DAILY DINNERS

Rub the butter into the flour to make breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and sultanas or currants and mixed spice, then stir in the egg. Mix, then form a ball of dough, using a splash of milk if needed.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is 5mm thick. Cut it into rounds using a 7.5cm fluted cutter, re-rolling the dough as necessary.

You now need a bakestone or a heavy iron griddle. Rub it with butter and wipe the excess away. Put it on a direct heat and wait until it heats up. Place the Welsh cakes on the griddle and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until caramel brown.

Remove from the pan and dust with caster sugar while still warm.

Getting the temperature of your griddle or bakestone correct is the key to this recipe. If it's too hot the cakes will burn before they are cooked through. Too low and the texture will be dry.

 For the compote: If using strawberries, hull, halve or quarter to make them a similar size to the other berries. Tip all the fruits into a large pan with 2-3 tbsp water, sugar to taste and your choice of flavourings. Bring to the boil then simmer for 3-5 mins. Don't overcook and pass through a sieve if you wish. Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days, in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For the mascarpone cream: Add the double cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.

 Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. The mascarpone whipped cream will stay stable in the fridge for several days, even for a week, though it won’t remain as fresh. If you are going to use it to frost something, use it right away so that it maintains its texture well. Once it’s piped or spread, etc, it’ll stay put and nice and fluffy.