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

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.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

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.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

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.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

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.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

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.

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.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

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.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

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.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

It’s the final rush this week with Christmas Day on Sunday.

I usually love all the build up but with two extra little ones this year it’s been just a bit too hectic and I will be very glad when it’s Christmas morning and we can relax and enjoy it (especially as I am having lunch cooked for me this year!)

Winter officially starts on Wednesday, so I wonder if we will see a smattering of snow or some beautiful crisp frosty days. They would be a vast improvement on the wild and wet weather we have been experiencing recently.

Now, it may be last minute, but it’s not too late to create a fabulous feast on Christmas day.

Just follow these wonderful recipes for a meal to remember.

Here are my favourite recipes for the big day. Have a fantastic time everyone!

Traditional Roast Turkey

Treacle-Glazed Red Cabbage

French-style Peas

Roast Potatoes

Cranberry Sauce

Tropical Christmas puddings

Brandy Butter

Many of these recipes taken from Dairy Book of Home Cookery which is available from the Dairy Diary store.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

Preparation time – 2 hours
Cooking time – 2 hours
Calories per portion – 1100 Kcal
Fat per portion – 50g of which saturated – 19.2g
Serves – 8 Suitable for freezing

Bronze turkey 6kg (12lb) oven-ready bird
Butter 25g (1 oz) softened

For the stock
Giblets from turkey, well washed
Onion 1 large, peeled and quartered
Carrot 1 large, peeled and sliced
Parsley 1 large sprig
Bay leaves 3
Rosemary 1 large sprig
Black peppercorns 1 tsp
Chicken stock or water 900ml (11⁄2 pints)

For the stuffing
Frozen peeled chestnuts 225g (8oz)
Chicken stock 300ml (1⁄2 pint)
Butter 50g (2oz)
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Smoked rindless streaky bacon rashers 225g (8oz), cut into thin strips widthways
Onion 1 large, peeled and finely chopped
Lean, good quality pork sausages 400g (14oz), skinned
Chopped parsley 4 tbsp
White breadcrumbs 110g (4oz)
Mixed dried herbs 1 tbsp
Lemon 1, finely grated rind only Egg 1 large, beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cranberry sauce
Cranberries 250g (9oz), washed, any stalks removed
Orange 1 large, finely pared rind and strained juice
Caster sugar 175g (6oz)
Mixed ground spice 1⁄2–1 tsp

For the gravy
Roasting juices from turkey see method
White or red wine 2–3 tbsp, optional
Plain flour 2–3 tbsp
Chicken stock 500ml (1 pint)

1 On Christmas Eve, prepare the stock. Place all the giblets except the liver in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and skim off the scum that has risen to the surface. Add all the remaining ingredients, cover and cook gently for 11⁄2 hours. Strain through a sieve, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.

2 To make the stuffing, place the chestnuts in a saucepan, add the stock, partially cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, or until softened and most of the stock has been absorbed. Pour the nuts into a sieve placed over a bowl to drain, and leave until cold.

3 Meanwhile, chop the turkey liver and put into a large bowl. Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and cook until browned and crispy. Add to the turkey liver.

4 Add the onion to the fat and cook gently until softened, then add to the liver and bacon and cool. Add the chestnuts and all the remaining ingredients, season well and mix together.

5 To make cranberry sauce, place all the ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan, partially cover and cook gently until the cranberries are softened and the juices are reduced by half. Transfer to a serving bowl, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.

6 To prepare the turkey, wipe the inside clean with kitchen paper. Stuff the neck end only with the stuffing, but not too tightly. Make any excess stuffing into balls and cook separately.

7 Smooth the neck skin evenly over the stuffing and secure with fine skewers. Smear the turkey all over with the softened butter. Put onto a large plate, loosely cover with foil and refrigerate.

8 On Christmas Day, remove the turkey from the refrigerator early in the morning to allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Place a roasting trivet or wire rack in the roasting tin and put the prepared turkey on top.

9 Cooking times for turkeys will vary according to their size, and also their type. Generally, cook for 40 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and continue cooking for 11⁄2–2 hours, basting frequently until cooked. To test it’s done, pierce the thigh at the thickest part – the juices should run clear yellow.

10 Carefully remove it from the roasting tin onto a serving plate, loosely cover with foil and leave to stand. Cook the stuffing balls while preparing the gravy and attending to the vegetables.

11 To make gravy, skim the fat from the roasting juices into a bowl, strain through a sieve and set aside. Pour the wine into the roasting tin, and bring to the boil, scraping the browned residue from the pan’s bottom. Then strain into the bowl of juices.

12 Pour 3–4 tbsp of the turkey fat into a saucepan and stir in the flour. Add the stock and strained juices and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and allow to boil gently for 3–4 minutes, until reduced. Pour into a gravy boat for serving. Garnish the turkey with sprigs of rosemary and serve.

Cook’s tip
Grilled chipolata sausages and bacon rolls are a delicious and traditional accompaniment for a roast turkey. Cook with the stuffing balls: 35–45 minutes.

Recipe taken from Around Britain Dairy Cookbook

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

Suitable for vegetarians
Serves 4

Red cabbage 700g (1lb9oz), cored and finely shredded
Red wine vinegar 4 tbsp
Demerara sugar 6 tbsp
Butter 25g (1oz)
Black treacle 1 tbsp
Parsley 1 tbsp, optional

1 Put cabbage, vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp salt into a non-aluminium saucepan. Add 225ml (8fl oz) water, cover and cook gently for 1 hour, until cabbage is tender.

2 Drain cabbage well, then return to the pan and mix in butter and treacle.

3 Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve sprinkled with parsley, if using.

Cook’s tip
Cooked chestnuts can be added just before serving.

A Dairy Diary recipe

Serves 4
Preparation 20 mins
Cooking 55 mins
Per portion 194 kcals
8g fat (2.5g saturated)

680g (1½lb) potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp goose fat

1 Cut potatoes into quarters or leave whole if new.

2 Cook in boiling water for 5–7 minutes.

3 Drain. Shake in saucepan to roughen surface.

4 Heat goose fat in a roasting tin. Add potatoes and turn in tin until well coated.

5 Roast at 200°C (400°F) Mark 6 for 45 minutes or until crisp and golden, basting at least twice during that time.

Recipe taken from Dairy Book of Home Cookery

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
Serves 6
Preparation 3 mins
Cooking 25 mins
Per portion 121 kcals,
0g fat (0g saturated)

175g (6oz) granulated sugar
225g (8oz) cranberries

1 Put 300ml (½ pint) water and sugar into a saucepan.

2 Heat slowly until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries.

3 Cook fairly quickly for 2–3 minutes or until skins pop open.

4 Reduce heat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Recipe taken from Dairy Book of Home Cookery

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

Time 20 minutes
Calories per portion 159 Kcal
Fat per portion 7g of which saturated 2.1g
Serves 2

Smoked streaky bacon 2 rashers, trimmed and cut into thin strips
Leek 1, trimmed, split lengthways and finely shredded
Chicken stock 300ml (½ pint) Frozen peas 250g (9oz)
Little Gem lettuce 1, trimmed and finely shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Put the bacon and leek in a medium-sized saucepan and dry fry for 5 minutes until the leeks have softened.

2 Pour over the chicken stock, bring to the boil and then add the peas. Cover and cook for 5 minutes until tender.

3 Remove the lid and stir in the lettuce for 1 minute until just wilted. Season to taste.

Traditionally this dish is served with the cooking liquid, but you can drain the peas if you prefer. Ladle into a warm serving dish and serve while warm.

Cook’s tip
For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon, and cook the leek in a tablespoon of vegetable oil, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken.

Recipe taken from Good Food Fast Dairy Cookbook

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

Makes 8 Time 3½ hours
348 calories per pudding 4g fat of which 0.9g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Soft, pitted Agen prunes 200g (7oz), roughly chopped
Lemon and orange 1 of each, grated zest and juice
White or dark rum 4 tbsp
Soft dark brown sugar 50g (2oz)
Eggs 3, beaten Ready-to-eat dried apricots 110g (4oz), roughly chopped
Raisins and sultanas 150g (5oz) each
Freshly prepared mango and pineapple flesh 110g (4oz) of each, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes
Maraschino cherries 110g (4oz), drained and quartered
Wholemeal breadcrumbs 200g (7oz)
Pineapple slices 4, cut into wedges to serve, optional
Holly sprigs to decorate, optional

1 Grease 8 x 200ml (7fl oz) pudding moulds with butter and base line with baking paper. Cut 8 larger rounds from baking paper and foil for covering.

2 Put all ingredients except pineapple slices into a large bowl. Mix well, spoon into moulds and smooth tops. Place larger paper rounds on top and cover securely with foil.

3 Steam puddings for 2 hours and then for 45 minutes to reheat. When ready to serve, turn puddings out, decorate with holly sprigs and serve with pineapple slices, if using.

Cook’s tip
Puddings can be prepared 6-8 weeks before Christmas and then reheated on the day.

Recipe taken from Dairy Diary

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
Serves 6–8
Preparation 20 mins
Per portion 151 kcals
4g fat (0g saturated)

110g (4oz) butter, softened
110g (4oz) icing sugar, sifted
110g (4oz) caster sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp brandy
50g (2oz) ground almonds
Ground cinnamon

1 Beat butter until creamy. Gradually beat in icing and caster sugars alternately with milk and brandy.

2 Cream until light and fluffy. Add almonds and mix well.

3 Pile into small dish. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

Recipe taken from Dairy Book of Home Cookery

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

Serves 8
Preparation 30 mins
Cooking 40 mins Per portion 430 kcals, 34g fat (19.1g saturated)
Suitable for freezing
Suitable for vegetarians

110g (4oz) self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
110g (4oz) butter
110g (4oz) caster sugar
25g (1oz) golden syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 tsp milk
200ml (7fl oz) double cream, whipped
Grated chocolate to decorate

1 Grease and line a two 18cm (7in) round sandwich tins. Sift flour twice with cocoa.

2 Cream butter, sugar, syrup and vanilla together until very pale, light and fluffy.

3 Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp of sifted dry ingredients with each one. Fold in milk and remaining dry ingredients.

4 Transfer to prepared tins and smooth top. Bake at 180°C (350°F) Mark 4 for 20 minutes, or until springy to touch.

5 Turn out on to a wire rack, strip off paper and leave until cool.

6 Cut cake into 2 layers. Fill and cover top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with chocolate.

Recipe taken from The Dairy Book of Home Cookery

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan

The name of this rich, tasty soup comes from the fishing village of Cullen, in Morayshire.

Preparation time – 30 minutes
Cooking time – 40 minutes
Calories per portion – 411 Kcal
Fat per portion – 12g of which saturated – 6.9g
Serves – 4

Finnan haddock 1 (about 900g/2lb) or 500g (1lb 2oz) un-dyed smoked haddock fillet
Onion 1 large, skinned and thinly sliced
Milk 600ml (1 pint)
Potatoes suitable for mashing (such as King Edwards) 680g (11⁄2lb), peeled and thickly sliced
Leeks 2, trimmed, thinly sliced and washed
Butter 40g (11⁄2oz), cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mace to garnish
Parsley sprigs, to garnish

1 Place the haddock in a large saucepan, add the onion, milk and 600ml (1 pint) of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until the flesh flakes easily.

2 While the fish is cooking, place the potatoes in another large saucepan, cover with water, add 1⁄2 tsp of salt and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat, partially cover the pan and cook until tender. Drain the cooked potatoes, and then mash them well with a potato masher.

3 Place a large colander over a bowl. Pour the haddock into the colander and leave it to drain well, and until cool enough to handle. Reserve the cooking liquid.

4 Remove and discard skin and bones from the fish, then flake the flesh. Reserve the onion.

5 Pour the fish liquid back into a clean pan, then using a balloon or hand whisk, gradually whisk in the mashed potatoes. Add the leeks and bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook gently for 10–15 minutes until the leeks are tender.

6 Gradually stir the butter into the soup, season to taste with salt and pepper, and then add the flaked fish and reserved onion. Cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the haddock is thoroughly reheated, taking care not to overheat as the fish will become tough.

7 Serve the soup in warm bowls, sprinkled with mace, black pepper and parsley leaves, and accompanied with warm crusty bread.

Cook’s tip
For a richer flavoured soup, use fresh fish stock instead of water

Recipe taken from Around Britain Dairy Cookbook.

 Follow us on Twitter

 Become a fan