Fuine - Season 4

Mairi MacRitchie is in the Highlands and islands meeting skilful home bakers with a passion for food. They share with her their favourite recipes for cakes, pies and puddings for that special occasion when guests are coming round and you need something to really impress.

In this episode Mairi samples a variety of delicious and adventurous treats from Lewis to Skye. She tries cupcakes for adult, delicate little cakes but with the added kick of gin and tonic, and decadent profiteroles filled with rich chocolate mousse. For a savoury main course she tries a venison pie filled with tender meat, cranberries and chestnuts.

From her own kitchen in Uist Mairi also makes her own recipes to impress. She makes her striking walnut cake with a brilliant-white American frosting and a meringue roulade with a crunchy almond crust filled with fresh raspberries.

Mairi MacRitchie is in the Highlands and islands meeting skilful home bakers with a passion for food. They share with her the tried and tested recipes for bread and show her that bread can mean so much more than just a simple plain loaf. In this episode, Mairi samples samples some easy to follow and delicious bread recipes. She tries a crispy, light naan bread, the perfect partner to a curry.

Another adventurous baker makes a tasty French fougasse, a type of bread perfect for tearing and being shared around the table. Mairi also makes her own bread recipes from her kitchen in Uist, including a classic Irish soda bread with a twist - she adds wholegrain mustard and strong cheddar cheese. She also bakes deliciously sweet and spiced Chelsea buns bursting with raisins and sultanas, and topped with a honey glaze.

Mairi MacRitchie travels the Highlands and Islands meeting skilful home bakers who are experimenting with new flavours and innovative new recipes. They share with her their favourite recipes for something a little out of the ordinary, be it an unexpected combination of ingredients or a modern twist on an old classic.

From Kyle of Lochalsh, to Point in Lewis, Mairi tastes a variety of delicious recipes. She tries cupcakes with a kick of gin and tonic - these ones are definitely just for adults - and samples an Italian Stromboli bread with its crisp crust and tasty filling of artichokes, olives and cheese.

With fresh ingredients and some enthusiasm you can create something new, and Mairi shows how easy this can be in her own kitchen in Uist. She changes a traditional tarte tatin to a delicious savoury dish using red onions and adds thyme to a moist lemon bundt cake for a special twist.

Mairi MacRitchie travels the Highlands and Islands meeting experienced home bakers who know that classic recipes which work well every time will never go out of fashion. From South Uist to Eynort on Skye, Mairi samples the recipes her home cooks can always depend upon. She tastes traditional Cornish pasties with fantastically crisp pastry and a tender meat and vegetable filling. The cooks show her that the simplest things are often the best, such as lemon posset, which uses only three ingredients but makes a delightfully refreshing after-dinner treat.

Mairi also takes on some traditional recipes herself and shows us they can be easier than we think. She bakes a Battenberg cake, with its colourful sponge squares wrapped in a thick layer of marzipan, and she shares her tips for a classic cherry cake to ensure the lightest of sponges with evenly dispersed sweet glace cherries throughout.

Mairi MacRitchie is in the Highlands and Islands meeting the country's most passionate cooks and home bakers. They share with her the secret to the perfect after dinner treat. With guests gathered round the table it has to perfectly round off a delicious meal.

From Stornoway to Portree Mairi samples a range of delicious desserts. She sees how presentation as well as preparation is key as she tastes a cappuccino panna cotta that can be made beforehand and served in dainty china teacups. She also tries an eve's pudding with pear and raspberry - the perfect winter warmer.

Mairi always looks forward to pudding at the end of a meal. Her recipe for lemon surprise pudding separates in the oven to a zingy custard and a light lemon sponge. A fresh summer fruit tart with rich custard will be enough to tempt your guests and everyone at the table will suddenly have room for the final course.

Mairi MacRitchie is in the Highlands and Islands learning from home bakers who have a passion for food. With plenty of tips they show her the perfect recipes for biscuits to dunk in your tea and traybakes to take on an afternoon picnic. From the Isle of Skye to Inverness Mairi tastes some delicious recipes that are easily prepared. Homemade classic Bourbon biscuits are so simple to make with the help of a handy biscuit cutter, but they have twice the snap and crunch as well as a much more generous layer of chocolate buttercream.

Mairi sees how rich chocolate brownies can be made as gooey as you like with the perfect cooking time and given texture with crunchy pistachio nuts. From her home in Uist Mairi bakes some afternoon tea treats. French madeleines are a pretty addition to any cake stand and Viennese whirls will disappear from the biscuit tin in next to no time.

Mairi MacRitchie is in the Highlands and Islands meeting home bakers to find out their favourite recipes using seasonal fruit. With a rich abundance of great local produce they show us how to make the most of what we've got on our doorstep. Travelling across the country from Tain to Uist Mairi sees how the classic toffee apple flavour can be adapted for a fruity loaf with soft pieces of apple throughout and a sticky caramel icing.

With brambles so readily available she tastes a recipe for an upside down cake, combining them with apples and a bramble sponge topped with a crunchy crumble topping. From her own kitchen in Uist Mairi shows us how she makes the most of seasonal produce. Using beautifully tart pink rhubarb she gives the classic French clafoutis an unusual twist and with ripe red raspberries and strawberries she adds flavour and a vibrant colour to the traditional souffle.

Mairi MacRitchie is in the Highlands and Islands meeting the nation's best home bakers. She is on the hunt for recipes that you turn to when the fridge is empty and you have to depend on what's in the cupboards at home.

From Stornoway to the Black Isle she sees how bakers get creative when they have to make do with what they have in the store cupboard. She tastes a rich gingerbread slab covered in desiccated coconut that can be kept for over a week and also samples sweet maple syrup cookies with raisins and dates.

At home in Uist Mairi shares her recipe for a retro upside down pineapple and cherry cake. All you need are sponge ingredients and tinned pineapple to make this light pineapple-flavoured sponge with a moist layer of fruit at the bottom. She also makes traditional coconut macaroons that can be thrown together in minutes for unexpected guests calling in for a cup of tea.