of three 20cm (8in) sandwich tins.

2 Strain melted butter through muslin or use Clarified Butter (page 183).

3 Whisk together eggs, vanilla and sugar over a saucepan of hand-hot water for 8–10 minutes or until mixture is thick and texture of softly whipped cream. Remove bowl from saucepan and continue whisking for a further 5 minutes.

4 Gently fold in flour, cocoa powder and melted butter, using a metal spoon.

5 Divide mixture between prepared tins. Bake at 180°C (350°F) Mark 4 for 10–15 minutes.

6 Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in tins, then place on a wire cooling rack to cool thoroughly.

7 Prick cooled sponge cakes all over with a skewer. Spoon Kirsch over cakes and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

8 Whip cream until softly stiff. Sandwich cakes together with some of the whipped cream and pie filling. Spread top with cream and spoon pie filling in the centre.

9 Decorate top with chocolate curls. Serve at once.

Serves 6–8
Preparation 5 mins
Cooking 40-45 mins
Per portion 150 kcals, 8g fat (4.3g saturated)
Suitable for vegetarians

110g (4oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 egg
300ml (½ pint) milk
40g (1½oz) butter

1 Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Break in egg.

2 Gradually add half the milk, beating to form a smooth batter.

3 Pour in remaining milk and beat until smooth.

4 Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F) Mark 7. Put butter into a 25 x 30cm (10 x 12in) baking tin. Heat for 10 minutes or until a faint haze just appears.

5 Pour in batter.

6 Bake just above centre of oven for 40–45 minutes.

Small Yorkshire Puddings 

1 Follow recipe and method for Yorkshire Pudding.

2 Place butter in a 12-section bun tin and heat as step 4.

3 Pour in batter and cook for 15–20 minutes.

Recipes taken from The Dairy Book of Home Cookery. 2012 edition

I love our local library. It’s the heart of the community in our little town.

Nothing like the libraries of yesteryear where hush was expected, it’s buzzing with lively children (including my own), hosts local groups, promotes local events and has sing-a-longs for little ones.

A local artist can often be found
sketching from local history books
and working on his watercolours.

I have also recently discovered the convenience of the library online. It’s a fantastic resource, where you can renew books – invaluable for those whose children adore their reading books so much they can’t bear to take them back (and maybe their Mummy may forget!!); search the catalogue; reserve books and order the latest releases.

On Saturday libraries across the UK will be celebrating National Libraries Day with a range of events for library users to enjoy. The day is a celebration of the work done in school, college and public libraries to promote learning, literacy and the enjoyment of reading to all.

Library users new and old are being encouraged to go along to their local library and find out about the great services on offer – from book loans and homework clubs to advice on starting a business and how to get online.

Watercolour Painting Tips

As I am often inspired by the local artist in my library I thought I would share some tips on watercolour painting from the Dairy Diary.

If you have a few spare hours on Sunday, give it a try, it’s incredibly rewarding (and don’t forget to pop along to your local library on Saturday too!)

Experimenting with colours and techniques is part of the fun of painting with watercolours.

In this project, spattering, lifting-out and blotting are used to create the effect of light dancing on moving water and waves breaking on the shoreline.

You will need

• A 300gsm (140lb) sheet of NOT paper
• 2B pencil
• Paints: ultramarine blue; cerulean blue; yellow ochre; sap green; burnt umber; burnt sienna; Payne’s grey
• Brushes: Nos.12, 6, 4 and 3 round-headed; 19mm (¾in) and 7mm (¼in) flat-headed
• Gum arabic
• Natural sponge
• Stiff card
• 2 jars of water
• Palette
• Tissues
• Cotton buds

Painting is a wonderfully rewarding
hobby, and anyone can do it.

Watercolour paints are readily available and easy to use and with a few brushes and a little imagination you can set about creating your own masterpieces. Slightly textured paper (known as NOT paper) is the most commonly used, and acid-free papers don’t go so yellow with age. Thickness is indicated by weight, and paper under 300gsm (140lb) is liable to bubble or warp unless previously stretched.

You’ll probably find watercolour to be much more attainable than you thought. One way to discover various tried and tested techniques is to follow a step-by-step project. The one described here takes a beach photograph for inspiration (above). The artist also made a sketch of the scene while on location (below). The basic painting is set out in layered washes. The water, foam and shingle are developed by working into the layers – blotting, scraping, re-wetting and spattering. Wet washes can be dabbed with a sponge or scraped with card to achieve the desired effect.

Dry washes can be lightened using stripes of clean water. The paint dissolves into the water and the pigment migrates to the edges of the newly wet areas, creating bands of lighter colour. The striped effect is enhanced if you blot the wet stripes. Spatter a dry wash with water for a speckled effect.

Capture the mood To create an image that is more than a copy of the scene, start by simplifying the forms, looking for interesting shapes and patterns. As the painting evolves, pay less attention to the photograph and use the marks you have already made. As you move away from the original subject, the painting becomes less literal, more personal and more creative. Here the artist has experimented to find a way of achieving a particular effect.

The hint of fields and hedges on the headland, and the two figures and dog on the beach, give a sense of scale and recession, and create a focus.

1 Using the 2B pencil, make a basic outline drawing to plot the main elements of the landscape.

2 Mix ultramarine blue and cerulean blue, and, using the No.12 brush, lay the wash for the sky, leaving the white of the paper to stand for the clouds. Add more water and take the wash down over the headland. Add yellow ochre to the mix and apply this colour over the water, using the same brush. Dab the edge of the cloud with damp sponge to soften it. Sweep a damp brush across the lower sky and headland to thin the wash, leaving a pale film of colour.

3 Cut a piece of stiff card about 3cm (1¼in) wide to make a blunt spatula. While the wash is still wet, pull the card vertically down the paper to remove parallel wavy strips of wash. These lighter bands suggest the waves surging on to the shoreline. Work into the edge of the cloud with a moist brush to soften it even more.

4 Use a mix of sap green, burnt umber and Payne’s grey for the headland (No.6 brush). Use yellow ochre mixed with a little burnt umber for the beach area. Darken with more burnt umber and Payne’s grey and apply along the base of the headland. Mix a darker ultramarine/cerulean/yellow ochre wash by adding more of each. Add a drop of gum arabic to increase the paint’s gloss. Apply this colour over the sea (No.6 brush), taking it around the silhouette of the breakwater, and pulling it down the sheet in parallel ribbons, leaving slivers of the base colour showing through. Leave to dry.

5 Darken the sea colour by adding ultramarine and burnt sienna and use this mix to paint the shadow of the headland. Using the small No.3 brush, lay parallel lines to suggest the wavelets on the water’s surface. These should be narrow and close together because they are in the distance. Load the No.12 brush with the same dark wash and take broad strands of this colour down the paper.

6 Wet the No.3 brush and, starting near the horizon, lay narrow, horizontal bands of water. This causes the paint to open up gradually, producing stripes of lighter colour. They should be close together near the horizon. Make broader marks that are wider apart as you move forward to create a sense of recession from the foreground towards the horizon. Change to the No.12 brush near the bottom of the picture. Apply the water freely so it floods and one band runs into another. Lay the bands so the paint gradually opens up to create interesting textures and patterns.

7 Mix a wash of burnt sienna and yellow ochre and use the No.4 brush to lay this on to the beach below the groyne. Use the tip of the brush to dot more colour on to the wash to suggest the shingle. Leave to dry.

8 Load the No.3 brush with water, hold it over the paper and tap it with your forefinger to spatter droplets of water on to the beach. Then spatter wash on to the same area. Use a cotton bud to lift some of the re-wetted wash, creating very light areas to suggest lumps of chalk.

9 Mix raw umber and Payne’s grey and, with the 7mm (¼in) flat brush, paint the uprights and planks of the breakwater. Vary the amount of Payne’s grey in the mix to create a variety of tones. Leave to dry. Then wet the edge of a piece of stiff card, and apply to the breakwater to create a wet line. Re-wet the card and repeat to create parallel wet lines. Blot with tissue to lift the colour.

10 Wet the 19mm (¾in) flat brush and work into the white water breaking over the breakwater, creating flame-like shapes. Use plenty of water to dissolve the washes around the white paper – don’t blot it but allow the dissolved paint to flow into the white area, creating softly graduated tones. If you like, suggest fields on the headland and two figures and a dog on the beach.

Article taken from Dairy Diary 2012.

It was a little hectic in the office last week, ensuring that all the final 2013 Dairy Diary proofs were checked and signed off before the start of Chinese New Year (when our factory shuts down for a fortnight).

Thankfully everything is done now, so we can relax and think about the other products, such as the pocket diary, calendar, new letterheads etc. etc.

Several people have asked me how I work on a diary all year round, but with only two of us in the office we get involved in everything and the work is never finished!

I noticed in the diary that it’s the Chinese year of the dragon, which sounds pretty exciting.

I thought I would do a bit of research and find out what that is supposed to represent. According to Chinesenewyear2012.net: In 2012, the Dragon is welcomed back after the 2011 year of the Rabbit. Each of these animals are thought to bestow their characteristics to the people born in their year.

While the Year of the Rabbit was characterized by calm and tranquility, the Year of the Dragon will be marked by excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity. The Rabbit imbues people with a sense of cautious optimism, but people respond to the spirit of the Dragon with energy, vitality and unbridled enthusiasm, often throwing all caution to the wind.

So, I am intrigued to find out what animal I am.
I have checked out my birth year and I am a rabbit. Apparently, I am ‘affectionate, co-operative and pleasant, with lots of friends. But can get too sentimental and seem superficial. Ideal careers areas include law, diplomacy or the stage.’ I don’t know if my other half would agree with the co-operative bit!! And I seem to be in the wrong career. After some research, I have decided that I was born in the wrong year. I am definitely a rat, but would prefer to be a monkey! ‘Rats are said to be imaginative, charming and very generous to those they love – although they do have a tendency to be quick-tempered and over-critical. They are supposed to make good writers, critics and publicists.’

‘If you are born in the Year of the Monkey, you are very intelligent, well-liked by everyone, and will have success in any field you choose.”

Have a look at your birth year on chinese.new-year.co.uk

or you could just enjoy Chinese New Year by having a go at one of our delicious, Chinese-inspired recipes:

Sweet & Sour Lamb 
Special Fried Rice 
Lemon & Garlic Chicken 
Duck with Plum Sauce

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A bed of noodles with rich and succulent duck breasts and fruity sauce.

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Calories per portion 733
Kcal Fat per portion 21g of which saturated 3.9g
Serves 2

For the plum sauce
Red plums 200g (7oz), halved, stoned and quartered
Cinnamon stick 1, halved
Dried red chilli 1, crumbled
Preserving or granulated sugar 75g (3oz) (or to taste)
Red wine vinegar 3 tbsp

For the duck
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Red onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
Root ginger 5cm (2in) piece, peeled and chopped
Skinless, boneless mini duck fillets 225g packet, or larger fillets, sliced
Pak choi 3, trimmed and sliced
Straight-to-wok noodles 300g packet

1 For the plum sauce, cook the plums in a wok with the cinnamon, chilli and sugar over a gentle heat for a minute or so. Then add the vinegar, stir well and simmer for 5–10 minutes or until the plums are tender and the liquid has reduced. The exact time will depend on the ripeness of the plums. Stir often to prevent the mixture from sticking to the wok. Tip into a bowl and remove the cinnamon stick. Rinse the wok.

2 To cook the duck, heat the oil in the wok, add the onion and ginger and stir-fry for a minute or so. Then add the duck and stir-fry for about 6 minutes or until the meat is golden and tender. Add the pak choi and noodles and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

3 Add half the plum sauce, mix well and serve on warm plates with the rest of the plum sauce in a separate bowl.

Cook’s tip 
Oriental food specialists Amoy make great straight-to-wok noodles. After cooking your stir-fry ingredients, you just add to the wok and cook for 1–2 minutes.

A Just One Pot  recipe.

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Sweet and tangy oriental-flavoured chicken with leaves and broccoli.

Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 9 minutes
Calories per portion 316 Kcal
Fat per portion 9g of which saturated 1.3g
Serves 2

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts 2, cut into thin strips
Lemon 1, grated zest and juice
Clear honey 2 tsp
Light soy sauce 1 tbsp
Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Cornflour 4 tsp
Purple sprouting broccoli 8 spears, trimmed
Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
Pak choi 1, trimmed and shredded
Chinese leaves ¼ head, trimmed and shredded
Chives small bunch, snipped

1 Place the chicken strips in a shallow dish. Mix the lemon zest and juice into the chicken along with the honey, soy sauce, garlic and cornflour. Set aside. Cut the broccoli spears into thin, even-sized slices down the length of each piece.

2 Heat the oil in a wok until hot. Drain the chicken, reserving the juices, and add to the wok; stir-fry for 5 minutes, until well sealed. Add the broccoli and continue to stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.

3 Finally, add the shredded pak choi, Chinese leaves and reserved juices and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes until the leaves have just wilted. Serve immediately, sprinkled with snipped chives.

Cook’s tip
Tender young sprouting broccoli spears are ideal for stir-frying, but use small florets of broccoli when they aren’t in season.

A Just One Pot recipe.

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A wonderful rice dish that tastes as good as it looks

serves 2
time 40 mins
440 calories per portion
14g fat of which 1.7g is saturated
suitable for vegetarians
suitable for freezing

Sunflower oil 2 tbsp
Red onion 1, peeled and finely sliced
Finely chopped ginger 1-2 tsp
Red pepper 1, halved, de-seeded and cut into thin strips
Corn on the cob 1, kernels removed
Peas 75g (3oz), cooked and drained
Cold, cooked basmati rice 350g (12oz)
Pak choi 2 heads, trimmed, halved and sliced
Soy sauce to serve

1 Heat sunflower oil in a large wok or frying pan, add red onion, ginger and pepper and stir-fry until softened, but not browned.

2 Add corn, stir fry for 2-3 minutes, then add peas, rice and pak choi and continue stirfrying for another 4-5 minutes, or until thoroughly heated through and piping hot.

3 Add soy sauce to taste and serve immediately.

Cook’s tip
This recipe is perfect for using up leftover rice. If precooking rice, put 110g (4oz) basmati rice into a saucepan, add 300ml (1⁄2 pint) water and 1⁄2 tsp of salt. Bring up to boil, cover pan, reduce heat to very low and cook for 20 minutes, or until rice is cooked. Remove from heat, and leave until cold.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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A quick dish that delivers bags of flavour

serves 2
time 35 mins
390 calories per portion
18g fat of which 6.7g is saturated

Loin of lamb fillet 300–350g (11–12oz), trimmed weight
Whisky, dry sherry or saki 2 tbsp
Soy sauce 4 tbsp
Rice or white wine vinegar 1 tbsp
Finely chopped ginger 2 tbsp
Tomato purée 1½ tbsp
Soft dark or light brown sugar 1 tbsp
Light olive oil 1 tbsp
Red pepper 1 small, halved, deseeded and cut into thin strips
Spring onions 4, trimmed and chopped
Lychees 8–12, peeled and stoned, optional

1 Cut lamb fillet diagonally into very thin slices and put into bowl. Add whisky, sherry or saki and 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Mix well, cover and leave while preparing remaining ingredients.

2 In a small bowl, mix together remaining soy sauce, vinegar, chopped ginger, tomato purée and brown sugar.

3 Drain marinated lamb. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan, add red pepper and spring onions and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes. Add lamb and continue stir-frying for 2–3 minutes until lamb is only just cooked.

4 Add ginger sauce and continue stir-frying until bubbling hot. Add lychees and serve immediately – on cooked Chinese noodles, linguini or rice.

Cook’s tip
For speedy cooking, prepare all ingredients before you start.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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Preparation time 10 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
Calories per portion 186 Kcal
Fat per portion 10g
of which saturated 2.1g
Serves 2
Suitable for vegetarians + freezing

Olive oil 1 tbsp
Onion 1 small, peeled and sliced
Carrot 1, peeled and diced
Button mushrooms 4–6, wiped and chopped
Chopped tomatoes 227g can
Vegetable stock cube 1
Boiling water 600ml (1 pint)
Angel hair spaghetti or rice noodles 25g (1oz)
Pesto sauce 1 tbsp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan-like cheese 1/2–1 tbsp

1 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and carrot and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables have started to soften. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for a further 2–3 minutes.

2 Add the canned tomatoes, stock cube and water to the pan and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer the soup for 12–15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Break the spaghetti or noodles into pieces and add to the pan, then boil the soup, uncovered, for 2–3 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.

3 Stir half of the pesto into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and remaining pesto just before serving.

Cook’s tip
If the soup thickens too much, add a little extra boiling water. The soup may thicken after freezing; again, add more water.

Shopper’s tip
You can use ordinary spaghetti, but it will need to be added at the beginning of step 2. You may need to add more water.

Recipe taken from Clever Cooking for One or Two.

Win one of 10 copies of Good Food, Fast

My favourite soup of all time is Tomato Soup with Pesto Cream taken from Good Food, Fast.

This soup is so rich and creamy you will never want to have canned soup again!

Good Food Fast features 116 recipes split into seven sections

• Speedy Soups
• Side Orders
• Quick Fixes
• Desserts
• Everyday Eating
• Take the Biscuit
• Frozen Assets

Fancy a treat? We have 10 books to give away, click here to enter the competition.

If you are not lucky enough to win this time, they are still available to buy online for a bargain £7.00 (plus P&P).

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This week’s Dairy Diary recipe is Slow Beef Curry, which is just perfect for the time of year.

Over the last week we have had such awful weather – with winds playing havoc all over the UK – I think that we all deserve some warming, comfort food.

January is a difficult month. Many of us think we need to cut back and live on salad after the excesses of Christmas but in reality we all feel like tucking in to something hot and wholesome.

My answer to this is to do lots of zumba and make lots of soup!

In fact, I am currently contemplating a soup maker. Does anyone have one? Are they worth the investment or will it just end up gathering dust like my slow cooker and bread maker?!

I guess you just can’t beat a good old saucepan and stick blender. What time saving devices do you have and are they useful? I would love to know.

Slow Beef Curry
Warming, comfort food for winter days.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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Warming, comfort food that’s perfect for winter days

Serves 6
Time 2 hrs 5 mins plus marinating
Calories 266 per portion
Fat 6g of which 2.5g is saturated
Suitable for freezing

Plain yogurt 150g (5oz)
Garlic 1 clove, peeled and crushed
Curry powder 1 tbsp
Lean stewing beef 680g (1½lb), cubed
Milk 150ml (¼ pint)
Tomatoes 400g can
Beef stock 150ml (¼ pint)
Ready-to-eat dried tropical fruit 175g (6oz)
Cornflour 25g (1oz)
Steamed rice to serve, optional
Coriander to garnish

1 Blend yogurt, garlic and curry powder in a bowl and stir in beef. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.

2 Place beef and its marinade in a large pan. Add milk, tomatoes, stock and fruit. Cover, bring almost up to boil and simmer for 2 hours or until tender.

3 Blend cornflour with a little milk, stir into curry and heat until sauce thickens and boils. Cook for 1 minute and serve with steamed rice, if using, and garnish with coriander leaves.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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We would love to hear your comments and suggestions.

I made the pitta crisps for New Year’s Eve to nibble on whilst partying with a bottle of Prosecco (partying may be an exaggeration, two of us on the sofa watching TV with three sleeping children above!) They were delicious.

I am also looking forward to cooking the Pesto Chicken on p75 and the Peanut Noodles on p95. They look delicious but quick enough to fit in with our uber-hectic lives.

There’s so much to look
forward to this year.
We will be producing the 2014
(yes 2014!) Dairy Diary and
two brand new cookbooks!

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

In Britain, we can enjoy patriotism once again with the Olympics in July and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June. The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and her coronation took place on 2 June 1953. The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897.

There will be a special bank holiday for the Diamond Jubilee. The 2012 late May bank holiday will be moved to Monday 4 June 2012 and an additional Jubilee bank holiday will be on Tuesday 5 June 2012. For information on celebrations around the country visit http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197517

This one is fab http://www.thebiglunch.com As we are new to our cul-de-sac, I think it’s a fantastic way of getting to know all our neighbours – although losing a cat works quite well too!! (she is home safe now). The Big Lunch is a very simple idea from the Eden Project. The aim is to get as many people as possible across the whole of the UK to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community, friendship and fun.

Try this favourite from the 2012 Dairy Diary.

Pesto Chicken
A super-tasty chicken dish cooked up in less than 30 minutes.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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Serves 4
Time 20 mins
Calories 409 per portion
Fat 29g of which 8.1g is saturated

Walnuts 15g (½oz), roughly chopped
Garlic 1 clove, peeled and chopped
Salt ½ tsp
Flat-leaf parsley 50g (2oz), leaves only
Grated Parmesan cheese 3 tbsp
Olive oil 6 tbsp
Skinless chicken breasts 4, cut into thin strips
Crème fraîche 4 tbsp
Buttered tagliatelle to serve

1 Dry-fry walnuts in a non-stick frying pan until lightly toasted.

2 Put walnuts, garlic, salt and parsley into a food processor and pulse to a rough texture. Add Parmesan cheese and 5 tbsp oil. Whizz to blend, but still leave slightly chunky.

3 Heat remaining oil in a wok or frying pan and add chicken strips. Cook for 4–5 minutes until browned.

4 Add crème fraîche and 3 tbsp of parsley pesto and simmer for 5 minutes.

5 Mix in 2 tbsp extra pesto and serve with buttered tagliatelle, if using. Put leftover pesto in a bowl alongside for any extra drizzling.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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These boxes were usually given on the first working day after Christmas – the 26th December – hence the name Boxing Day.

So what will you be doing today? Possibly indulging in a small tipple? Sherry maybe?

Despite its reputation as an old fashioned drink attributed to old ladies, sherry is seeing something of a revival with bars dedicated to the fortified wine popping up across the country.

According to The Independent, ‘M&S, which has seen sherry sales rise 15 per cent in the past three months, talks of a “Downton effect”. Sue Daniels, its sherry winemaker, said: “Sherry is one of the best kept secrets in wine, and seeing it enjoyed by the Downton Abbey characters has obviously sparked our appetites for it – it’s great to see it having a revival.”’

So, during the Christmas special of Downton, if we see the cast tucking enthusiastically into a bowl of tripe, will we all follow suit? I seriously doubt it!

Raspberry, Sherry & Amaretto Trifle
A wonderfully flavoured trifle that’s perfect for the Christmas break

Recipe taken from Dairy Book of Home Cookery
which is available from the Dairy Diary store.

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Suitable for vegetarians
Serves 8
Time 35 mins plus cooling
Per portion: 442 kcals
30g fat (13.4g saturated)

4 trifle sponges
4 tbsp raspberry jam
150ml (¼ pint) sherry
3 tbsp amaretto liqueur (optional)
50g (2oz) ground almonds
50g (2oz) amaretti biscuits, crumbled
225g (8oz) frozen raspberries, thawed
4 egg yolks
50g (2oz) caster sugar
15g (½oz) cornflour
450ml (¾ pint) milk
300ml (½ pint) double cream
Toasted almonds to decorate

1 Halve trifle sponges and sandwich with jam. Cut each into 4 and arrange in a trifle dish.

2 Pour over sherry and 1 tbsp amaretto. Sprinkle with 25g (1oz) ground almonds and crumbled amaretti biscuits.

3 Reserve a few raspberries for decoration and place remainder in dish.

4 Blend yolks, sugar and cornflour with 1 tbsp milk. Heat remaining milk in a saucepan. When hot, blend in cornflour mixture and heat gently until thickened, stirring.

5 Remove from heat and stir in remaining liqueur, ground almonds and 3 tbsp cream. Pour over raspberries, then leave to cool.

6 Whip remaining cream until softly stiff. Decorate with whirls of cream, almonds and reserved raspberries.

Recipe taken from Dairy Book of Home Cookery which is available from the Dairy Diary store.

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Congratulations to Mrs Moreley
winner of our M&S £300 Gift Card competition.

A new competition will be online in January.

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