Sweet

With a thick, lightly salted date caramel and a textured nutty base of almonds and ginger biscuits, this is the perfect festive treat.

This buttermilk pancake recipe makes the most deliciously light and fluffy Scotch pancakes. 

Recipe from From the Veg Patch by Kathy Slack.

“When I worked at Daylesford Organic Farm, the bakery made chocolate brownies that were out of this world. They were dark, fudgy and flecked with nuggets of white chocolate. I would buy one at the end of my shift in the kitchen garden, unable to resist tucking in straight away despite my mud-engrained fingers. They have been my brownie benchmark ever since, and so when I came to this recipe (beetroot and chocolate, after all, being a classic combination I could not omit), I knew mine too must be broodingly dark and have those signature morsels of solid chocolate hidden within. The result is a grown-up brownie, almost savoury, thanks to the beetroot and tahini. Good for dessert with a dollop of sour crème fraîche as contrast.”

This is the only carrot cake you need in your life! Layers of super soft cake are warmly (but not overly) spiced and studded with nuts, then coated in the dreamiest lemony cream cheese frosting.

Extracted from Even More Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £28)

This recipe makes biscuits that are perfect for hanging decorations or gingerbread houses. 

Perfect enjoyed after a dinner party or with a cup of afternoon tea or coffee. 

Few sounds are more satisfying than a spoon cracking through the scorched golden top of a crème brûlée to reveal the creamiest vanilla custard core. This is one you need in your entertaining bag of tricks.

Extracted from Even More Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £28)

I love a good cake and this is just that. Juicy, moist and wonderfully light, but most importantly, not too sweet. It sings with warm flavours from the spices, while the walnuts provide an earthy and satisfying crunch. The pears are first cooked in a caramel until sweet and tender, and you then pour the batter over and bake the cake upside down. Once cooked, you turn out the cake and let the caramel trickle into the sponge below.

Once cooked, you turn out the cake and let the caramel trickle into the sponge below. All it needs is a spoon of crème fraîche and you will be happy as can be. I find this cake lasts a good few days, especially if you keep it covered. Just gently warm any leftover slices in a low 140°C fan oven before you tuck in, which brings it back to life.

Extracted from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts (Ebury Press, £27). Photography by Elena Heatherwick.

Recipe by Alex Hely Hutchinson, founder of 26 GRAINS.

This delicious honey parfait recipe comes from our founder Carole Bamford’s new book NURTURE.

This bright smoothie with blackberry, mint and honey is full of flavour and equipped with soothing and nourishing benefits.

These super fluffy no-knead flatbreads will change your mind about making bread at home. They're the ultimate minimum-fuss flex, perfect for dipping, mopping or ferrying those tasty toppings.

Extracted from Even More Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £28)

This iced tea recipe from Kirthanaa Naidu is so good we recommend having a jugful at hand to enjoy throughout the day. Kirthanaa has added our Daylesford Oxfordshire honey to make this iced tea not only delicious but free from refined sugars. It's simple to make, perfect for a hot day and easy to make in advance when hosting friends or family.

The combination of freshly picked organic strawberries, vanilla and cardamom in this recipe is both fragrant and irresistible.

A crisp, sugary topping gives way to the soft, smooth dark chocolate filling, decadent and rich, these are very hard to resist.

The use of precious honey and fresh thyme in this recipe lends a slightly floral note to these delicious gluten-free friands. 

The classic Bakewell Tart filling is almond frangipane with raspberry jam, but we’ve used our new gooseberry & elderflower jam here for a seasonal variation. Feel free to play with this base recipe - hazelnuts with plum jam would be delicious in the autumn, for example. 

Discover more recipes like this and pick up essential skills in the kitchen at our Cookery School's Cakes & Bakes course.

We like to serve these baked plums with organic yoghurt and local honey for breakfast or a light dessert. They also make a delicious accompaniment to lean venison or seasonal game – spoon the juices through rich gravy for a little sweetness and colour.

Try alongside our recipe for Loin of Venison with Celeriac Purée.

Discover Tait's top tips for wild cooking in our journal here.

Pancakes are always a hit, their versatility means you can enjoy them at any time of day, with all manner of toppings and fillings.

Perhaps you prefer savoury flavours such silky Market Garden leeks in a cheese sauce, or lashings of maple syrup, or simply a traditional squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of crunchy sugar. Either way, this base recipe will never fail.

A recipe from our tutors at the Cookery School to celebrate the seasons throughout the year.

The scone-like topping works just as well with stewed cinnamon pears in winter or ripe stone fruit in summer. In the autumn months, chopped apples and blackberries are lovely and you could even swap the almonds for seasonal cobnuts.

A delicious, hydrating and nourishing non-alcoholic drink created by our resident nutritionist Rhaya Jordan. Originally a way to preserve ripe fruit, the traditional recipe simply muddles together equal parts of fruit, sugar and vinegar (choose a live vinegar for gut-friendly probiotics) to create a thick syrup that can be diluted with still or sparkling water. Shrubs are also a wonderful way of avoiding waste and using up scraps such as citrus peels and overripe fruit. 

This classic Easter recipe for Hot Cross Buns is a firm Daylesford favourite. Lots of fun to make, especially for children who can help stir the mixture, shape the dough and pipe the crosses.

Make a big batch of the compote to serve with your pancakes and store any extra in your fridge to enjoy with porridge, yoghurt or shortbread. 

Brew a pot of your favourite tea, place the loaf in the middle of the table and let everyone pull it apart and share the soft, spiced bun.