Baking

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

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: Coconut, Pineapple & Fruit Loaf

Coconut, Pineapple & Fruit Loaf

Coconut, Pineapple & Fruit Loaf

One of our favourite recipes – this Pineapple, Coconut & Fruit Loaf is super-simple yet packed with flavour and texture. A must try! A Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Coconut, Pineapple & Fruit Loaf

For more recipes, check out the Dairy Diary 2018 and Cook it Slowly! cookbook.

#tripletested
#recipes
#baking

How Dairy Diary recipes are created

Dairy Diary recipes
Dairy Diary recipes

Every recipe in the Dairy Diary and our cookbooks is triple-tested, and from the original idea to the finished recipe, it’s quite a lengthy process.

First, our recipe writers produce a list of recipe ideas from which we choose our favourites. From this list we need to ensure that there will be a good balance of savoury/sweet, veg/fish/meat and a good range of different ingredients – it’s quite a jigsaw puzzle!

The writer then tests and writes the recipe. Then the recipe is given to our editor to edit to Dairy Diary style and to fit the space in the book.

After that, it’s passed to a team of amateur testers, who check that the recipe is easy to understand, shop for and to cook, and of course, it tastes delicious!

Finally, the recipes are given to our food stylist, props stylist and photographer, who test, cook and shoot each dish and make them look utterly fabulous.

A special new recipe

I’ve recently had a recipe request for an old recipe that I haven’t been able to find in our archive of books. The idea sounded so delicious that I’ve decided to create it for the next diary. Here it is. We all loved it – I hope you do too!

Coconut, Pineapple & Fruit Loaf

Coconut, Pineapple & Fruit Loaf

One of our favourite recipes – this Pineapple, Coconut & Fruit Loaf is super-simple yet packed with flavour and texture. A must try! A Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Coconut, Pineapple & Fruit Loaf

For more recipes, check out the Dairy Diary 2018 and Cook it Slowly! cookbook.

#tripletested
#recipes
#baking

Recipe of the Week: Apricot Bakewell Tarts

 

Cookbooks

Apricot Bakewell Tarts

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 546 per portion
Fat 26g (8g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Plain flour 50g (2oz)
  • Caster sugar 2 tsp plus 25g (1oz)
  • Butter 25g (1oz), diced
  • Strawberry or raspberry jam 4 tsp
  • Dried ready-to-eat apricots 40g (1½oz), sliced
  • Egg 1
  • Almond extract a few drops
  • Ground almonds 3 tbsp
  • Skimmed milk 2 tbsp
  • Flaked almonds 1 tbsp (optional)
  • Icing sugar for dusting
  • Cream or ice cream to serve (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the flour and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter to make fine crumbs. Stir in 2-3 teaspoons cold water to make a smooth dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface and then cut in half and roll each half out thinly. Use to line two 10cm (4in) diameter tart tins. Trim the tops and chill for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Spread the jam over the base of the tarts and then sprinkle with the apricots.
  3. Separate the egg into two medium-sized bowls. Whisk the white until stiff and moist peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and almond extract to the egg yolk and whisk until it is thick and pale. Fold in the ground almonds and milk, then gently fold in the egg white.
  4. Pour the mixture over the apricots, sprinkle with the flaked almonds, if using, and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and just set. Check after 10 minutes and cover with foil if necessary to stop over-browning.
  5. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, remove from the tins and dust with icing sugar. Serve with fresh cream or ice cream if you like.

Cook’s tips
You could use other types of dried ready-to-eat fruits. Choose your favourite.
If you don’t have individual tart tins, you could use poachette rings set on a baking tray.

 

A Just for One or Two  recipe.

 

#sale
#baking
#bakewelltarts
#tripletested
#recipeoftheweek

Special Summer Sale & A Special Summer Salad

 

50% off these fabulous cookbooks

Get a whopping 50 per cent off these fabulous books!

But only while stocks last.

READ MORE

 

And here’s one of our favourite recipes, taken from the fabulous Just for One or Two cookbook (which is now half price!)

 

 

Cookbooks

Apricot Bakewell Tarts

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 546 per portion
Fat 26g (8g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Plain flour 50g (2oz)
  • Caster sugar 2 tsp plus 25g (1oz)
  • Butter 25g (1oz), diced
  • Strawberry or raspberry jam 4 tsp
  • Dried ready-to-eat apricots 40g (1½oz), sliced
  • Egg 1
  • Almond extract a few drops
  • Ground almonds 3 tbsp
  • Skimmed milk 2 tbsp
  • Flaked almonds 1 tbsp (optional)
  • Icing sugar for dusting
  • Cream or ice cream to serve (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the flour and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter to make fine crumbs. Stir in 2-3 teaspoons cold water to make a smooth dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface and then cut in half and roll each half out thinly. Use to line two 10cm (4in) diameter tart tins. Trim the tops and chill for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Spread the jam over the base of the tarts and then sprinkle with the apricots.
  3. Separate the egg into two medium-sized bowls. Whisk the white until stiff and moist peaks form. Add the remaining sugar and almond extract to the egg yolk and whisk until it is thick and pale. Fold in the ground almonds and milk, then gently fold in the egg white.
  4. Pour the mixture over the apricots, sprinkle with the flaked almonds, if using, and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and just set. Check after 10 minutes and cover with foil if necessary to stop over-browning.
  5. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, remove from the tins and dust with icing sugar. Serve with fresh cream or ice cream if you like.

Cook’s tips
You could use other types of dried ready-to-eat fruits. Choose your favourite.
If you don’t have individual tart tins, you could use poachette rings set on a baking tray.

 

A Just for One or Two  recipe.

 

#sale
#baking
#bakewelltarts
#tripletested

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