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!)

Charming Christmas Wreath in 3 Simple Steps

Make a Christmas Wreath

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It’s easy to give your home the wow factor with a stunning Christmas wreath.

Inspired by some particularly beautiful specimens at our local Christmas Fair, I have decided to make my own this year.

This step-by-step project from Seasonal Garden Ideas should make it easy.

It’s traditional to hang a wreath on the door at Christmas, and there are lots to choose from in the shops – but why not make your own using the abundant and varied foliage and berries available in the winter garden?

To ensure your wreath stays fresh as long as possible, make it as near to Christmas as you can. It should only take an hour or so.

What you need

Plants: Stems, foliage and berries from as many evergreen plants in the garden as you can muster: here, variegated holly, cypress, ivy (in flower), elaeagnus, rosemary, rose hips and hawthorn berries have all been pressed into use. Aim for long stems and unblemished leaves if possible.

Equipment: Circular wreath ring from a florist or garden centre. Thin wire. Soft green string.

Instructions

1 Start with the evergreen and variegated foliage. Twist and tuck the stems into the wreath ring, securing with wire or soft string. Point them all in one direction to get a ‘wheel effect’. Work in this way all round the ring until you have a reasonably full foundation of secure foliage. Space out the variegated or bronze leaves for best effect.

2 Tie small bunches of berries together with wire or string, then tuck them into the ring at intervals in front of the foliage, again securing tightly with wire or string. The berries will be heavier than the foliage, so don’t put too many together in one bunch.

3 Hang the wreath on your door using wire or string.

Tip: If red berries simply aren’t available in your garden, invest in some really good quality, natural-looking artificial ones and keep them for use from year to year.

Notes: Other evergreen/variegated foliage leaves to try include artemisia, aucuba, choosy, euonymus, pittosporum, senecio and skimmia – as well as all the conifers. Just go into the garden and see what’s there!

Aftercare: The wreath should last reasonably well over the Christmas period, but after that the leaves will start to dry up – take it down on Twelfth Night (6 January).

 

 

Seasonal Garden Ideas £3.99This easy wreath is taken from Seasonal Garden Ideas, a lovely book with step-by-step projects for pretty garden projects throughout the year.

It’s available for just £3.99 here.

A perfect bargain Christmas gift.

Buy

 

 

 

 

#christmas

Recipe of the Week: Napoleons | Plus a competition to WIN our most-wanted baking equipment

Napoleons

Time 1½ hrs
Makes 8-10 slices
Calories 513 Fat 18.3g of which 7.4g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

For the pastry
Ready-rolled frozen puff pastry 2 x 375g packets, thawed

For the pastry cream
Egg yolks 3
Caster sugar 200g (7oz)
Plain flour 50g (2oz)
Cornflour 25g (1oz)
Milk 500ml (18fl oz)
Vanilla extract ½ tsp

For the glacé icing
Vanilla extract ¼ tsp
Icing sugar 225g (8oz), sifted

For the chocolate drizzle
Dark chocolate

Equipment

25g (1oz) Baking sheets and/or trays
Baking paper
Cling film
Icing pen or piping bag

 

How-to-make-Napoleons

Secrets of pastry cream

Pastry cream or crème pâtissière is a thick custard sauce used in open fruit tarts and in many small pastry delicacies.

The recipe here uses cornflour to thicken the sauce; many recipes use custard powder instead. Both work well, but custard powder will give a yellow finish, whereas cornflour gives a cream-coloured result. Cook the sauce until it is really thick.

 

Making the pastry layers

1 Preheat oven to 220°C(200°fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Lay unrolled puff pastry sheets on prepared baking sheets, and prick them all over with a fork. Lay another baking sheet on top of each sheet of pastry. You may need to do this in batches.

2 Bake for 18–23 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Carefully remove pastry onto a rack to cool. Cut each sheet in half and trim edges. You will have one spare piece.

 

Making the pastry cream

3 Beat egg yolks and sugar until white, add flour and cornflour and mix well. Add ¼ of milk to loosen mixture. Put remaining milk and vanilla extract into a pan and bring to boil. Pour onto eggs, stir well, return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with cling film and cool completely without stirring.

 

Making the glacé icing

4 Add vanilla extract to icing sugar and whisk in boiled water, spoon by spoon, until you get a good spreading consistency.

 

Creating the Napoleons

5 Lay one sheet of cooked pastry onto a board and spread it with a thick layer of pastry cream. Lay a second sheet of pastry on top and spread on another layer of pastry cream.

6 Put on final layer of pastry and spread with an even layer of glacé icing.

7 Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and put it into an icing pen or piping bag with a fine nozzle. Draw horizontal chocolate lines at regular intervals over surface of the icing.

8 Take a metal skewer and lightly drag it diagonally across lines to make an attractive pattern. Leave to set before slicing carefully with a sharp knife into individual servings.

 

These exquisite pastries are taken from the 2016 Dairy Diary available now.

 

 

And now…..

I always wish I was allowed to enter out competitions (sadly I cannot) but on this occasion I REALLY wish I could win.

I am going to leave pictures of this
prize around the house and hope
that ‘Father Christmas’ gets the hint.

Good luck everyone – these baking products are just gorgeous.

 

Win Christmas Baking Set app

 

Win This Very Special Christmas Baking Set

Our most-wanted Christmas baking products, including a stunning hand-engraved wooden rolling pin, which cleverly embosses a Christmas tree design onto pastry, biscuits or icing; a beautiful Denby Heritage Pavilion mixing bowl; and a handmade wooden spoon.

Enter

 

 

#tripletested

#recipeoftheweek

#win

#competition

Handmade Gifts and Perfect Pompoms!

Delicious Handmade Gifts Made Easy 

The festive season is almost upon us and soon we will be feverishly shopping, wrapping and delivering gifts.

Whilst we’re visiting friends (and furtively swapping children’s gifts from the car boot) I like to take a little something scrumptious, beautifully wrapped, of course.

This year I have been inspired
by the Dairy Diary to make
these fabulous Napoleons.

Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to make Napoleons

How to make Napoleons

 

 

Napoleons

Time 1½ hrs
Makes 8-10 slices
Calories 513 Fat 18.3g of which 7.4g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

For the pastry
Ready-rolled frozen puff pastry 2 x 375g packets, thawed

For the pastry cream
Egg yolks 3
Caster sugar 200g (7oz)
Plain flour 50g (2oz)
Cornflour 25g (1oz)
Milk 500ml (18fl oz)
Vanilla extract ½ tsp

For the glacé icing
Vanilla extract ¼ tsp
Icing sugar 225g (8oz), sifted

For the chocolate drizzle
Dark chocolate

Equipment

25g (1oz) Baking sheets and/or trays
Baking paper
Cling film
Icing pen or piping bag

 

How-to-make-Napoleons

Secrets of pastry cream

Pastry cream or crème pâtissière is a thick custard sauce used in open fruit tarts and in many small pastry delicacies.

The recipe here uses cornflour to thicken the sauce; many recipes use custard powder instead. Both work well, but custard powder will give a yellow finish, whereas cornflour gives a cream-coloured result. Cook the sauce until it is really thick.

 

Making the pastry layers

1 Preheat oven to 220°C(200°fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Lay unrolled puff pastry sheets on prepared baking sheets, and prick them all over with a fork. Lay another baking sheet on top of each sheet of pastry. You may need to do this in batches.

2 Bake for 18–23 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Carefully remove pastry onto a rack to cool. Cut each sheet in half and trim edges. You will have one spare piece.

 

Making the pastry cream

3 Beat egg yolks and sugar until white, add flour and cornflour and mix well. Add ¼ of milk to loosen mixture. Put remaining milk and vanilla extract into a pan and bring to boil. Pour onto eggs, stir well, return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with cling film and cool completely without stirring.

 

Making the glacé icing

4 Add vanilla extract to icing sugar and whisk in boiled water, spoon by spoon, until you get a good spreading consistency.

 

Creating the Napoleons

5 Lay one sheet of cooked pastry onto a board and spread it with a thick layer of pastry cream. Lay a second sheet of pastry on top and spread on another layer of pastry cream.

6 Put on final layer of pastry and spread with an even layer of glacé icing.

7 Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and put it into an icing pen or piping bag with a fine nozzle. Draw horizontal chocolate lines at regular intervals over surface of the icing.

8 Take a metal skewer and lightly drag it diagonally across lines to make an attractive pattern. Leave to set before slicing carefully with a sharp knife into individual servings.

 

These exquisite pastries are taken from the 2016 Dairy Diary available now.

Buy

 

the perfect paper pompomAnd these will go into a cake
box  adorned with a decorative
pompom  (these are also fabulous
for decorating your home for
the Christmas season).

 

 

 

 

How to Make the Perfect Paper Pompom

 

 

Why not send me a photo of your pompoms?

 

 

 

 

#tripletested

#paperpompom

Win a very special Christmas Baking Set

Win Christmas Baking Set app

.

Win a very special Christmas Baking Set

Dairy Diary is offering you the chance to win a very special Christmas Baking Set including our most-wanted Christmas baking products.

  • Hand-engraved wooden rolling pin which
    cleverly embosses a Christmas tree design
    onto pastry, biscuits or icing
  • Denby Heritage Pavilion mixing bowl
  • Handmade wooden spoon
  • Dairy Diary 2016

Enter

Good luck.

 

 

 

 

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Fudgey Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Fudgey Cake

  • Servings: 16-20 squares
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Calories 202 per portion
Fat 11g (3g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Cocoa powder 75g (3oz)
  • Eggs 3
  • Light muscovado sugar 250g (9oz)
  • Olive oil or rapeseed oil 125ml (4fl oz)
  • Self-raising flour 150g (5oz)
  • Bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
  • Dark chocolate 150g (5oz), broken into chunks
  • Butter 25g (1oz)
  • Milk 4 tbsp
  • Golden syrup 1 tbsp
  • Milk chocolate 50g (2oz), broken into pieces and melted in a bowl over a pan of hot water

Instructions

  1. Whisk 50g (2oz) cocoa powder with 100ml (3½fl oz) boiling water in a small bowl until smooth. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and line a 33 x 22cm (13 x 9in) tray bake tin with non-stick baking paper.
  3. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, sugar and oil for 3 minutes, until smooth, using an electric whisk.
  4. Mix in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa paste. Pour into the tin and allow to settle.
  5. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake is risen and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
  6. To make the icing, melt the dark chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir until smooth. At the same time, mix the remaining cocoa powder, milk and syrup in apan and heat until almost boiling. Whisk it into the chocolate mixture to make a glossy icing.
  7. Smooth the icing over the cake, drizzle with the milk chocolate and leave to set. Cut into squares.

To serve now: Enjoy the cakes and keep any extras in an airtight container for a few days.

To freeze: Place in rigid plastic containers in a single layer or between sheets of greaseproof paper. Cover, seal and label. Use within 2 months.

To serve from the freezer: Thaw at room temperature for about 2 hours or until defrosted.

 

For more recipes visit the Dairy Diary recipes website.

A Game-Changing Hot Drink Plus a Fabulous Give-Away

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A Game-Changing Hot Drink
Plus a Fabulous Give-Away

Very occasionally you stumble across a game-changing new discovery.

For me, in the last 12 months, my foodie discoveries have been Chai tea, which I love to make with hot skimmed milk as a calciumtastic bedtime drink; cauliflower ‘rice’ – a tasty and nutritious carb-free side dish and comforting hot fruit infusions.

I first discovered fruit infusions on a
decadent trip to London to celebrate
my friend Kirstin’s 40th birthday.

Posh Pomelo & Melon fruit infusionWe enjoyed a spectacular ‘fashionista afternoon tea’ in the Berkley Hotel, Knightsbridge. With our fabulous array of goodies Kirstin ordered a Posh Pomelo & Melon fruit infusion as an alternative to ordinary leaf tea.

After a sneaky taste, all three of us were converts – wow. Nothing like the insipid nature of normal fruit teas, this infusion, made with dried fruits, was a revelation.

A while later our friend Gudi tracked fruit infusions down online and sent us a selection of Fr’cinni to enjoy at home.

These award winning Fr’cinnis are made using only the finest natural ingredients: air dried fruits, herbs and spices to create a taste experience like no other. Simply add 2-3 teaspoons to a cup or teapot, add hot water and drink hot or cool then chill. You can even eat the fruit afterwards.

Win-Frcinni-Fruit-Infusions

Spice Way, who produce Fr’cinni have kindly supplied us with a fabulous selection of infusions to give away, these include: Opulent Orange Chilli, Zesty Citrus, Green Tea with Ginger & Cinnamon, Amazing Apple, Fruit Earl Grey.

To be in with a chance of winning these and a gorgeous glass teapot – perfect for one cup click below.

Enter

To find out more about Frcinni click here https://www.spicewayuk.com/store/products/fr-cinni-fruit-infusions

 

And to accompany your fruit infusion why not bake this tasty teabread? Enjoy one or two slices then freeze the rest.

Banana & Sultana Loaf

Banana & Sultana Loaf

  • Servings: 8-10 slices
  • Print

Calories 176 per portion
Fat 0.4g (0g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Sultanas 225g (8oz)
  • Hot tea 300ml (½ pint)
  • Sunflower oil for brushing
  • Bananas 200g (7oz) weight with skins on
  • Light brown or caster sugar 110g (4oz)
  • Self-raising flour 225g (8oz)
  • Bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
  • Ground cinnamon 1 tsp

Banana & Sultana Loaf Instructions

  1. Put the sultanas in a bowl and pour over the hot tea. Leave for 1 hour.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Lightly brush a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with a little oil and line the base with non-stick baking paper.
  3. Peel and mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add the sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon, then stir in the sultanas and tea and mix thoroughly.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the tin, level the surface and cook for about 1 hour or until well risen and a skewer comes out cleanly when inserted in the cake.

To serve now: Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then loosen the edges and turn out, peel off the paper and slice.

To freeze: When the cake is cold, interleave the slices to be frozen with paper, then put them in a polybag, label and freeze. Use within 3 months.

To serve from the freezer: Thaw as many slices as required at room temperature for about 2 hours or until thoroughly defrosted.

Cook’s tip
You can use luxury mixed fruits in place of the sultanas, if you prefer. It tastes really good spread with a little butter.

Discover more recipes on the Dairy Diary website

 

#tripletested #win #competition

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