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Recipe books

I have become increasingly involved in my school’s PTA, to a point where I have now found myself suggesting fundraising projects that will sit heavily and squarely on my shoulders.

Designing a cookbook This week we have our first meeting to decide on the specifics of a recipe book to sell at Christmas time.

As a designer, I thought my skills could easily be applied to it and it wouldn’t actually take many hours to put together. What I hadn’t thought of was the work involved in the concept.

In my working life that has all been done for me by the time it lands at my desk. I simply copy and paste, move things around, add some colour, and ‘voila’!

So, looking for inspiration I have dug out some of my favourite recipe books. Of course, this has made me hungry… and what I really fancy is the Red Pesto Lamb with Pasta from the Good Food Fast cookbook, because it really is just that. A tried and tested family favourite, super quick, loved by all… except Heidi, my friend’s daughter, who is coming round for tea tonight. She doesn’t like peppers, and that is the main vegetable of this dish.

Oh well, I shall have to put that one on hold for another night and see what else I can find.

Have a great week.

Karen
Dairy Diary Team

A a silicone quiche/tart pan

Win a silicone quiche/tart pan.

Cooking with silicone bakeware is simplicity itself and achieves a perfect pastry every time.

Plus you get a copy of Baked & Delicious magazine which is packed with recipes -international classics and traditional favourites – including Quiche Lorraine and Tarte au Citron, both gorgeously illustrated and full of tips for better baking.

Enter today

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Father’s Day

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

So to show him how much you care how about a day of favourite dishes?

Try these classic recipes – they are sure to be appreciated, and won’t break the bank either!

Eggs Florentine
A deliciously healthy variation on simple bacon and eggs.

Shepherd’s Pie
A treasured recipe from the Dairy Book of Home Cookery. Wonderful comfort food.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Blueberry Crumble
Blueberries given a sharp lemony edge beneath a comforting topping.

Serrve with cream or custard. If you really love him make sure it’s the real thing…

Real Custard

Nothing comes close to real custard!

Have a great day.
The Dairy Diary Team

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Canada and cup cakes

I’ve just come back from an amazing three week holiday in Canada.

Our friends have been relocated to Barrie, near Toronto for two years, so for the past year we have been saving our pennies so that we could go out to see them and also explore some of the area. Until we started planning our route I had no idea it was such a vast place, we did as much as was possible, and yet only covered a tiny corner of Ontario.

The Canadians seem very adapted to living with the wildlife. We saw many chipmunks. My son who is six years old rescued one from a trap at a campsite at Tobermory, where the little fellow had obviously been deemed to be a pest. Finley was quite upset seeing him trying to lift the door to escape, so we casually left the two of them alone so that he could help him out. He was incredibly pleased with his endeavour!

The bear warnings we had were real, there had been sightings, but it was quite early in the year for them and they eluded us. As did the moose. My best spot was a hummingbird at Killbear Provincial Park, it was so beautiful.

My lasting thoughts of Canada will be the hugeness of everything: the sky goes on for ever and the lakes have no far shore and are tidal, so look like the sea. Oh, and the meals. They are huge too! A popular Canadian dish is called ‘poutine’. Living in Yorkshire I am quite used to people asking for chips and gravy, but ‘poutine’ is chips, gravy and curd cheese. It looks incredibly sloppy, must be loaded with cholesterol, but tastes lovely!

Birthday baking

I have come home to Birthday plans for my daughter Elena, who is now the ripe old age of four.

For her party she has requested not a big traditional birthday cake, but some buns. This may sound a simple enough request to you, but I know that what she is expecting is the finest pink cup cakes lathered in butter icing and decorations that I can make. No longer can I quickly smudge some icing on the cakes with a knife, she expects piped swirls. Hundreds and thousands will not do, I have to use glitter sprinkles.

Apologies if I sound as if I am moaning about this expectation, for actually I shall quite enjoy my afternoon’s work and the delighted children’s faces as they receive one each to take home after the party.

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Maybe this Orange Ice Cup Cakes recipe will do the trick.

Pretty as a picture and quick too!

A Good Food Fast recipe that takes just 25 minutes to prepare and bake!

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For an adult treat try these delicious Honey Flapjack Cookies.

Guaranteed to disappear before the end of the day!

Another great Good Food Fast recipe.

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Take care.

Karen
The Dairy Diary Team

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Raisin Parkin

Perfect with an afternoon cup of tea.

Makes 20 squares
Time 1 hour 10 mins
Calories 120 per portion
Fat 4g of which 2.2g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Plain flour 175g (6oz)
Oatmeal 50g (2oz)
Bicarbonate of soda 1½ tsp
Ground ginger 1 tbsp
Brown sugar 75g (3oz)
Butter 75g (3oz)
Golden syrup 50g (2oz)
Black treacle 50g (2oz)
Egg 1 medium, beaten
Milk 150ml (¼ pint)
Raisins 110g (4oz)

1 Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3. Grease and line a 20cm (8in) square cake tin. Mix together flour, oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda and ginger.

2 Gently heat sugar, butter, syrup and treacle in a pan. Add egg and milk and mix together. Beat in dry ingredients then stir in raisins.

3 Pour into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour until firm to touch. Cool in tin, then cut into squares.

A Dairy Diary recipe.

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National Walk to Work Week

National Walk to Work Week is upon us, making us all feel guilty if we don’t get off the bus a stop earlier than usual!

Actually, since I work from home now, all my walking to work entails is nipping up the stairs to what was once a loft.

But I used to walk from the station to the office, rather than get the tube or bus, and I have to say it was much better than crushing in with the crowds. Drawback was arriving all hot and sweaty and having to lurk discreetly in reception, or the loo, to cool down a bit! (I didn’t work anywhere grand with showers!)

A decent breakfast is needed

But if walking all or some of the way to work (and back home again) is on the agenda, maybe a decent breakfast first is a good idea.

Remember the old slogan – ‘go to work on an egg’? Creamy and scrambled with some flaked smoked salmon is a bit of a motivator, but, failing that, soft boiled with marmite soldiers take some beating.

I always like poached fruit with natural yoghurt – prunes, apricots, plums, rhubarb, apple. They can be prepared in advance, or you could make a fruit smoothie the night before with whatever fruit you have, yoghurt and runny honey whizzed in the blender.

If all else fails, do what I did – buy a muffin to savour (or devour!) on arrival. I reckon all that walking deserves a treat.

How about baking your own breakfast Danish Pastries?

They really are easy peasy and in only 30 minutes you could be enjoying warm freshly baked pastries. Mmmm… Try this quick and easy Danish Pastries recipe from the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

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Danish Pastries

A super-speedy way to enjoy an indulgent breakfast or coffee-time snack.

Time 30 minutes
Calories per pastry 281 Kcal
Fat per pastry 18g of which saturated 6.1g
Makes 8 pastries
Suitable for vegetarians

Ready-rolled puff pastry 425g packet
Egg 1, beaten
Apple sauce 8 tsp
Golden marzipan 110g (4oz)
Apricot jam 2 tbsp, warmed and sieved
Flaked almonds 15g (½oz), toasted

1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.

2 Unroll the pastry and cut into eight equal-sized squares. Brush each with beaten egg and then add 1 teaspoon of apple sauce on to the centre of each.

3 Form the marzipan into a sausage-shape about 5cm (2in) long and slice into eight. Lay a piece on top of the apple sauce on each of the pastry squares. Fold up the corners of the puff pastry squares to meet in the middle over the marzipan, forming a mitre shape. Pinch each of the corners to seal.

4 Transfer to the baking tray, brush the top of the pastries with more egg and cook for 15–18 minutes until risen and golden.

5 Transfer to a wire rack, lightly brush with the sieved jam and sprinkle with a few almonds. They are best served warm.

Cook’s Tip
Use the same cooking method, but vary the fillings, such as canned fruit, jam or squares of chocolate.

Rceipe taken from Good Food, Fast.

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