Now for the sweet treat!

Are you a fan of Daim bars? If you are you'll probably already know if you are a visitor to IKEA that they sell various Daim bar products. There's Daim vanilla ice cream and a Daim Swedish almond cake – gluten free and frozen. There's a limited edition Strawberry Mousse cake too! Daim bars originated in Sweden and Norway in 1953 – the brand is now owned by Kraft Foods.

The last time I visited IKEA I came away with two large bags of the mini Daims. I'm always messing around with variations on a theme of Rocky Road – it seemed appropriate to produce a Daim version – here's the recipe :

Daim Rocky Road

450g of Daim minis

175g of unsalted butter - cubed

4x15ml tablespoons of golden syrup

150g of almonds – blitzed finely

150g of glacé cherries

300g of shortbread fingers

125g mini marshmallows - optional

Place the Daim bars, butter and golden syrup into a large saucepan. Melt on a low heat. Place the shortbread in a strong food bag, seal and crush to a rough crumb. When the Daim bars, butter and syrup have melted add the biscuits, almonds and cherries and fold through until they are all coated in the melted ingredients. Finally, add the marshmallows and tip into a foil tray-bake. Fridge it for at least four hours – it won't hurt if it's left longer.

When you're ready cut the slab in half and set aside one of the halves. Lay the half sideways and cut into strips then turn and cut again into cubes – the cubes can be as small or large as you like. Repeat with the remaining half. As a guide you can expect to get 120 cubes approximately depending of course on the size of the cube – in this case 2cms/¾”.

Fridge in bags or boxes to suit and freeze some too!

Coming up … a photo guide and a serving idea

A hug but the dumpling doesn't fit in a mug …

We had the soup and a dumpling each with the fresh bread and butter for supper. I packed up boxes of the soup and took a risk – I divided the remaining dumplings into quarters and packed into a microwave box – it matters not that they have been lifted from the soup and have soggy bottoms!

My friend called in to collect … I explained that the dumplings were a risk but hey, it was worth a shot.

What did my friend and her husband think?

They loved their lunch – the bread in particular and made it last two days. An unexpected bonus – the tiny leftover dumplings were microwaved on high for 10/15 seconds – light as a feather – note to self – in future make enough dumplings for second helpings to microwave.

It's hard for me to critique my own food but I loved all of it, the bread in particular – it does exactly what it says in the recipe albeit tweaked sensibly and it looks amazing – the Food Stylist did a good job!

Now for the sweet treat …

The soda bread verdict continued …

Where did I send the bread for taste testing? Remember my friend whose husband has been very ill and the get well gift? A perfect mid week treat me thinks. Hmm, I can't just send bread - I decided to make some soup – what better vehicle for a freshly baked loaf.

I chose my favourite veggie soup – carrot, coriander and chick pea except that I decided to ring the changes and added cannellini beans instead of the chick peas. If you're interested in the recipe then check out the soup label.

Then I thought how wonderful would a dumpling be too. Veggie suet is a truly wonderful product.

100g/4oz of self-raising flour

50g/2oz of vegetable suet

large pinch of salt

80ml cold water

Mix the flour, suet and salt with the water

I divided into four and shaped into balls

Drop into simmering soup and cook for 20 minutes

Here's the thing … traditionally dumplings are placed on top of a casserole with a tightly fitting lid. Casseroles have a thicker consistency than soup and obviously, usually, slow cooked in the oven. Soup simmers on top of the hob and saucepan lids “sit” on top of the pan and are not what I'd describe as “tightly fitting”. Here's my tip - tear off a sheet of foil large enough to overlap the pan, push down slightly and then secure with the lid. Make sure your soup is simmering gently before you add the dumplings and seal with foil. 20 minutes later you'll have dumplings the size of which you wouldn't believe!

Soup, dumplings with freshly baked bread and butter for supper.

Sounds like a plan … what happened next

The Guinness and Treacle Soda Bread … the verdict

Before I begin I should say that recipes are meant to be a guide, though it does say “it's wonderfully simple”.

Here's the verdict.

Omit the greasing and lining of the baking tray – as I said I've never done either when baking bread.

The instructions given in the final paragraph of 1 - “... In a jug or second mixing bowl … this will take a little while, but stir patiently ...” are, I think, poor. Taken in the recipe order – Guinness, yogurt and treacle – the Guinness and the yogurt are easy enough, now try measuring the treacle and adding it to the other two ingredients - black treacle is dense, sticky stuff and quite difficult to weigh - you can't retrieve it if you've added too much if it's already submerged in Guinness and yogurt!

By the time you've managed to combine the three “wet” ingredients – always providing you've not jettisoned the mixing bowl and its contents all over the kitchen floor and you've lost the will - any anticipation of a glorious loaf of soda bread has evaporated.

In certain cooking circumstances you can wing it or fly by the seat of your pants. With baking this is not the case – it's important to be accurate and weigh ingredients - your end product will sink – sorry about the pun - if you don't.

I'm not sure whether it's an incomplete recipe or badly written. Is it deliberately vague - surely you want your readers to succeed in their efforts? It's such a pity - with a little more care in the explanation of the method for the “wet stuff” it would make life so much clearer for devoted readers and bakers!

If you glance at my photo guide – separate jugs makes life easy – weighing the black treacle directly into a mixing bowl means you're ready to go - it might not be hands free but you have control of the mixing bowl. By trickling the Guinness into the treacle it loosens quickly. The rest, as they say, is history – or easy peasy!

Next … the taste testing

The Guinness and Treacle Soda Bread photo guide

Here goes :

the dry ingredients

the jugs – Guinness and yogurt

the bowl of black treacle

slowly add the Guinness to the treacle

to loosen

add the yogurt to the Guinness and treacle

and whisk together

the dry combined with the wet

ingredients

the bread on the baking tray – see the

dusting of flour underneath

the loaf, marked into quarters -

the long handle of a wooden spoon works

beautifully!

Ta dah – fresh from the oven

sliced in half – looks good enough to eat

a quarter, ready with a pot of butter

it would be rude not to!

Coming up … the verdict and the sweet treat

Guinness and Treacle Soda Bread … hints and tips

… continued

I mentioned making sure your mixing bowl was set on a non slip mat, alternatively you could use a dampened j cloth.

Here's my non slip mat – a Le Creuset Cool Tool. This mat protects your surfaces from heat and scratches but I've used mine – which I've had for ages – as a non-slip mat and if, like me, you struggle opening stubborn lids on jars the mat does that too!

These mats are brilliant pieces of kit – I would never recommend any kitchen kit that wasn't worth the dosh and I don't believe in filling my kitchen with large pieces of equipment I'll use once and then commit to the discarded equipment heap in the sky or garage, whichever is most convenient!

The Cool Tool is available in cool colours – black, blue, cerise, teal, ultra violet and volcanic. I use mine underneath my mixing bowls but they are also perfect to place on a tray ready for a hot plate of food or bowl of soup. They take multitasking to a whole new level.

Here's a photo :

Time for the photo guide :

Guinness and Treacle Soda Bread …

… the method and hints and tips.

Pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6. Grease a large baking tray or line with baking parchment. Put the flours, oats, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl and toss together. Add the butter and, using your fingertips, rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. In a jug or second mixing bowl, stir together the Guinness, yogurt and treacle, until the treacle more or less dissolves – this will take a little while, but stir patiently and it will come together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and, with a spatula, wooden spoon or firm hand, bring everything together into a rough dough. Knead for a moment on a worktop, just until the dough has come together, then shape into a rough ball and put on the prepared baking tray. Dust the ball of dough liberally with flour, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to press a deep cross into the dough, ensuring you don't go all the way through the dough, so all 4 quarters are still connected. Bake for 50 minutes until golden, crispy and steaming.

This is the recipe taken directly from the magazine. I've a few suggestions that will make life easier.

It mentions “grease a large baking tray or line with baking parchment”. In all my bread making I've never greased or lined a baking tray. I sprinkle a non-stick baking tray with flour and “swirl” so it covers the tray. The bread doesn't stick – ever.

If you take your butter straight from the fridge as you begin, weigh and cut it into small cubes and place on a piece of cling film by the time you've weighed the remainder of your ingredients your butter will be soft enough to rub into the dry ingredients.

With regard to the “wet” ingredients you'll find life much easier if you begin by weighing the black treacle directly into a small mixing bowl. Weigh your Guinness and yogurt in separate jugs. Make sure your mixing bowl is set on a non slip mat – if you don't have one then use a dampened j cloth.

Gradually drizzle the Guinness into the treacle, stirring all the time and it will loosen, continue until combined. Use a small whisk when adding the yogurt to prevent it splitting. The process takes no time at all.

There's more …

I promised a treat or two … one savoury, one sweet – here's the savoury

Every now and again a recipe catches my eye. It has been a while but recently I came across “Guinness and Treacle Soda Bread” in the January edition of Waitrose Food January 2020 -The Feel Good Issue.

I have always had a weakness for good bread. There's nothing like home-made bread – the only problem is that it's a bit of a faff and it takes too long … unless you're making soda bread – no yeast or kneading needed – what's not to love.

Not surprising then that this caught my attention. The recipe looks easy – the photo is fab so lets give it a go. This is genuine research – so many recipes are a let down, inaccurate – you're drawn in by the clever photography and the Food Stylist.

What follows is the exact recipe from the magazine, followed by some hints and tips and finally a photo guide.

“Wholesome, rustic soda bread looks and tastes like something that hours of love and care have gone into. In reality, it's wonderfully simple and with no yeast or kneading required, a warm loaf can be out of the oven in about an hour”.

Guinness and Treacle Soda Bread

400g strong white bread flour

extra for dusting

100g strong wholemeal flour

50g jumbo oats

10g fine salt

1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda

40g unsalted butter, cubed

150g Guinness

175g natural yogurt

60g black treacle

You can see why I fancied this loaf!

Next up … the method

Pastry preferences ...

… there's lots of choice!

This wholemeal pastry recipe is easy and very kind and freezes well.

Pastry case

200g plain wholemeal flour

100g unsalted butter

pinch of baking powder

ice cold water to bind

Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder until it resembles breadcrumbs, then gradually add a glug of water and use and round bladed knife to bring the pastry together.

You can use a processor to reach the breadcrumb stage if you prefer – I'd then tip the pastry into a mixing bowl and add the water by hand.

Rest the pastry in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out your “lid” to fit the casserole or pie dish you're using – I use a square casserole measuring 24x24 cms - 9” in old money.

You can find the fast flaky pastry recipe on the Pastry label – there's a photo guide too. I'd suggest you double the recipe for a similar sized lid.

A reminder … there's no pressure here – if you've leftover “roast” and no time to deal with it freeze it but before you do weigh the meat – if you're short of the 400g you can always supplement with the roasted onions and 250g of sliced chestnuts mushrooms, sautéed until any liquid has been absorbed.

Another reminder … you don't have to use any of these suggestions – you can always cheat – use a ready-made puff pastry or shortcrust sheet!

Time out I think from all the organising – we deserve a treat or two.

What to do with leftover roast ...

If you have leftover roast meat or poultry either fridged or in the freezer, how about a curry pie? A lump of leftover roast beef is perfect. As a guide 400g to serve four.

Here's another thought – when you're choosing veggies for your roast and creating extras to use during the week add a couple of medium size onions, peeled and quartered in the roasting pan. You won't be sorry – roasted onions are sweet and delicious.

Whether it's leftover roast beef or chicken (sliced or diced) or a veggie version they are all perfect submerged in a curry sauce.

You do have to decide what sort of top you'd like – sliced cooked baked potato or a wholemeal shortcrust or a flaky puff pastry.

We've explored the fast flaky recently – it would get my vote but any of the other variations are just as good.

If you use the sliced cooked baked potato route, spread the top layer in a bombay aloo spice mix for extra punch.

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 tsp caster sugar

1 tsp ginger paste or 1” fresh, grated.

2 cloves of roasted garlic or 2 cloves of fresh, crushed

1 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander, garam masala and curry powder. Use a curry powder that best suits your palate and how much heat you like – mild, medium or hot

1 tsp salt or to taste

Using a medium frying pan, fry the onions in the oil until soft – 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, spices and salt. Fry so that the spices are released - 3-4 minutes. Spread over the top layer of the sliced, cooked, baked potatoes before heating. You can make this “spread” ahead, box (tightly) and fridge.

If you do prefer pastry …

More treasure for the chest … freezer

Are you with me so far? I should probably be asking are you still interested!

Next up, more elements for you to make and freeze – not necessarily quickly – but you'll be really pleased with the results when you can assemble delicious home-made meals – fast.

Who doesn't love a curry – everyone needs a curry sauce in their culinary library – here's mine:

Chip Shop Curry Sauce

50g unsalted butter

2 large onions, finely sliced and chopped

1 tsp of ginger paste

4 roasted garlic cloves

3 tbsp mild curry powder

3 tbsp malt vinegar

½ tsp star anise powder

500ml of the slow cooked star anise chicken stock

2 tbsp slaked cornflour

2 tbsp lemon juice

160ml coconut cream

Using a large saucepan melt the butter and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Fry gently until soft – about 15 minutes, make sure there's no colour. Add the curry powder, star anise powder and vinegar, fry for another minute. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 25 minutes, stir occasionally, you don't want it to stick.

Add two tbsp of water to the cornflour, mix and pour into the sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes, stir until you've got a silky, thickened sauce. Blitz with a hand blender until smooth, add the lemon juice.

You will get approximately 630g of thick curry sauce - I'd divide in half - 315g into two boxes and deposit in the treasure chest!

The sauce freezes well and I'd suggest you might want to do so in portions you know will suit you best. Remember, you can always take out more than one box, infinitely better than wasting part of a larger one.

Defrost the sauce in the fridge, then tip into a medium saucepan and warm it through. If you want to loosen the thickness but enrich the sauce add 160ml of coconut cream and stir until thoroughly absorbed.

It's difficult to get the right balance of “heat” and “spice” in a curry sauce and inevitably you can't please everyone. Chip shop curry is not as strong as traditional curries. To give you an idea of “heat” and “spice” I'd say it's not as hot and spicy as a rendang and not as mild as a korma, so middle for diddle, suitable for everyone.

Clearly this curry sauce takes time – I can only say that it's definitely worth the effort!

By the way, you don't have to use the anise chicken stock, ordinary chicken stock is fine or vegetable stock if you want a veggie version.

Next … what to do with a lump of leftover roast beef

Fast food suppers – then there's gammon!

If you don't fancy slow cooking a whole chicken or would like another idea – slow cook a gammon joint, smoked or not - to your own taste.

I always slow cook gammon in vegetable stock. Seal your joint – carefully in a drop of rapeseed oil and transfer to your slow cooker. Bring your stock to the boil and then pour over the gammon. You'll need enough stock to cover two thirds of the gammon. As a guide a 1.6kg/3lb 8oz joint – boneless and rolled – slow cooked for four hours will give you 6-8 portions, you can cook it for longer if you want to achieve “pulled pork”.

Gammon is perfect for the slow cooker and it's versatile. Use as an alternative to go with Squeak, Champ or Colcannon. Beetroot would make a great side – relish or roasted – check out the Beetroot label for recipes.

Leftovers or deliberates – the same applies as with any meat or poultry buy as large a joint or bird as you can afford. You don't have to rush to transform the gammon (or anything else you're slow cooking for that matter) if you're pushed for time then, as an example, freeze your leftover gammon – in lumps. If you slice the gammon and then freeze it will dry out. Defrost in the fridge then slice or cube to suit. If you have a large lump then cut in half – wrap, bag and freeze. Oh and don't forget the stock too.

If you've been following the multitasking principles, lets take a moment and review the contents of your freezer to date. You've cooked a roast – whilst you were at it you've filled your oven with fish and potatoes and used your slow cooker. You've slow cooked a chicken and have bags of meat – probably mixed – anise stock and vegetable stock ready for sauces and/or soups and/or a joint of gammon too.

Don't forget to shop smart – check out the deals.

You've made the most of your time, saved money on your electricity/gas bill, saved money on your grocery bill and your freezer is snug with real food – ready to complete your own “ready” meals. If you play your cards right and cook this way, you'll have at least one week each month where all you need to do is pull ready cooked food from your freezer.

More treasure …

Fish Mornay Fotos

you can never have enough cheese

in a sauce!

the flaked fish – be gentle

the fish and sauce folded together -

I repeat, be gentle

before the oven

after the oven

yum!

If you don't need four servings then freeze what you don't need for a rainy day – you'll be glad you did.

Then there's another idea ...

Fast Fish Mornay – the method plus hints and tips

When you're ready to assemble, preheat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

You can use foil trays – 24x24cms to serve 4 or smaller if you want individual servings, otherwise a square casserole.

Open up your foiled fish and tip it into a large mixing bowl. Break the fish into chunks, gently, then season with black pepper. If you're using cooked, peeled prawns, now is the time to add them. There will be jelly from the cooked fish – discard or include – it's all flavour and will combine with the sauce you've made. If you've not used any smoked fish then you may want to add a sprinkle of salt. Add your Mornay sauce and fold to mix, gently.

Tip the mixture into your tray or casserole.

Add the sliced cooked potatoes, add a knob or two of butter and ground black pepper. If you're feeling really decadent then sprinkle grated Parmesan over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with vibrant fresh veggies, preferably steamed or, dare I say, with a coleslaw or, if feeling really Northern, mushy peas!

Back to the three negative comments about fish.

Some may say it's extravagant to use cod loin in a fish pie – they'd be right. However if you're trying to convince your family to eat fish it would be a good idea to use a fish that doesn't have any bones. Using smoked fish with non-smoked gives a far less “fishy” taste. The disguise is the delicious strong cheese sauce. Tick, tick and tick!

Oh and by the way the Dijon mustard is optional but it does give an excellent zing.

Fish Mornay Fotos coming up …

Fast Fish Mornay

Fish Mornay

Serves 4

2 large baking potatoes – stab carefully with a

paring knife, wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour at

180fan/200c/Gas 6 – already done!

Set aside to cool then slice thinly – skin on or

off – personal choice

Whilst your potatoes are baking wrap 500g of fresh

fish in foil and bake for the last 15 minutes of your

potato baking time – use a timer – already done!

Set the fish aside to cool

Your fish can be a mixture of whatever you choose – for example, mix smoked haddock or cod with salmon and prawns – it's whatever floats your boat – pardon the pun. If you're using cooked peeled prawns as part of your 500g of fish then don't add them until you're assembling your mornay.

Next up the sauce for your fish :

Mornay Sauce

Serves 4-6

40g unsalted butter

40g plain flour

600ml of milk – I use semi skimmed

150g mature Cheddar cheese

(or a combination of Cheddar and gruyere)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and black pepper

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour. Cook gently for a minute, stirring and add the mustard – make sure you don't brown the mixture. Gradually add the milk whisking constantly and eventually bring to the boil, whisking until it's smooth and thick. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then add the cheese and season. I'd taste before you add salt – there's salt in the cheese – adjust accordingly. Your sauce should be a stiff consistency.

You can make the sauce ahead, fridge or freeze.

Fast Fish Mornay the method plus hints and tips next ...

More fast food ideas for suppers …

The idea here, apart from creating suppers for your working week, is to build up a stock of all sorts in your freezer, elements that you can pull together easily and hey presto, your meal for the evening.

Some elements can take longer than others but they're definitely worth the effort. I've already suggested that you bake Asian Spiced Salmon whilst you're cooking your roast dinner. Ideally the salmon gives you either a lunch during the week or morphs into a supper if you prefer.

Here's the thing – lots of people aren't that keen on fish – the three comments I hear the most – it's full of bones or it's too fishy or it's boring, no flavour.

Fish is good for us and if you want to convince yourself (and your family) you could enjoy it my theory is use the right fish and disguise it!

Instead of baking salmon whilst your oven is on, bake a mixture of fish – ready for a Fish Mornay.

Fish is expensive so you have to shop smart. I buy fish from Aldi and for this recipe I used cod loin and smoked haddock – 280g of cod loin for £3.79 and 250g of smoked haddock for £3.09 – certified and sustainable, responsibly sourced. £6.88 or £1.72 per person – you can freeze too.

If you follow the principles of baking potatoes and baking fish then you have one element to make for this recipe, the sauce and that element can be made ahead and fridged or frozen if you're ahead of the game.

See what you think …