The best Cranachan!

Cream, whisky and honey: three tremendous ingredient in their own right that combine to give the most delicious concoction: perfect as a filling for cakes, but wonderful mixed with toasted oats for a dessert such as Cranachan. Continue reading “The best Cranachan!”

Carrot & caraway mince pies with smoked sugar

This is my take on Heston Blumenthal’s delicious Night Before Christmas mince pies that can be bought in Waitrose.
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The perfect gravy for a roast dinner

A delicious gravy brings together all the accompanying dishes in the most harmonious way to really make a roast shine. This recipe is my go-to gravy for all manner of roasts. A selection of some of my favourite roast accompaniments (including fool-proof Yorkshire Puddings and the best roast potatoes) is at the bottom of the page. Continue reading “The perfect gravy for a roast dinner”

Honey-glazed pigs in blankets with cranberry & apricot

For me, a roast is just as much about all the vegetables and other sides than the centrepiece itself: perhaps more so! And it’s little treats such as pigs in blankets that add even more bursts of pleasure when tucking into a roast.

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The perfect Brussels sprouts!

This is my ultimate Brussels sprouts dish: little goodies such as smoked bacon, slightly caramelised red onions and chestnuts adding exciting additional flavours and textures that complement the sprouts. Continue reading “The perfect Brussels sprouts!”

My ultimate carrots to accompany a roast

A simple, delicious and slightly extravagant carrot side dish that can be prepared in advance and then heated up just before serving

Continue reading “My ultimate carrots to accompany a roast”

Chocolate, orange & ginger pots

Chocolate, orange and ginger are great bedfellows and, for me, are some of the flavours that scream Christmas. This quick and very simple dessert is ideal over the festive period. A warning, though: it is very rich, so serve it in small shot glasses or espresso cups! Continue reading “Chocolate, orange & ginger pots”

Chocolate and cinnamon mini pavlovas

These mini pavlovas are not only a favourite dessert in my kitchen in the summer, when freshly picked fruit from the allotment gets put to good use, but it is a dessert I make over the winter months, often using fruit I had frozen months earlier. Continue reading “Chocolate and cinnamon mini pavlovas”