christmas tree bakewell biscuits.

With glowing glacé cherries, the subtle hint of almond essence and the signature drizzle of white icing, these delicate Christmas biscuits encompass the best of a Bakewell tart. Great for festive buffets, homemade gift ideas or to keep in your biscuit tin throughout December, these cute Bakewell inspired biscuits are the third of my festive recipes from my Christmas collaboration with Central England Cooperative. And if you like the sound of these, you might fancy making my Cherry Bakewell Mince Pies.

pigs in blankets mac 'n' cheese.

Now we’ve opened the first door of our advert calendar, dropped a few hints about pressies and booked that wreath making class. Is it finally December? The season for all things jolly, decking the halls and jingling bells. With that comes some of the best food back in the supermarkets too. Sprouts? Love them. Chocolate log? Can’t get enough. Pigs in blankets? An absolute must.

But when you aren’t conjuring up your Christmas roast, how else can you enjoy some classic pigs in blankets. I’ve created a festive twist on an American classic with this Pigs In Blankets Mac 'n' Cheese recipe. What more could you want in your macaroni cheese than extra little morsels of sausages wrapped in bacon? Bliss. Plus, it’s a great way to use up leftover cheese board too. Not that there is ever any leftover cheese in our household…

homemade peppermint candy cane gin.

I do love a flavoured gin. So when I had some leftover candy canes from Christmas, I thought I'd experiment with some homemade gin myself. This festive favourite is super easy to make, just choose your favourite plain gin, add candy canes and allow it to infuse. This homemade peppermint candy cane gin recipe really is that simple.

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. 

easy pumpkin cinnamon buns.

An easy cinnamon bun recipe which is perfect for the pumpkin season. One of my favourite things about Autumn is the excuse for all things hygge. Pronounced hoo-gah, hygge is the concept of cosiness, hailing from Denmark and Norway. Friends, family, fun and loved ones around doing things that you love. Although it's an all year round thing, it perfectly ties in with the Autumn and Winter want to curl up with a blanket with a cuppa and candles.

I'm actually off to Copenhagen for my 30th next week. But for now, I thought I'd satisfy my appetite for all things hygge and Scandi with this Autumn inspired pumpkin cinnamon bun recipe.

slow cooker pumpkin sponge cake with pumpkin cream.

An inviting Autumnal dessert for the darker days; this slow cooked pumpkin sponge really brings the best of the season together. Autumn is my favourite, so when I was invited to get creative for the Crock-Pot Crocktober Halloween Challenge, I couldn't wait to conjure up a cosy recipe. Made in the versatile and convenient Crock-Pot, the slow cooking of this pumpkin sponge really infuses the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger spices into this dessert. leaving a moist and buttery texture.

This appliance really is deserving of its place on the kitchen counter. From dinner to dessert, the Crock-Pot Express Multi-Cooker can get to work steaming, roasting and sautéing whilst you get on with other everyday tasks. Although slow cooking lends itself to the colder months, you really get make anything all year round. Scroll down to see how this creation really is pretty much as easy as simply pressing a button.

chao chao, west bridgford, nottingham.

Found along the Melton Road in Nottingham's sought-after West Bridgford area, Chao Chao boasts an array of Southeast Asian dishes, now available to enjoy in their new restaurant. Previously a popular Oriental inspired takeaway. their self-proclaimed urban kitchen brings to life flavours from Thailand, Japan, Korea and Malaysia with the freshest possible ingredients.

sesame teriyaki flat iron steak.

 

Japanese cuisine is a favourite in our household. Whether it's recipes passed down through tradition or an inspired take on a classic. When Sous Chef asked if I'd like to review the Sushi Collection Santoku Knife I couldn't wait to add this sleek and sophisticated tool to my knife block. Made in Japan, the knife is fully forged from high carbon stainless steel, with a magnolia wood handle – the traditional wood to use for sushi knives

As the description suggests, it's a very versatile knife which can be used for much more than just sushi. Santoku knives are especially good for three main preparation techniques – chopping, slicing and mincing vegetables. I thought that I'd try it out for meat slicing with this sesame teriyaki flat iron steak - which is super simply and yet looks pretty impressive as part of a Japanese inspired banquet.

raspberry and pistachio baked doughnuts with a white chocolate drizzle.

Fluffy and delicious doughnuts with one of my favourite flavour combinations – pistachio, raspberry and white chocolate. I’ll let you into a secret though, these aren’t really doughnuts of the deep fried kind. Essentially, they are a simple sponge mix in my trusty doughnut baking pan. So easy to make – with satisfyingly pretty results. If you saw my pumpkin spiced doughnut recipe, you’ll know I just love to decorate these little delicacies. So I had to make a summer version right away...

thai prawn massaman salad.

A fragrant and colourful salad perfect for these brighter evenings. A lighter option to your usual noodle dish, this Thai inspired salad brings together vibrant, crunchy veg with juicy king prawns. Enjoy as a light main dish, as a side or even as part of a BBQ banquet.

bounty macarons.

If you like Bounty bars and you like macarons, well, you've come to the right place. If you've read a few any other my other macaron posts you'll know I'm on a mission to create macarons for everyone's favourite chocolate bar. From Crunchie to Mint Aero, I'm here for you guys. All you have to do is adapt the centre with your favourite filling. I'll warn you now, Bounty spread is addictive.

number thirty eight, clifton, bristol.

Found in the quirky suburb of Clifton in Bristol, Number Thirty Eight is an independently run, luxury townhouse. With just ten bedrooms, the boutique hotel has been refurbished from an old Georgian merchant's house. Priding themselves on a "home away from home" atmosphere, the beautiful townhouse is in keeping with original features, whilst boasting a clean and contemporary finish.

nonna tonda pasta box review - plus a 50% off discount code.

 

 

Ever wanted to pretend you're a professional Italian chef in your own kitchen? Here's your chance. Freshly hand crafted pasta, mouthwatering accompaniments and new flavours each week - and for just £16.50 for six portions. Nonna Tonda are one of the newest meal box deliveries on the market - and they really are worth a try. 

Get 50% off your first two boxes

Nonna Tonda is headed by James, and his wife, Rebecca, so it really is a proper family business. They spent months travelling around Italy with their 6-month-old son in order to explore and learn the authentic way to make fresh pasta. Their creations come lovingly boxed up for your to cook up in minutes, ready to scatter with cheese and twizzle, slurp, gulp, scoff and devour. 

homemade strawberry and yoghurt ice pops.

 

It's ice cream season! Whether you call them ice pops, ice poles or just frozen yoghurt, turn your favourite flavours into iced delights in just a few simple steps. For these, I went for a strawberries and cream inspired froyo recipe with vanilla yoghurt, fresh chopped strawberries and a recent discovery Fabbri Strawberry Syrup, which was kindly gifted. 

A wild strawberry flavour, the syrup is really refreshing and juicy, tasting a lot more like real strawberry juice than other fruit sauces on the market, probably down to 15% of its ingredients being strawberries. As well as the obvious drizzle on desserts, I tried (with success) at freezing it to make these super delicious lollies. 

slow cooker peanut butter pulled pork.

A super simple slow cooker recipe embracing the rich flavours of peanut butter with tender pulled pork. Perfect alongside a superfood salad, with your favourite flatbreads or on top of nachos with all the guacamole, sour cream and salsa. It's a really easy recipe to slow cook during the day, ready to tuck into later on, as well as great for being made ahead for a delicious feast or comforting midweek meal. I served mine with flatbreads, tomato and beetroot salad, peanut sauce and mint yoghurt. But the rest, is up to you.

balsamic strawberries and cream with fresh basil: celebrating british berries and bbqs with m&s.

From juicy British strawberries to brilliant quality beef burgers, M&S have Summer all set up with their latest ranges. Vibrant desserts, perfect pastry combinations and inspiring side dishes mean you can host a glorious garden party in style. So come rain or shine, at least it'll be easy to rustle up an impressive menu.

To celebrate their bounty of berries, they've come up with some great recipe ideas to showcase the fine British fruit. I picked balsamic strawberries, basil and ice cream to round off some tasty barbecue treats. If you fancy making the most of the rest of the season, scroll on for the recipe...

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?

individual lemon tarts.

If all good things come in small packages, then these lemon tarts are no exception. With a rich, buttery pastry and the zing from two lemons, this dessert recipe is the perfect mix of sharp citrus and sweet indulgence. Make ahead for a Spring or Summer dinner party, dusting with extra icing sugar to finish.

roast broccoli, tomato and feta salad.

A warm, vegetarian salad made up of crispy roast broccoli, charred tomatoes, red pesto Quorn pieces and crumbled feta. Packed with goodness, this filling dish works as a midweek main, side dish or lunch box favourite. I roasted ahead the broccoli, tomatoes and Quorn with a drizzle of good quality oil, cracked black pepper and sea salt, and then tossed together the other ingredients right before eating. Super quick, super easy.