Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. The base of the bowl must not touch the water. Leave until just melted, then remove from the heat, stir, and leave the chocolate to cool slightly. (See below, Make a light cake, step 1). Mary Berry (CBE), beloved cook, star of the Great British Bake Off and the mother-in-law-we-wish-we-had. She has captured the nation’s hearts and stomachs. Her non-fussy style and cheeky sense of humour have made her a firm family favourite. In one of her 75 cookbooks, she teaches us how to make ‘The Perfect…’ everything. Here we’ve got her perfect kedgeree recipe:

That’s right, my debut cookbook launched April 2022! Cook It, Eat It, Live It is a vibrant and varied collection of personal recipes straight from my own dinner table, to guarantee no more boring dinners. Spread the mash over the filling (see below, Decorative topping). Bake for 30–40 minutes until golden and bubbling.Spoon the cheesy, seasoned mash over the cooled vegetable and lentil layer. Spread it evenly over the surface, making patterns like furrows with a round-bladed knife to create an attractive, textured effect. Imagine Mary is in your kitchen with you, saying "watch out for this bit" or "keep an eye on that", while also sharing many of the techniques that she honed over the years.

Put the rice in a sieve and hold under running water until the water runs clear. This removes starch and prevents clumping, making the rice lighter and fluffier. Drain well. Mary Berry's Christmas Collection: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes and Tips for a Hassle-Free Festive Season Serve your roasted tomato soup in bowls, and dress with a drizzle of double cream and a twist of pepper. Using a palette knife, spread the cream evenly over the roulade, so you will get a uniform spiral of cream in each slice. Rather than spread the cream right up to the edges, leave a gap of about 2cm (3⁄4in) all round, or the cream will start to ooze out as you start rolling.

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The potatoes are ready for mashing when a knife goes in easily. If undercooked, the mash will be lumpy; if overcooked, it will be sloppy. Mash the potatoes with hot milk and butter off the heat, then whisk with a balloon whisk. A meat thermometer will help no end’, say the chefs at The Ethicurean restaurant.Invest in ameat thermometer when slow-roasting to make sure you’re cooking your beef to perfection without drying it out. Put the potatoes into a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, add salt, and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Put the butter and milk in the pan and warm through over a low heat. Remove from the heat, return the potatoes to the pan, and mash with the milk and butter, then whisk until smooth (see below, Smooth, creamy mash). Season, then stir in the cheese. Roast potatoes will be crisper and fluff up more easily if they’re par-boiled before roasting. Once the water comes to the boil, time them to simmer for just 5 minutes, or they will overcook and lose their shape. They should still be firm in the middle. Immediately tip the potatoes into a colander to drain, then return them to the pan and gently shake over a very low heat for about 1 minute. This will dry them off and create rough edges that will later go crispy. When cooking simple dishes, their success hangs on the ingredients being great. Tomato soup with fresh tomatoes is a must, and vine ripened tomatoes are ideal; they are so much sweeter and flavoursome.

Leave the roulade cake to cool completely before you tip it out of the tin. Run a small palette knife around the inside of the baking parchment in the tin to loosen the cake, so you can turn it out easily without it breaking. Mary Berry Cooks Up A Feast / Entertaining with Mary Berry: My Favourite Recipes for Occasions and Celebrations Mary Berry's Baking Bible: Revised and Updated: Fully updated with over 250 new and classic recipes Preheat the oven to 200ºC (fan 180ºC/400ºF/Gas 6). Lightly grease a large roasting tin with butter. Make the tarragon butter: put the butter in a small bowl with the garlic and chopped tarragon and beat together with a small wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Mary Berry's Traditional Puddings and Desserts: Gorgeous classic recipes to treat family and friendsThe Great British Bake Off - Perfect Cakes & Bakes To Make At Home: Official tie-in to the 2016 series You know the saying – you eat with your eyes! But you also eat with your heart. The experience of food is so much more than the flavour and I think soup needs to conjure feelings of comfort. It’s a nostalgic, soothing meal and every aspect of how you serve it can enhance that feeling.

As soon as the chocolate has melted, take the pan off the heat so the chocolate doesn’t overheat, or it will become too stiff; it needs to be a pourable consistency. Stir, lift the bowl off the pan, and leave the chocolate to cool until it feels tepid. If the chocolate is too hot when stirred into the egg yolks, it will start to cook them. Preheat your oven to 200c and in a large, deep roasting tray scatter the tomatoes, onion and minced garlic. Drizzle over the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes until you have lovely soft roasted tomatoes and onion.Remove the beef from the fridge about an hour before cooking to let it come up to room temperature.