Spiced milk and honey cake

A land flowing with milk and honey is, according to scripture, a wonderful place, hence the name of this comforting treat.

SERVES 150g salted butter, plus extra for greasing 100g light brown soft sugar 100g runny honey 175g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground nutmeg 100ml milk 2 large free-range eggs HONEY GLAZE 100g icing sugar 1 tbsp milk 1 tbsp runny honey ground cinnamon, to dust KITCHEN KIT a 20cm round cake tin

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, then grease the cake tin and line it with baking parchment.

Melt the butter, sugar and honey together in a large saucepan over a low heat until the mixture no longer appears grainy and the butter has completely melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a small bowl. Stir the milk into the butter mixture, then beat in both of the eggs. Sift in the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until the top of the cake is firm and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with a few sticky crumbs attached but no raw batter. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin.

To make the glaze, mix the icing sugar, milk and honey together to make a thick icing. Pour it over the hot cake, then sprinkle the top with a light dusting of cinnamon. Leave it to cool in the tin before serving. This cake is delicious served warm or will keep for a few days in an airtight container. MAKES 10 ROLLS 1 tbsp olive oil 1 red onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 500g pork sausage meat 2 tbsp Marmite freshly ground black pepper, to season 100g mature Cheddar cheese, grated flour, for dusting 375g block all-butter puff pastry 1 medium free-range egg, beaten 1 tbsp poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and garlic and fry until softened and starting to brown. Tip them into a large bowl.

Add the sausage meat to the bowl with 1 tablespoon of the Marmite and season with black pepper. Marmite is very salty, so you shouldn’t need to add any extra salt. Mash everything together using a fork or squeeze together using your hands, then stir in the cheese.

Lightly dust a worktop with flour and roll out the pastry into a large rectangle, about 35cm x 20cm, then slice it in half lengthways to create 2 long rectangles. Spread the remaining Marmite on one half of each piece of pastry lengthways, leaving a 1cm gap at the edges.

Divide the sausage mixture in half and roll each half on a floured worktop to make two long sausage shapes. Make sure they are of an even thickness so the sausage rolls are the same size.

Place one of the sausage meat rolls on a pastry strip, making sure it is directly on the top of the Marmite. Brush the exposed pastry with a little beaten egg, then fold the top half over the sausage and use a fork to crimp the edge closed. Repeat with the second pastry strip and sausage filling, then cut each roll into 5 smaller pieces about 7cm in length.

Place the sausage rolls on the lined baking sheet, then brush the tops with the remaining beaten egg. Make several diagonal cuts on the top of the pastry, then sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Some of the cheese and Marmite might have oozed out, but this adds to their charm. Remove from the oven and eat warm, or leave to cool completely and enjoy as an on-the-go snack.