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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

 

 

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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

 

 

 

 

Plant now for a glorious spring display

Plants bulbs now for a spring display

Plant now for a gorgeous flowering display in spring

Not only does our lovely 2018 Dairy Diary give you 56 fabulous recipes, but it also is packed with interesting articles, such as Blooming Bulbs, which gives lots of tips on flowering bulbs.

And it’s now time to plant for a gorgeous flowering display in spring. There is a myriad of stunning blooms to choose from including crocuses, narcissi, grape hyacinths (my favourite!), tulips, anemones, dog’s tooth violets and lily-of-the-valley.

In general, bulbs don’t take too much effort
to plant but the results can be spectacular,
providing a welcome ‘surprise’ in spring.

Planting

Planting spring bulbsIn the ground:
Prepare a hole, or a trench if you’re mass planting, to a depth of two or three times the height of the bulbs (three or four times for tulips – always the odd ones out!). Sit each one on its rough underside, so that the narrow end points upwards (a dip or buds for corms, which are flatter than true bulbs). Space them at least an extra bulb’s width apart. For tubers and rhizomes, it’s fine to lay them sideways. Replace the soil and gently firm down.

In containers:
The RHS recommends three parts John Innes No.2 to one part grit if you plan to leave the bulbs in situ for more than one season. Otherwise, using multi-purpose compost instead of John Innes is fine. Put some broken crocks or stones at the bottom of the pot to aid drainage and plant as before, but not quite so widely spaced. Water regularly.

Planting snowdropsIn grass:
Scatter handfuls of bulbs around the area and plant them where they land, either individually or in groups, replacing soil and grass clumps when you have excavated the hole and popped in the bulbs. To save time and too much hard work, you could invest in a bulb planter, a tool specially designed for the job. Several kinds are available, including ones with long handles. It’s best not to cut the grass until the bulbs’ leaves have died back, several weeks after flowering, so this may dictate where you want to cultivate the natural look.

Squirrels love bulbs!
They seem to be especially fond of crocuses and tulips, so if this is likely to be a problem, try netting the area or spreading some sharp gravel on the surface. Failing that, they are, apparently, not too keen on chilli flakes, so you could try sprinkling some of that around.

 

Dairy Diary 2018 now available

 

#gardening

#springbulbs

A brilliant bake for Macmillan World’s Biggest Coffee Morning

The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is on Friday and is Macmillan’s biggest fundraising event.

Last year alone they raised £29.5 million and this year they are aiming to raise even more.

Hosting a Coffee Morning is the perfect chance to catch up over a cuppa and a slice of something delicious for a great cause.

One in three of us will get cancer, and it will be one of the toughest things we’ll ever have to face. The Macmillan goal is to make sure no one faces cancer alone. They provide medical, emotional, practical and financial support, as well as campaigning for better cancer care.

Find out how you can take part in the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

I’m supporting our local school’s coffee morning with this scrumptious cake and I’ll no doubt come home with a few purchases too. Calories don’t count when they’re for charity!

 

 

Chocolate Layer Cake from Dairy Diary

 

Chocolate Layer Cake

  • Servings: 8 slices
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 629 per portion
Fat 48g (29g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Self-raising flour 110g (4oz)
  • Cocoa powder 2 tbsp
  • Butter 110g (4oz)
  • Caster sugar 110g (4oz)
  • Golden syrup 25g (1oz)
  • Vanilla extract ½ tsp
  • Eggs 2
  • Milk 4 tsp
  • Double cream 200ml (7fl oz)
  • Chocolate curls to decorate (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°fan/Gas 4. Grease and line two 18cm (7in) sandwich tins.
  2. In a bowl sift flour twice with cocoa powder.
  3. In a separate bowl cream together butter, caster sugar, syrup and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tablespoon flour with each one.
  4. Gently fold in milk and remaining flour with cocoa.
  5. Spoon cake mixture into prepared tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 20 minutes or until the surface springs back when touched gently.
  6. Turn out onto a wire rack, remove baking paper and leave to cool completely.
  7. Carefully cut cake in half horizontally. Whip cream until soft peaks form and use half to sandwich cakes together. Spread remaining cream on top and sprinkle with chocolate curls, if using.

 

 

#coffeemorning

#macmillan

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