This wonderful fish pie can be made up to two days ahead and, when there is so much going on, it is an ideal dish as it has an air of celebration and yet is easy to make and can be cooked ahead of time. It’s great for a buffet as it slices well and can be eaten with a fork. It is a meal that works well for any family occasion really.

This rocky road cake tower is a memorable recipe to make with the children. It is special and it is a treat and ideal for a day when there are a lot of children around. You don’t need me to tell you that a cake with Mars bars, golden syrup, Crunchie and chocolate will go down well! It is just hard to stop them eating the ingredients as you put it together. The finished rocky road can also be cut into bite-sized pieces if you prefer and would make a lovely present wrapped in tissue paper in a nice box.

Incidentally, adults have been known to enjoy the rocky road cake tower also!

Happy cooking.

Salmon & mushroom pilaff

in puff pastry

Serves six to eight

100g (4oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

550g (1 1/4lb) salmon fillet, boned and skinned

75g (3oz) basmati rice, well rinsed

225ml (8fl oz) fish or chicken stock

4 shallots, finely chopped

100g (4oz) small button mushrooms, thinly sliced

Juice and rind of 1/2 lemon

2 large eggs

1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

500g (1lb) puff pastry, thawed if frozen (all butter, if possible)

A little plain flour, for dusting

1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp cream, to glaze

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Green salad, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180oC, (350oF/gas four). Butter a large piece of foil and lay the salmon on it and season generously. Wrap up loosely into a parcel and put on a baking sheet.

2 Roast for 15-20 minutes and then remove from the oven and open up the foil, allowing it to cool down completely.

3 Melt 25g (1oz) of the butter in a pan with a lid and stir in the rice. Cook for one minute, stirring, then pour in the stock and season. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

4 Meanwhile, melt 25g (1oz) of butter in a frying pan over a low heat and sauté the shallots for 10 minutes until softened but not coloured.

5 Add the mushrooms, then season to taste and cook for another five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and rind. Leave to cool.

6 Place the eggs in a pan and cover with boiling water, then cook for eight minutes to hard-boil. Drain and rinse under cold running water, then shell and chop.

7 Flake the salmon into a bowl and add the hard-boiled eggs with the dill and half of the parsley. Season to taste. In a separate bowl, mix the rice with the shallot and mushroom mixture and the rest of the parsley. Season to taste.

8 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board to a square 33cm (13in), then cut it into two lengths, one 15cm (6in) and the other 17.5cm (7in). Melt the remaining 50g (2oz) of butter and then use to lightly brush a large baking sheet and put the smaller piece of pastry on it and then brush that with melted butter too.

9 Spoon half of the rice mix down the centre of the pastry, leaving a 2.5cm (1in) border, and spoon the salmon mixture on top, building it into a loaf shape and pressing it firmly with your hands. Mould the remaining rice mix on top and brush the border with the egg glaze. Cover with the other piece of pastry and press around the edges to seal. Brush all over with the rest of the butter.

10 When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 220oC, (425oF/gas seven) and brush the pie with egg glaze. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into slices to serve on plates with some salad.

Rocky road cake tower

Makes one cake tower

(or about 24 slices)

8 x 58g Mars bars

8 tbsp pouring golden syrup

225g (8oz) butter

100g (4oz) Rice Krispies

2 x 40g Crunchie bar, finely chopped

100g (4oz) mini marshmallows

200g bar plain or milk chocolate, broken into squares

1 Chop up the Mars bars into small pieces and place in a pan with the golden syrup and 175g (6oz) of the butter. Cook over a low heat for three to four minutes until melted, then beat until smooth. Leave to cool a little.

2 Fold the Rice Krispies into the Mars bar mixture with the Crunchie bar and mini marshmallows until well combined. Transfer to two 17.5cm (7in) shallow square tins that have been lined with parchment paper. Spread the mixture out evenly with a spatula.

3 Melt the plain or milk chocolate with the rest of the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Spread or drizzle in an even layer over the cakes and set aside for at least one hour until set. Cut into bars and arrange on a cake stand stacked up to look like a tower. This will keep well for up to a week in the fridge. CL