It’s become something of a tradition that we begin making marmalade between Christmas and 31st December. Whether it is the uplifting citrus aroma that fills the kitchen or simply the thought of serving a jar of this season’s preserve marking the beginning...
There’s no time like the Christmas holidays to be able to take breakfast on the slow. The ideal opportunity to savour the most important meal of the day. But we’ve found a way to enjoy our favourite muesli at any time, whether that may be as a decadent...
This simple recipe is perfect to sip whilst you are creating your Christmas wreath and it’s so easy to prepare ahead of time. Remember to prepare the ingredients, once you have gathered and conditioned your foliage and you will be all set to start feeling...
The season of mists and fruitfulness has arrived. Wrap up warm for long walks down country lanes, kicking up leaves as you go. Returning home with rosy cheeks to glowing log fires with the promise of hot chocolate and pumpkin pie. Or make this recipe to serve on...
RECIPE: Ginger Biscuits Tried and tested seasonal recipes from our country cookery school kitchen. As well as hacks and get ahead tips for EVERY cook. This classic biscuit recipe is really easy to make. Ideal as an edible gift and even better coated with dark...
If you would like to make these fritters, gather the elderflowers as soon as you can. They are a delicately scented treat with an aroma of late spring, but the flowers are definitely at their best NOW, whilst the blossom is just coming into flower. Once dipped, fry...
We never forget how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy time in the garden, whether it is a quick sandwich at lunch time or a leisurely pot of tea and homemade biscuit as a cooking class draws to a close on a summer’s day. Whether you are happy with a brightly...
Whilst not perfectly formed, the balance of sweet cream butter, soft brown sugar bound together with rolled oats, is so very comforting. This recipe will take you less than five minutes to make, and a quarter of an hour for baking. So grab a mixing bowl whilst you are...
It was my very first visit to Dublin that I tasted soda bread. Thick with Irish butter and a generous spoonful of marmalade. I will never forget that perfect combination of soft wheaten bread with creamy butter and the perfect balance of sweet and sharp preserve. I...
Whether guests have joined us for a personalised AGA cookery class or simply ‘escaped to the pantry’ for some time out in the Dorset countryside, they all seem to fall in love with the flexibility that the AGA simmering plate offers. Even if you prefer a...
Traditional Pancake Recipe for Shrove Tuesday No matter how much we ‘dress up’ a pancake, everyone LOVES lemon & sugar. Homemade chocolate sauce surely must be a close second? Memories of flipping pancakes are always treasured. No sooner has a...
Shrove Tuesday falls on 25th February this year. Perhaps you are a traditionalist and insist your French style crepes are flipped on to an awaiting warm platter with a generous squeeze of lemon and vanilla infused caster sugar? Or you may insist that the beginning...
The uplifting aroma created by squeezing, juicing and shredding sour oranges to create bitter marmalade is a rewarding seasonal ritual. Seville oranges are ready to pick from mid December, although they can normally be found in the shops from the first week of...
You need no excuse on a wet November Sunday, to start planning your Christmas menu, this recipe creates a light and fruity pud, which will gently mature over the coming weeks and be perfect for Christmas day. Stir up Sunday fall on 24 November this year. ...
We were so fortunate that we enjoyed a glorious October afternoon for our allotment club gathering on Wednesday. The children were very excited to try their home grown baked beans as well as share their produce with the other allotment holders and parents. ...
RECIPE: Rich Chocolate & Pear Cake Tried and tested seasonal recipes from our country cookery school kitchen. As well as hacks and get ahead tips for EVERY cook. A deliciously rich cake which makes a teatime treat or can be served warm with cream for pudding....
I will never forget a particular late summer day I visited All Hallows. This was at a time when my friend Helen lived in the farmhouse. She has been gathering damsons from the tree in the walled garden and had been working in the kitchen for several hours to make...
To make sixteen individual brioche buns, you will need: 50 ml (2 fl oz) lukewarm water 15g (1/2 oz) of fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon dried yeast 50 ml 2 (fl oz) milk at room temperature 150 g (6 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature 50 g (2 oz) caster sugar plus one...
My friend Jo popped over to see us yesterday. She is married to a miller who is the fifth generation to work their watermill near Shaftesbury in Dorset. It’s the busiest week of the year for flour millers and bakers, but her husband (who also trained as a...
Those tender pink stems are so very tactile. Is it the vibrant colour after a long grey winter and the promise of spring warmth ahead? Or the contrast of tempting ruby stems against almost fluorescent leaves, which have been starved of daylight and are eager to... 