Author Archives for Emily Davenport, Head of Dairy Diary

About Emily Davenport, Head of Dairy Diary

Head of Dairy Diary; I'm passionate about producing high quality products that our customers will cherish. I'm also a mum of three and I enjoy cooking, walking, gardening and painting with my family, as well as printmaking (when I find the time!)

3 Treats for Halloween

This week found me rifling in drawers for scarves and gloves

That’s a sure fire sign that we’re fully ensconced in autumn. And with the glorious colours and brisk walks come the autumnal events (whether we want them or not!)

There’ll soon be knocks at the door and small ghoulish figures on the doorstep hoping for something scrumptious. Rather than buying a bumper stash of sweets for trick or treaters, why not offer something homemade instead?

I know I would much rather my three eat these Dairy Diary treats rather than additive-loaded sweeties any day

 

 Trick or Treat Popcorn

This is a cheeky Russian-roulette recipe, which is sure to amuse!

Treat or Treat Popcorn

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Per portion: Calories 149
Fat 6g of which 1g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Popcorn 200g (7oz)
  • Olive oil 4 tbsp
  • Salt pinch
  • Chilli powder 1 tsp
  • Golden caster sugar 1-2 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Cook two panfuls of popcorn one after the other: For the first batch place 100g (3½oz) of popcorn, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and chilli powder into a pan and stir thoroughly. Cover pan with a tight-fitting lid and heat gently. Shake occasionally to prevent burning, and continue heating until popping subsides.
  2. Remove from heat and leave to stand until no more popping can be heard. Stir thoroughly, taste and add a little more chilli powder if necessary.
  3. Repeat with remaining popcorn (without salt or chilli) but add sugar at the end of the cooking time when leaving pan to stand. Leave to cool slightly before popping into bowls and serving to your trick or treaters!

 

Toffee Apples from Dairy Diary 2016

And traditional toffee apples.

Trick or Treat Toffee Apples

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 195 per portion
Fat 2g (2g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Apples 6 small
  • Granulated sugar 250g (9oz)
  • Golden syrup 2 tbsp
  • White wine vinegar 1 tbsp
  • Butter 25g (1oz)
  • Wooden lollipop sticks 6

Instructions

  1. Press a wooden stick into the stalk end of each apple.
  2. Pour 125ml (4fl oz) water into a saucepan and add sugar, golden syrup and vinegar. Stir over a low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil rapidly for 10 minutes until a little of the mixture separates into hard brittle threads when dropped into a cup of cold water.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Stand pan in cold water to prevent it cooking further.
  4. Dip each apple into syrup and stand on a piece of baking paper. Reheat toffee gently if it becomes too sticky. Dip apples again, if desired.
  5. Eat immediately or wrap in cellophane.

 

All Soul Cakes

These biscuits were traditionally baked on All Souls’ Day or All Hallows’ Eve to commemorate the dead.

All Souls’ Day Cakes

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 180 per portion
Fat 7g (4g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Butter 175g (6oz)
  • Caster sugar 175g (6oz)
  • Eggs 3, beaten
  • Plain flour 475g (1lb 1oz), sifted
  • Mixed spice 2 tsp
  • Currants 110g (4oz)
  • Demerara sugar 2 tbsp

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°fan/Gas 4. Cream butter and caster sugar together until fluffy, then gradually beat in 2 eggs, each with a spoonful of the flour.
  2. Fold flour, spice and currants into mixture. Mix to make a soft but not sticky dough.
  3. Roll out to about 8mm (¼in) thick and use a 7cm (2¾in) diameter cutter to stamp out rounds. Mark the top of each with a cross then brush with egg and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Place on baking trays and bake for 10-15 minutes until pale gold.
  4. Transfer to a cooling rack. When cold, store cakes in an airtight container.

 

Dairy Diary 2018 now available

 

#halloween

#tripletested

Competition | Win a Touchscreen Air Fryer

Win a Lakeland Air Fryer

Win a Lakeland Touchscreen Air Fryer

Enjoy healthier ‘frying’ with just a teaspoon of oil

Dairy Diary is giving you the chance to win this Lakeland Air Fryer. It cooks with little or no oil, so you can enjoy lighter versions of all your favourite foods without sacrificing the flavour.

Using just one teaspoon of oil to cook up to 500g of chips, it circulates hot air from all directions to cook food evenly for much lighter, perfectly ‘fried’ chips, meat, fish, poultry and seafood.
ENTER
#competition
#win

Celebrate National Baking Week

Chocolate and Nut Chelsea Buns

Celebrate National Baking Week with these delicious Choc ‘n’ Nut Chelsea Buns

Choc ‘n’ Nut Chelsea Buns

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 342 per portion
Fat 27g (16g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Strong plain flour 350g (12oz)
  • Caster sugar 50g (2oz)
  • Salt 1 tsp
  • Fast-action dried yeast 7g sachet
  • Butter 50g (2oz), melted
  • Egg 1, beaten
  • Milk 150ml (¼ pint), lukewarm
  • Nutella 200g jar
  • Roasted chopped hazelnuts 75g (3oz)
  • Plain chocolate chips 100g (3½oz)
  • Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix together butter, egg and milk in a jug then pour into the bowl and mix together to form a dough. On a floured surface knead the dough for 5-10 minutes then roll out to a rectangle 25 x 35cm (10 x 14in).
  2. Spread Nutella onto dough leaving one long edge clear. Sprinkle with half the nuts and chocolate chips. Roll up towards clear edge and press well to join.
  3. Slice dough into 12 and place in a buttered 18 x 28cm  (7 x 11in) traybake tin in three rows of four. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.
  4. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°fan/Gas 6. Bake for 20-30 minutes until firm. Transfer to a rack, scatter with chocolate chips, nuts and icing sugar.

Recipe taken from the Dairy Diary 2018.

Dairy Diary 2018 now available

 

 

Recipe of the Week: Lamb Jalfrezi

LAMBJ ALFREZI

 

This Lamb Jalfrezi recipe looks stunning and tastes as good as it looks!

Try this Lamb Jalfrezi recipe now.

 

Lamb Jalfrezi

 

 

#curryweek

#tripletested

#delicious

 

National Curry Week! And an AMAZING curry recipe

It’s always exciting when printed books arrive on my desk.

After a year in the planning and production, it’s great to see everything come together in a finished book.

Cook it Slowly! cookbookThis year, however, I was more eager than ever to get my hands on a copy of Cook it Slowly!, our new cookbook.

Having tested many of the recipes myself and
heard so many glowing testaments from other
testers and the photography team I couldn’t
wait to get the book for my own kitchen.

The slowly cooked meals in this fantastic cookbook are easy, fuss-free and delicious with melt-in-the-mouth textures and intense flavours. Every recipe can be cooked either on the hob or in the oven and also, where appropriate, in a slow cooker.

Each recipe has a full colour photograph, straightforward instructions, cook’s tips and nutritional information, but most importantly, it tastes incredible.

And it only costs £8.75! Order Cook it Slowly! from your milkman, through Amazon or via our website.

 

LAMBJ ALFREZI

 

And as it’s National Curry Week I thought I would share this stunning Lamb Jalfrezi with you.

Enjoy! And don’t forget to order the book – it’s a must for every kitchen.

 

Lamb Jalfrezi

 

 

#curryweek

#tripletested

#delicious

 

 

 

Win a Joseph Joseph Santoku Knife & Chopping Board Set.

WIN a Joseph Joseph Chopping Board Set plus Slice & Sharpen Santoku Knife

Dairy Diary is giving you the chance to make food preparation safe and simple with this stylish set from Joseph Joseph.

Joseph Joseph Slice and Sharpen 5 inch Santoku Knife
All-in-one knife set – conveniently sharpen knives just before use
Integrated high quality ceramic sharpener in knife sheath
Knives are made from high-quality stainless-steel and have non-stick, silicone-coated blades and comfortable, ergonomic handles
Sheath helps to protect knife when being stored

Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Board Set – Silver, Set of 4
Designed to prevent cross contamination of different food types
Index style tabs on boards indicate which food type they should be used for raw meat, vegetables, fish or cooked food
Easy clean, knife friendly cutting surfaces with crumb catching edges
Chopping boards, dishwasher safe

 

ENTER

 

 

#win
#competition