parmesan and sesame bites.

A little Christmas gift idea or perhaps as a festive snack for the family, these Parmesan and sesame bites are super easy to make and with only a few simple ingredients too. As part of a Christmas series with Parmigiano Reggiano, I'm embracing one of my favourite cheeses with three festive recipes. 

Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard, Italian cheese which has a PDO credentials. King of Cheeses, it's one of the world’s oldest and richest cheeses - still produced today as it was nine centuries ago. For hundreds of years, this very special product has only be allowed to be made in particular areas of Italy, with selected dairies and producers. The rules of cheese-making this way mean that it's always a high quality product which has a true ancient origin. The result is fantastic, I'm sure cheese lovers will agree.

the farmhouse, mackworth, derby.

Just a ten minute drive from Derby city, you'll find an 18th Century farmhouse serving up 21st Century cuisine. With a contemporary menu and wood fired pizza oven, you can join the friendly lot at The Farmhouse for breakfast, dinner or Sunday lunch. I went along with my grandparents, who live in Mackworth, for a weekend lunch. My grandpa remembers the pub as his local many years ago, so was looking forward to seeing the transformation.

chocolate and chestnut brownies.

An autumnal inspired brownie recipe that’s perfect to enjoy curled up with a cup of tea. These indulgent chocolate brownies combine the rich flavours of dark chocolate, sweetness of milk chocolate pieces and nutty hints of chestnut. 

I’ve used the Co-op Irresistible 70% Dark Chocolate for this recipe, which has both floral and spicy notes. Plus they’re individually wrapped in beautiful gold paper, so you can enjoy them as an occasional, but decadent, treat. The Irresistible Milk Chocolate lived up to its name too. Made with carefully selected Peruvian cocoa, it has a smooth and creamy taste which makes it perfect to scatter into a brownie mix as a sweet contrast against the intense dark chocolate. 

the best places to eat and drink in leicester: my foodie favourites.

Leicester, how I love you. Living in the Midlands means I get a good pick of the bunch from the likes of Birmingham to Nottingham. An hour up to Sheffield, two hours to Leeds and a speedy train to London make it super handy for trying out the culinary treats that England has to offer. 

But in recent years, there's less reason to venture away from the LE postcode for foodie destinations. Independent burger joints, metre-long pizza offerings and local gins mean that the indie food and drink scene has become more mouthwatering by the month. There are a few old haunts that I've been visiting for over a decade now, as well as a few new foodie favourites to join the (ever growing) list. So where do I think are the best restaurants and bars in Leicester at the moment?