If like me, you suffer with serious pancake flipping anxiety, then why not do away with the flipping altogether? Frankly I don’t need the flippin’ stress, and making multiple pancakes when I get home from work, simply sounds ridiculous to me.
Despite being called a Dutch baby, this Yorkshire pudding-esque pancake, is actually German in origin – the word ‘Dutch’ deriving from the word ‘Deutsch’. Traditionally made in an iron skillet (which I do not own), this fluffy dessert is baked entirely in the oven. So, give that frying-pan a miss and bake a baby this pancake day – that came out wrong.
Blueberry Dutch baby Serves 2 / Hands on time 5-10 mins / Total time 30 mins /V You’ll need: Oven-proof dish, roughly 22cm x 28cm
30g unsalted butter
100g plain flour
3 eggs
300ml semi-skimmed milk
2 tsp caster sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 handfuls of blueberries To serve
Granulated sugar and maple syrup
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
Method
1. Preheat an over to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Measure out the butter and add to the over-proof dish. Place in the oven to heat up.
2. Meanwhile, measure out the flour in a large bowl and mix in the salt and the sugar before making a well in the centre. Crack in the eggs, add the milk and the vanilla before beating the eggs into the milk, slowly incorporating the flour. Once you have a smooth batter put to one side.
3. Remove the dish from the oven (by now the butter should be melted and bubbling). Sprinkle the blueberries straight into the dish followed by all the pancake batter. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 mins. Once the pancake has puffed up and the edges are golden brown, remove from the oven.
4. Serve immediately sprinkled with sugar and lashings of maple syrup.
Blueberry Dutch baby
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
Admittedly, this is an old recipe of mine but I love it, and feel I deserve a treat now the diet is well and truly out the window. A month of panting red faced up and down my street was definitely not worth it. However, jogging does little for my current double chin situation. So in an attempt to get it sucked out (and with nothing better to do) I made my way to Harley Street. Turns out my chin wasn’t quite big enough to warrant such a procedure so was told to come back when it’s bigger.
“Let me get this straight. I have to fatten up my chin before you’ll suck it out?” I say before roaring with laughter – the irony of this was clearly lost on my technician who simply looked at me blankly. Oh well, got me out the house for a few hours.
Naan pizza
Makes 2 pizza / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 30 mins / V You’ll need: Baking paper
2 plain naan breads
2 tbs tomato puree
1 tsp dried oregano
1-2 balls vegetarian mozzarella, drained and thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil to serve
Fresh basil leaves to serve (optional) Toppings I used sweet red peppers and black olives but you can use whatever you like
TIP: I use one ball of thinly sliced mozzarella for two pizzas but if you like your pizza extra cheesy, use two balls – I won’t tell.
Method
1. Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6 and line the bottom oven tray with baking paper – this is to catch any melted cheese/toppings that may fall from your pizza during baking.
2. Spread each naan generously with tomato puree, sprinkle with oregano and top with sliced mozzarella. Top with your desired toppings and season with salt and pepper.
3. Slide carefully onto the middle shelf in the oven and cook for 15-20 mins or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Carefully slide each pizza onto a board, top with fresh basil and serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
Naan pizza
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
Currently unemployed/freelance, I seem to spend most of my days, actively avoiding doing any form of work. Whether it be cleaning, job hunting or working on my ‘brilliant’ life changing new business ideas, I just seem to find myself watching episode after episode of Judge Rinder and eating slice after slice of this delicious leek and cheese loaf. Well a girl has got to eat and Judge Rinder is very wise… I can change my life tomorrow.
This loaf goes great with hearty soups and can also be enjoyed as a breakfast on the go or simply toasted spread with butter. Unlike a regular bread, this loaf requires no kneading or proving, making it closer in texture to a cornbread rather than a standard farmhouse loaf.
Leek and cheddar loaf Makes 1 loaf / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 1hr 20 mins + cooling /V❄ You’ll need: 2lb/900g loaf tin, baking paper
Oil or butter for greasing (I use rapeseed oil)
150g leek (1 medium leek) finely chopped
75g strong mature vegetarian cheddar, grated
250g self-raising flour
50g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt flakes
250ml semi-skimmed milk
2 eggs
Few springs of thyme, leaves picked
Black pepper
40g vegetarian Italian hard cheese or Parmesan*, grated Small handful pumpkin seeds
TIP: If you have any extra vegetables to use up, replace the leeks with whatever you have to hand. Grate hard vegetables such as carrots and butternut squash and finely chop fibrous greens. You can also replace the cheddar with another hard cheese of your choice.
Method 1. Preheat an oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a loaf tin with oil or butter and line the bottom with baking paper. Put to one side.
2. Finely chop the leek and finely grate the cheddar and Parmesan. Put to one side.
3. In a large mixing bowl, measure out the flours, baking powder, salt and mix until combined. Add the leeks, thyme leaves, cheddar and most of the Parmesan saving a handful for the topping later. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. In a measuring jug, pour 250ml of semi-skimmed milk and crack in 2 eggs. Beat with a fork until fully incorporated. Pour straight into the dry mixture and mix quickly until combined – adding the wet ingredients to the dry actives the raising agents in the flour and baking powder so you need to work quickly to get a good rise.
5. Spoon into a loaf tin and top with the remaining cheese and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes – 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.
6. Remove and cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out and cooling fully on a rack. Serve on its own or spread with butter. Wrap in foil and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Leek and cheddar loaf
V – Vegetarian ❄ – Once cooled, slice and wrap well in cling film or foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge before consuming.
*Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiani) is always made using animal rennet, therefore it is not vegetarian. Substitute for Italian hard cheese if applicable.
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
I like it when my breakfast resembles dessert, especially when it’s deceptively nutritious and uses seasonal produce. January is literally the only time you can get a pear that isn’t so hard you chip your teeth on it. So get with the season and enjoy a warming bowl of chocolate porridge – would be rude not to.
Chocolate pear porridge Serves 1 / Hands on time 10 mins / Total time 10 mins /V VnDf
1/3 cup porridge oats
2/3 cup oat milk
1 heaped tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp milled flaxseed(optional)
Pinch of sea salt flakes
Handful fruit and nuts
1 tsp maple syrup + extra to serve
Drop of vanilla extract (optional) ½ pear to serve, sliced
Tip:Don’t wait to soak your pan, do it immediately or your porridge will turn to cement.
Method
1. In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients together apart from the pear. Cook on a medium heat stirring continually until the porridge is thick and creamy.
2. Serve immediately topped with sliced pear and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Chocolate pear porridge
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
It was cold, blustery and rainy when Jamie and I arrived at this romantic inn on the North Pennine Moors, so perfect conditions for cosying up under a blanket by a roaring fire…
Lord crew arms Northumberland
‘There’s a roll top bath in the bedroom!’
I screeched excitedly as I climbed the dainty spiral staircase in our beautiful miners’ cottage, deep in the Northumbrian landscape. Split over two levels, the cottage is one of two miners’ suites on offer at the Lord Crewe Arms and it
is the epitome of country chic. It feels contemporary but authentic, decorated with a subtle balance of old and new. The bed is big and stacked with luxurious feather pillows, the lighting warm and the cosy window seats invite you to look out across the square at the honey-coloured bricks of Blanchland village
The Lord Crewe Arms is a former 12th-century abbot’s guest house and one of the oldest hotels in the country. Nestled in the rolling North Pennine Moors and founded as a priory in 1165, it was built to house the monks and abbots of Blanchland Abbey before Lord Crewe bought it in the 1700s. With an authentic medieval charm, stone-flagged floors, 12 bedrooms and wibbly-wobbly corridors, it’s the perfect romantic countryside getaway for couples who enjoy fresh air and good, old-fashioned hearty fare.
A river runs through the middle of the village, which is surrounded by woods and breathtaking moorland. Ideal for outdoor-lovers, the hotel is well-equipped with free bikes, maps, routes, wellingtons, compasses and even a drying room – although, admittedly, our walking boots didn’t see much action.
Instead, I found myself sporting a towelling robe with a homemade shortbread biscuit clamped between my teeth and running a bath at two in the afternoon, while my other half was busy lighting the wood burner and enjoying countless espressos from the Nespresso machine. Clearly, we were both prepared to
do everything but walk this weekend – it was raining, after all.
GETTING COSY
After a mid-afternoon snooze, we were finally prepared to face the rain and walk over to the main house and down into the Crypt bar to wet our whistles before dinner. The Crypt is a medieval vaulted chamber where you can sample the hotel’s own brew, as well as other Northumbrian ales, wines, Highland whisky and a Geordie cocktail or three. Packed with locals chattering by warm candlelight, the pub is the heart of the hotel and community.
Cheeks flushed, we drifted up to the Bishop’s dining room, where we indulged in seasonal dishes, such as pan-fried Scottish scallops with spiced carrots and pork belly; grilled lamb chops with braised shoulder and cabbage, and plaice with a spiced brown shrimp butter, washed down with some very reasonably priced wines. Somehow, we found room for the most delicious raspberry Bakewell pudding, served with clotted cream. It was unlike any Bakewell pudding we had ever had, and a great way to round off our romantic getaway. In fact, we were so wrapped up in the cosy ambience of the Lord Crewe Arms, we hardly noticed getting drenched on the walk back to our cottage.
JUST DOWN THE ROAD
A 30-minute drive away is the beautiful, bustling Roman village of Corbridge. Wander along the picturesque high street and enjoy dipping in and out of the independent shops, historic pubs and tea rooms. Originally a supply base for Roman troops and home to the oldest handwritten documents in Britain, plus Roman armour and trinkets, Corbridge is the perfect pit stop to discover what life was like as a soldier on Hadrian’s Wall.
Double rooms, with breakfast, from £147 until 28 February 2019, then from £157 until 28 May 2019. lordcrewarmsblanchland.co.uk
For more information visit lordcrewarmsblanchland.co.uk
OK, so I’m using the word ‘foul’ loosely, as this soup doesn’t resemble a traditional Middle Eastern foul at all – but in my defence, Sainsbury’s don’t sell fava beans and I wanted to make it more of a soup than a dip. So sue me. Please don’t sue me, I haven’t got any money. It’s January, and all I have is a can of chickpeas and a rather stale mince pie that I am currently eating. Happy New Year, everyone!
Middle Eastern broth (foul) Serves 2 / hands on time 25 mins / total time 30 mins / V Vn*DfGf
1 tsp rapeseed oil
1 large white onion, peeled and sliced
500ml weak veg stock (I use ½ a vegetable Knorr stock pot)
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can chickpeas or fava beans (if you can get them)
2 eggs
Handful parsley, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil to serve
Pickled turnips or pickled red cabbage to serve (optional) – See TIP
2 wholemeal pita breads to serve (optional) Tahini dressing: 1 tbs tahini
½ lemon, juiced
1 tbs boiling water
Pinch of salt
TIP: Pickled turnips are notoriously hard to find, I went to my local Mediterranean supermarket in Kentish town but you can buy them here. Alternatively, leave it out altogether or substitute for pickled red cabbage.
Make it vegan: Forgo the boiled eggs.
Method
1. Start by boiling a small saucepan of water for the eggs. Once boiling, gently lower each egg into the water and let boil for 30 seconds before reducing to simmer for 9 mins for a creamy yolk or 12 mins for a harder one (be careful not to overcook the eggs as they will smell more pungent and become harder to peel). Once cooked, transfer the eggs into a small bowl iced water. Put to one side.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the sliced onion along with 1 tsp of salt flakes for 5-7 mins in a medium sized pot with the lid on until the onions start to soften – add a dash of water to help the onions steam.
3. Add the cumin and the coriander and cook off the spices for a further 2 mins before adding the weak vegetable stock. Up the heat and bring to the boil before adding the chickpeas or fava beans. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins.
4. To make the tahini dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix until combined and put to one side. Finely chop the fresh parsley.
5. After 10 mins, take the broth off the heat and put to one side whilst you peel the eggs.
6. To assemble your soup, divide the broth into bowls and top with the sliced boiled eggs, sliced pickled turnips, fresh parsley, and a good drizzle of tahini dressing and extra virgin olive oil.
Middle Eastern foul (ful) soup
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V – Vegetarian. Vn – Vegan’s forgo the eggs Df – Dairy free Gf– I use Knorr vegetable stock pots because they are gluten free but other stock pots/cubes may not be.
Nothing puts you more in the Christmas spirit, than making your very own Christmas marmalade. Zesty, sweet and with a touch of festive spice, this crowd pleasing jam makes the perfect Christmas gift to palm off on your relatives – now if that isn’t a cost saving no brainer, I don’t know what is.
Personally, I like to keep the majority of it for myself and eat it on toast smothered on top of mascarpone (yes mascarpone) – don’t knock it until you’ve try it. Merry Christmas! 🎄🎄🎄
For more edible gift ideas, check out my salted sultana rum fudge, vanilla shortbread, softly spiced lebkuchens or last years offering, mini peppermint creams.
TIP: If making as a gift, I recommend using four 250ml jars and doubling up the recipe. Make in batches.
Spiced easy-peeler marmalade Makes 500ml / hands on time 30 mins / total time 1 hr 30 mins + cooling /V Vn GfDf You’ll need: Clean jar/jars, small food processor (optional)
500g easy peelers, scrubbed – 1 extra to stuff with cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
450ml water
2 cinnamon sticks
8 cloves – stick in a spears easy peeler
8 cardamom pots, pierced with knife (be careful not to split open the pods as you don’t want the seeds to fall out)
2 star anise
250g granulated sugar
Method
1. Start by giving your easy-peelers a bit of a scubas under warm water to remove any wax and slice off the storks. Cut each clementine into quarters and blitz roughly in a food processor for a few seconds (be careful not to over blitz, as you want your jam to have a bit of texture). If you don’t have a food processor, simply chop the easy-peelers into roughly 1cm pieces.
2. Add the easy peelers to a heavy bottomed saucepan along with the lemon juice and the water. Give it a good stir to combine before adding the cinnamon sticks, star anise, pierced cardamom and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, take the spare easy-peeler and insert the cloves into it before submerging it in the liquid.
3. Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally – this will make your house smell lovely and festive. If sterilising jars this is a good time to preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Wash the jars and the lids in hot soapy water and give them a good rinse. Place straight onto a baking tray lined with baking paper (there is no need to dry the jars first, place the on the tray wet). Once the oven is hot, bake the jars for 15 minutes before removing and setting to one side.
4. Carefully fish out all the spices and discard before adding the sugar. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat a bit and stir continually for 10 minutes (be careful not to have the heat too high or the marmalade might start spitting at you).
5. Once the marmalade has thickened and looks nice and glossy, pour straight into your prepared jars and seal with lids immediately. Leave to cool before storing in the fridge and use within 1 month. Keep refrigerated.
Spiced easy-peeler marmalade
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
This week, me and my garlic and herb chickpeas went on live radio! I know, right? Me and my pal Alun from Pomora drove to deepest darkest Essex in his rather flashy sports car. I say flashy, because his hazard lights were stuck on and flashed all the way up the M25. Anyway, Alun was invited on Phoenix Fm to talk all things olive oil and I was invited to well… actually, I wasn’t really sure why I was there. I just thought I was bringing the refreshments, but turns out, the show’s host Karin actually wanted to talk to me about my little old blog. So, that’s what I did – as well as down olive oil like sambuca and constantly correct Karin every time she called me Corrine – which happened more than once… So, if you fancy a laugh and want to hear what my voice sounds like (it’s much more baritone and Fearne Cotton than I realised) then click on my giant face below or here– my interview is about 43 minutes in.
Oh, and here’s the recipe for the crunchy garlic and herb chickpeas I made for the occasion along with my banana bread, smoky bean wraps and pea and mint pesto. Annoyingly crunchy for radio but perfect for watching a boxset with, these deliciously salty chickpeas make the perfect healthy snack.
Also, if you’d like to get your hand on some of Alun’s delicious Pomora olive oils, click here for a special discount.
Crunchy garlic & herb chickpeas
Serves 2 as a snack / hands on time 10 mins / total time 45 mins + 2 hours drying time /V VnGfDf
You’ll need: Kitchen roll, baking paper, 1-2 non-stick baking trays
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (I like to use flavoured oils so for this recipe I used Pomora rosemary flavoured oil)
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp dried Parsley
½ sea salt flakes
TIP:This recipe is easily doubled up but you will require 2 baking trays.
Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6 and put the baking tray/trays in the oven to warm up. Rinse the chickpeas thoroughly before draining and patting dry with kitchen roll.
Carefully remove the hot trays from the oven, line with baking paper and evenly scatter the chickpeas onto the trays. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes before giving them their first shake. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes, Meanwhile, mix up your flavour ingredients in a small bowl and prepare a larger bowl for the chickpeas.
Remove from the oven (keep the oven on) and pour into the larger bowl along with the oil. Give them a good stir to ensure the chickpeas are well coated before adding the seasoning. Mix well before returning to the baking tray/trays and roasting for a further 10 minutes.
Give the chickpeas another shake and roast for a final 10 minutes before turning the oven off but leaving the chickpeas in. Leave the chickpeas to dry out in the cooling oven for a couple of hours – this will give your chickpeas an extra crunchy texture. Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Crunchy garlic & herb chickpeas
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
Now, it has to be said, I’m not a huge fan of cauliflower. This can be problematic – especially these days, as it seems to have become the go-to vegetarian dish in most restaurants. Whole-roasted, salt-baked, deep-fried, curried, pickled, pureed, battered and sliced into steaks, cauliflower is thrust upon my plate at any given moment. So, allow me to thrust my bang-bang cauliflower bites onto yours and see how you like it – I like it very much.
Bang bang cauliflower bites Serves 2 as a starter or makes 1 tray of canapés / hands on time 15 mins / total time 45 mins / V VnDf 🌶🌶 You’ll need: Non-stick baking tray and cocktail sticks (if serving as canapés)
1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets (roughly 550g)
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs sweet chilli sauce, I use Blue Dragon
1 ½ tsp Sriracha + extra for serving
Juice of ½ a lime
½ tsp sea salt flakes
2 handfuls panko breadcrumbs
½ tsp smoked paprika
Small handful of fresh coriander to serve (optional)
Method
1. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Prepare the cauliflower by removing the leaves and the stalk (cauliflower leaves are delicious and great in a stir fry, so don’t feel you need to bin them). Pull apart the florets and chop the larger florets in half or into smaller bitesize pieces.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, chilli sauce, Sriracha and the juice of half a lime until combined. Add the cauliflower florets and stir until well coated.
3. On a large plate, add panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Give it a stir before spooning over half the coated florets. Turn the cauliflower over in the breadcrumbs until each is well coated and place on a non-stick baking tray or a tray lined with baking paper. Repeat this process with the remaining cauliflower and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Serve immediately sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander and a small bowl of Sriracha for dipping.
5. If you’re making canapés, skew each floret with a cocktail stick and serve along side a dipping bowl of Sriracha for your guests to enjoy.
Bang bang cauliflower bites
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free 🌶🌶 – Medium hot
Bag brimming with cold remedies and tissues, I plonked myself grumpily on the bus to sniffle and wind my way up the mountain from Geneva to Avoriaz. Turns out, a bit Alpine air was just what the doctor ordered.
I don’t remember my Dad’s long-johns being quite so tight under my salopettes, but then it has been almost 10 years since I skied the French Alps and never in a resort quite as special as Avoriaz. With a bag brimming with cold remedies and tissues, I plonked myself on the transfer bus to sniffle and wind my way up the mountain from Geneva to Avoriaz – how typical that I should get a cold the minute I left the office! Situated on a sloping shelf above the long-established Morzine, Avoriaz is a purpose-built resort and like nothing I have visited before – and I have skied my fair share of the French Alps.
Entirely free of cars, this ski-in ski-out resort relies rather charmingly on horse-drawn sleighs and snow cats to transfer people and luggage to one of the many luxury apartments. Even through my medicinal haze, I was struck by the architecture. Each building looks as though it’s incorporated into the landscape, creating a harmonious and unique terrain. I shuffled out of the cold evening air into our toasty VIP chalet.
Abandoning my suitcase, I instinctively followed the sweet smell of roast lamb and pumpkin (a far cry from my sad airport sandwich) to the spacious open-plan living and dining area. Here we dined on an elegant meal of oysters, roast pumpkin risotto and succulent lamb loin with puréed Jerusalem artichokes, pea purée and broad bean salad. It all looked like it had come straight out of the MasterChef kitchen. Just when I thought I was fit to burst, the chalet staff served cheesecake mousse with cinnamon crumb, blueberry compote and apple – all of which I planned to burn off on the slopes the following day. After dinner, I crashed on the eight-seater sofa and basked in front of the fire with panoramic views of the setting sun with a glass of port for company.
The chalet’s interior was a contemporary combination of pine with accents of black leather and grey furnishing along with sheepskin rugs and faux fur cushions. Giant arctic animal prints donned the walls along with a few other quirky touches, such as a hanging mountain goat sculpture and fluffy pompoms secured under big bell jars. My room was cold-recovery heaven with a generously sized bed, flat-screen television, private balcony and luxury bathroom complete with underfloor heating and black Block Buster tiles and black grouting – I’ve never stayed anywhere as stylish and my Instagram account took a heavy hit of pictures.
I woke feeling horrendous; bunged up and miserable. I was in no mood to get out of bed let alone ski down a mountain! But after a filling breakfast of slow-roasted tomatoes on toast with feta and poached eggs, I gallantly pulled on my ski boots and got out into the fresh Alpine air. It was just what the doctor ordered.
The resort itself was designed to make it easier for guests to get from A to B on their skis – there’s nothing worse than having to lug your skis a kilometre in ski boots. Skiing out of the chalet directly to a lift is a luxury that I’ve not experienced in a long time and really makes all the difference. In addition to hundreds of kilometres of beautiful pistes to enjoy, Avoriaz is on the main lift circuit of the Portes du Soleil, which gives you the opportunity to ski into Champéry in Switzerland for a quick hot chocolate and a brandy…or maybe that’s just what I found myself doing! Three days of skiing later and my slightly aching body is back on the sleigh, being pulled along by a beautiful horse. I look up at the innovative architecture one last time and take a deep breath in when I realise my nose is no longer blocked – when did that happen? Maybe all I needed was a touch of fresh air all along – and it doesn’t get much fresher than the crisp air at Avoriaz.
VIP Chalets’ Beluga chalet has 5 bedrooms (sleeping 10-14 guests). Prices from £1,369- £2,969 per person for seven nights, based on two people sharing a room (unless stated otherwise), and includes return flights from London Stansted, transfers and catering. For all booking enquiries, visit vip-chalets.com or call 020 8875 1957.
corriesrabbitfood.com 