Make the most of being holed up indoors and prepare some warming Snow Day Snacks.

Enjoy sharing tasty treats such as Creamy Pancetta and Onion Tart or Cheddar and Cider Fondue. When it’s chilly outside, what we naturally crave is comforting food. In Cold Day Comforts you’ll find plenty of warming dishes including Spiced Pumpkin and Coconut Soup or Salmon Broccoli and Potato Gratin with Pesto.

What better way to spend an icy afternoon than preparing a delicious meal to share with family and friends. Fireside Feasts is full of great ideas for winter entertaining. Try a Braised Pot Roast with Red Wine, Rosemary and Bay or Slow-cooked Lamb Shanks with Lentils. Make the most of the finest seasonal ingredients the winter has to offer and prepare healthy and satisfying Winter Salads.

Choose from recipes such as Steak and Blue Cheese Salad or Roast Butternut Squash Salad with Spiced Lentils, Goat Cheese and Walnuts. Whether you enjoy a luxurious dessert or a slice of cake in front of the fire, there are plenty of delicious options to choose from in Indulgent Treats.

Try Pecan Cheesecake Swirl Brownies, Arctic Roll with Vanilla and Chocolate or Brown Sugar Pavlova with Cinnamon Cream and Pomegranate. Finally, in A Cup of Cheer there are plenty of ideas for festive drinks and toddies.

Relax at home with a warming Chocolate Marshmallow Melt or enjoy winter entertaining with a delicious Mulled Wine, guaranteed to make any holiday gathering a success.

Comfort: A Winter Cookbook: More than 150 warming recipes for the colder monthsis available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.  

---

Steak, Leek and Mushroom Pie with Guinness

Pies are a wonderful thing. They look and taste fantastic, and are really straightforward to make, especially if you leave out the bottom layer of pastry, which I always do. Serve with plenty of creamy mashed potatoes and peas.

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

700 g/1 lb. 9 oz. stewing beef, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 trimmed leeks, sliced

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

250 g/2½ cups mushrooms, coarsely chopped

100 g/3½ oz. bacon (about

3 rashers), coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons plain/ all-purpose flour

330-ml/11 oz. can Guinness

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

a large handful of fresh parsley leaves, chopped

375 g/13 oz. ready-rolled puff pastry, defrosted if frozen

melted butter or milk, to brush

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a large flameproof casserole a 30 x 20-cm/12 x 8-Inch baking dish

Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) Gas 3.

Heat the oil in a heatproof casserole diah. Add the beat and cook, stining for 2-3 minutes, until browned Remove the mast train the casterole dish, season and set aside.

Add the leeks, onion and carrots to the pan, adding a little more oil if necessary. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, until softened. Add the mushroüma, becon and thyme and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Seuson well. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Retum the beef to the casserole dish add the flour, stir to coat the meat in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce. Add the bay leaf and parsley and pour in sufficient cold water to just cover. Stir to mix, cover with a lid and bake in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours

Remove the casseroie dish from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

Transfer the beef mixture to the baking dish. Unroll the pastry and use to cover the pie filling. It should look rustic, so fold over the edges and crimp roughly with your fingers. Using a sharp knife and starting at the top edge, make lengthwise slits on the diagonal, in stripes about ½ cm apart, all the way across. Brush with melted butter or milk and bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until golden. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes and peas on the side.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Ryland Peters & Small.