This fruity bread and butter pudding recipe is from my new book, so you can rest assured it is tried and tested. This is a great favourite of my sister Sharon and my mother-in-law Eileen. It is a good one to make over Christmas and is one of my favourites in winter. To make it even more delicious, try using some day-old croissants or brioche.

If you want, you could replace the caster sugar with honey. I usually use Mileeven honey. A dash of Coole Swan liqueur is also delicious in this pudding.

Peanuts add great flavour and texture to cookies. Again they make a nice Christmas treat. We always have them in our rooms to welcome our guests. This mixture keeps well and can be frozen. I roll it in cling film and then cut the cookies as I need them.

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For the last few months it has been a frenzy of getting the cookery school finished and at last we seem to have stopped building. It is not long since we added more rooms to get the total up to 19. I am thrilled with how it has turned out and I look forward to seeing some of you in 2014.

The shortbread biscuits are a recipe that Neil McFadden gave me, and I have been using it in the restaurant for about 15 years. It is the best I have found. The biscuits keep well in an airtight container for two to three days, which is helpful.

Happy cooking.

Fruity bread and

butter pudding

Serves four to six

4 eggs

300ml (½ pint) of milk

150ml (¼ pint) of cream

Finely grated rind and juice of one lemon

1 vanilla pod, split with seeds scraped out

50g (2oz) of caster sugar

250g (9oz) of sliced white bread (6 slices)

75g (3oz) of butter, softened

75g (3oz) of dried prunes, finely chopped

75g (3oz) of sultanas

Good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 tbsp of marmalade

Icing sugar, to dust

Cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Lightly butter an ovenproof dish that’s about 25cmx16cm

(10inx6in) and 2.5cm (1in) deep.

2 Beat the eggs, milk and cream together in a large jug. Mix the lemon rind and juice, vanilla seeds and sugar in a small bowl and then add to the egg mixture, beating lightly to combine.

3 Spread the slices of bread with the softened butter and cut off the crusts, then cut into triangles. Scatter half of the prunes and sultanas into the bottom of the buttered dish and arrange a layer of the bread triangles on top.

4 Pour over half of the egg mixture, pressing the bread down gently, then repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients and sprinkle the nutmeg on top.

5 Fill a roasting tin with warm water, about three-quarters of the way, then place the dish with the bread and butter pudding in the tin. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until just set.

6 Meanwhile, sieve the marmalade and then heat it in a small pan. Brush the top of the cooked pudding with the marmalade to form a nice glaze when it comes out of the oven. Dust lightly with icing sugar.

7 To serve, cut into slices while still warm and arrange on warmed serving plates with pouring cream or ice cream.

Peanut butter cookies

Makes 24

100g (4oz) of light muscovado sugar

75g (3oz) of butter, softened

100g (4oz) of crunchy peanut butter

1 large egg, beaten

175g (6oz) of plain flour, extra for dusting

¾ tsp of bread soda

75g (3oz) of unsalted peanuts

50g (2oz) of demerara sugar

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).

2 Place the muscovado sugar and butter in a bowl. Whisk with a handheld beater until light and fluffy. Mix in the peanut butter and the egg until just combined. Fold in the flour and bread soda and then mix in the unsalted peanuts.

3 Put the demerara sugar on a plate. Lightly flour your hands and roll the cookie dough into walnut-sized balls, then dip in the sugar, pressing the ball down gently. Flip the dough over and place on non-stick baking sheets, leaving room for expansion. Bake in batches for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden.

4 Leave the cookies to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire rack using a palette knife and leave to cool completely. To serve, arrange the peanut butter cookies on a large serving platter.

CINNAMON SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

Makes 32

275g (10oz) of butter, diced, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

150g (5oz) of icing sugar, sieved

275g (10oz) of plain flour

150g (5oz) of cornflour

1 tsp of cinnamon powder

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

2 Place the butter and icing sugar in a bowl, then sieve the flour, cornflour and cinnamon on top. Using a hand-held beater, whisk until you have achieved a smooth dough. If necessary add one tablespoon of cold water to help bring the mixture together. Cover the dough with cling film and place it in the fridge to rest for at least one hour, but leave it overnight if possible.

3 Roll out the shortbread on a lightly floured work surface until it’s 3mm (1/8in) thick. Stamp out discs using a 5cm (2in) fluted cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet and leave to rest again in the fridge for 10 minutes – this will help to stop the shortbread shrinking.

4 Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. When baked transfer them to a cooling rack.

5 To serve, arrange on a plate or use as required. CL