Tag Archives: recipes

It’s Chocolate Week!!

River of Chocolate Willy Wonka

Enjoy these AMAZING recipes

As this week is Chocolate Week I couldn’t resist sharing two of our most delectable chocolate recipes with you.

But first, a few choccie facts!

  • The Famous Chocolate River in the original Charlie & the Chocolate Factory film was made from 15,000 gallons of water mixed with chocolate and cream.
  • We’re a continent of chocolate lovers – Europeans eat almost half of the world’s chocolate.
  • In celebration of its 100th birthday, Thornton’s created the world’s largest chocolate bar – weighing a record breaking 5,792.50kg.
  • So many Toblerone bars are sold each year that, if they were to be laid end to end, they would go on for 62,000km which is longer than the circumference of the Earth.

Facts courtesy of The Telegraph .

Now, time for chocolate!!

 


Chocolate Mint Biscuit Bars

Chocolate Mint Biscuit Bars

  • Servings: Makes 10
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 321 per portion
Fat 14g (8.7g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Butter 110g (4oz), softened
  • Caster sugar 110g (4oz)
  • Plain flour 175g (6oz)
  • Icing sugar 175g (6oz)
  • Peppermint extract ½ tsp

    Dark chocolate 175g (6oz), chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°fan/Gas 4 and grease a tin or dish 25cm x 17cm (10in x 7in). Cream butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Mix in flour and knead to a smooth dough. Press into tin, prick all over with a fork then bake for 15 minutes. Leave to cool in tin.
  2. In a bowl, mix icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp water and peppermint extract then spread over shortbread base. Leave to set.
  3. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Spread over icing and leave in tin to cool. When set, cut into bars.

This recipe is taken from the 2017 Dairy Diary. To find out more click here.

 


Chocolate Pear Flan

Chocolate Pear Flan

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 555 per portion
Fat 40g (26g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Plain flour 110g (4oz)
  • Drinking chocolate 25g (1oz)
  • Butter 110g (4oz)
  • Desiccated coconut 65g (2½oz)
  • Caster sugar 75g (3oz)
  • Dark chocolate 75g (3oz), chopped, plus extra grated to decorate
  • Egg yolk 1
  • Milk 150ml (¼ pint)
  • Double cream 150ml (½ pint)
  • Pear halves 410g can, drained

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°fan/Gas 3.
  2. Sift 90g (3½oz) of the flour and the drinking chocolate into a bowl. Rub in the butter and stir in the coconut and 50g (2oz) of the sugar then press together gently to form a dough. Press the dough into the base and sides of a 20cm (8in) flan tin. Prick the base and bake for 30 minutes. Cool.
  3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
  4. In a pan, off the heat, beat the egg yolk and the remaining sugar together until thick. Stir in the remaining flour and the milk. Heat, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens. Simmer for 3 minutes then remove from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate. Cool.
  5. Remove the pastry case from the tin and spread the cold chocolate cream over the pastry. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and then spoon onto the chocolate. Arrange the pear halves on the cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Cook’s tip

The shortbread base and chocolate filling can be prepped in advance but don’t add the whipped cream and pears until just as you are about to serve.

This recipe is taken from Dairy Diary Favourites cookbook. To find out more click here.


 

#chocolateweek

#chocolaterecipes

#yum

Recipe of the Week | Ham & Cheese Soufflé

Ham & Cheese Soufflé from Dairy Diary Favourites

Ham & Cheese Soufflé 

This totally scrumptious Ham & Cheese Soufflé recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare. Tasty and sure to be a total winner with the family! A Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

#delicious

#souffle

#dairydiaryfavourites

Celebrating 35 years of fantastic customers!

Dairy Diary Favourites cookbook

.

Celebrating 35 years of fantastic customers!

As a child, daily I watched my parents go out to work in jobs they hated. They rarely moaned but I knew they were unhappy in their work and just did what needed to be done to pay the bills.

I thought that this was what life was like as an adult and I didn’t particularly relish the prospect. So, when I found a job I loved (this one!) it came as a very pleasant surprise.

One of the main reasons that I love my job is
the support and loyalty we receive from our
customers. It is a delight to work on a product
that is enjoyed and cherished by so many.

I attended a conference last week held by one of our dairy customers and it talked about how much trust customers have in their milkman. It made me think about our consumers and the trust we have too. It’s a big responsibility to create a book that’s loved and trusted but year-after-year we are inundated with letters and phone calls of praise.

One of our customers even shared with us her love of diary keeping (and the Dairy Diary) in a Radio 4 Listening project. It’s a sad listen as Rachel has suffered devastating tragedy but she continues to document her daily life.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04kf5zq

We also received a letter from a loyal purchaser who has had every single edition of the Dairy Diary since its inception but has never written in a single one as she loves them too much! She charmingly referred to them as her ‘old friends’.


Plus my family favourite recipe

Dairy Diary is 35 years old this year and we celebrate this with our new cookbook; Dairy Diary Favourites. It features 100 much-loved recipes, including at least one from every single edition.

I’ve struggled to choose my favourite as there are so many but this is one that is always a winner with my family – and it’s easier than you think!

Ham & Cheese Soufflé from Dairy Diary Favourites

Ham & Cheese Soufflé

This totally scrumptious Ham & Cheese Soufflé recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare. Tasty and sure to be a total winner with the family! A Dairy Diary recipe. For more delicious recipes visit the Dairy Diary Recipe Collection.

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

#delicious

#souffle

#dairydiaryfavourites

Recipe of the Week | Apricot Cookies

Apricot Cookies from the Dairy Diary

Easy to bake in no time and perfect for lunchboxes and picnic hampers.

Apicot Cookies

  • Servings: 36 cookies
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 115 per cookie
Fat 8g of which 4.3g is saturated
Suitable for freezing
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

  • Butter 175g (6oz)
  • Caster sugar 110g (4oz)
  • Soft cheese 175g (6oz)
  • Self-raising flour 225g (8oz)
  • Ground almonds 75g (3oz)
  • Ready-to-eat dried apricots 75g (3oz), chopped
  • Fudge pieces 75g (3oz), chopped if necessary

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Line baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Put butter, sugar, cheese, fl our and almonds into a bowl and beat together. Stir in apricots and fudge.
  3. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto baking sheets and press down lightly with a fork.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes. Leave for 2 minutes on baking sheets, then lift off and cool on a wire rack.

Dairy Diary recipe

 

#recipeoftheweek

#apricots

#cookies

Recipe of the Week | Cherry & Pistachio Chocolate Squares

Cherry & Pistachio Chocolate Squares

An easy, no-bake recipe that’s perfect to make with children.

It may be naughty,
but it’s very VERY nice!

Cherry & Pistachio Chocolate Squares

  • Servings: 20 squares
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Calories 211 per portion
Fat 13g (6.6g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Butter 125g (4½oz), diced
  • Dark chocolate 300g (11oz), broken into squares
  • Golden syrup 3 tbsp
  • Glacé cherries 100g (3½oz), halved
  • Pistachio nuts 50g (2oz), chopped
  • Sultanas 50g (2oz)
  • Digestive biscuits 200g pack, broken into pieces

Instructions

  1. Line a 20cm (8in) square tin with clingfilm.
  2. Put the butter, chocolate and golden syrup into a large microwave-proof bowl. Microwave on medium power for 1-2 minutes until the chocolate has melted, stirring after every 20 seconds and checking the chocolate does not overheat.
  3. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Spoon into the prepared tin and spread out evenly. Leave to cool.
  4. Chill for at least an hour (or until set) and then remove from the tin, peel off the cling film and cut into 20 squares.

Cook’s tips
Take care when melting the chocolate – if it is cooked for too long it will seize.
These squares will keep for a week wrapped in foil in the fridge or freeze for 3 months.
Use any dried fruits you have in the cupboard.


 

Fantastic Food For Less cookbookThese recipes are taken from
our gorgeous cookbook,
Fantastic Food for Less,
which is HALF PRICE this month.

Get in quick before they sell out!

READ MORE

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Top 3 Easter Recipes of all Time

Woohoo it’s the lovely long Easter weekend coming up

Now is the perfect time to gather together, have a giggle and, of course, eat something rather delicious.

In preparation, I have been looking back through our diaries and cookbooks to find the three best Easter recipes. And here they are.

Enjoy everyone and happy Easter!

 


Lamb Apricot Stuffing

Roast Lamb with Apricots

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Calories 499 per portion
Fat 24g (11.3g sat) per portion

Ingredients

  • Leg of lamb 1.8kg (4lb), or shoulder, boned out
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Spinach leaves 110g (4oz)
  • Ready-to-eat dried apricots 175g (6oz), chopped
  • Onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
  • Breadcrumbs 75g (3oz)
  • Chopped mint 2 tbsp fresh or 1–2 tsp dried
  • Egg 1, beaten
  • Olive oil
  • Lamb or vegetable stock 300ml (1⁄2 pint)
  • Port 150ml (1⁄4 pint)
  • Cornflour or gravy granules
  • Mint sprigs to garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Flatten the lamb as best you can, check for tough tendons or bones and remove them. Season well. Wash the spinach leaves and then put them in a large pan over a fairly high heat and let them wilt down for a minute. Cut out thick stalks. Arrange half the leaves to cover the inside of the lamb.
  2. To make the stuffing, in a bowl mix the chopped apricots, onion, breadcrumbs, mint and just enough egg to make a light stuffing. Spread the mixture over the spinach layer on the lamb then cover with the rest of the spinach leaves. Roll it up, securing with string.
  3. Put the stuffed lamb in a roasting tin, sprinkle with a little oil and seasoning. Cover with foil and cook for 90 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 15 minutes to brown the meat. Leave to stand, wrapped in the foil, for 10 minutes before carving.
  4. Bring the lamb stock and port to the boil in a saucepan and reduce it by a third. Add any meat juices from the roasting tin without adding too much fat. Thicken with cornflour or gravy granules. Serve with roast potatoes and parsnips together with some green vegetables and mint sprigs to garnish.


Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding

Hot Cross Bun & Butter Pudding

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Calories 615 per portion
Fat 42g (23.5g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Hot cross buns 6 large, each sliced into 3 horizontally
  • Butter 50g (2oz), softened
  • Apricot jam 175g (6oz)
  • Double cream 300ml (½ pint)
  • Milk 300ml (½ pint)
  • Golden caster sugar 2-3 tbsp
  • Eggs 4, lightly beaten

Instructions

  1. Spread each slice of bun with butter and jam. Sandwich buns together and cut in half along the diagonal.
  2. Butter a 1.7 litre (3 pint) ovenproof dish. Arrange bun triangles neatly in the dish.
  3. Pour cream, milk and sugar (if buns are very sweet, use 2 tbsp) into a large saucepan and bring slowly to scalding point, stirring often; do not allow to boil.
  4. Pour hot cream onto eggs in a slow and steady stream, whisking constantly. Strain and pour over buns. Leave to soak for an hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 190°C(170°fan)/375°F/Gas 5. Place pudding into a larger ovenproof dish containing enough water to come halfway up sides of dish and bake for
    35-40 minutes or until just set and golden. Serve warm.


 

Mocha Easter Cake

Mocha Easter Cake

  • Servings: 10 slices
  • Difficulty: medium
  • Print

Calories 657 per portion
Fat 39g (23g sat) per portion
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter 250g (9oz), cut into small pieces and softened
  • Caster sugar 250g (9oz)
  • Eggs 4 large, beaten
  • Self-raising flour 250g (9oz)
  • Baking powder ½ tsp
  • Coffee essence 2 tbsp
  • Dark chocolate 350g (12oz), broken into small pieces
  • Soured cream 284ml tub
  • Mini Easter eggs to decorate

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Grease and lightly flour a 20cm (8in) round cake tin. Line base with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Put butter, caster sugar and eggs into a large mixing bowl. Sift in self-raising flour and baking powder, then beat well, until smooth. Spoon half the mixture into another bowl and add coffee essence. Stir well.
  3. Fill cake tin with alternate spoonfuls of both cake mixtures, then swirl a skewer through mixture to create a marbled effect.
  4. Bake for 50 minutes–1 hour, or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
  5. Put chocolate into a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water and stir until melted.
  6. Add soured cream and stir it in with a wire whisk. Using a palette knife, quickly spread and swirl warm icing over cake. Leave to set at room temperature and decorate with mini Easter eggs.


 

AND as a special Easter treat we have a very lovely competition for you.

Win a Crock-Pot

Here’s your chance to win a fantastic Crock-Pot Thyme Slow Cooker as used (and loved) by our very own managing editor.

ENTER

 

#win

#competition

#tripletested

#easterrecipe

#delicious

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