IT’S a foodie’s dream – and three sisters who have made that dream a thriving reality are now sharing the secrets of their culinary success.

Gillian, Nichola and Linsey Reith gave up their ‘proper jobs’ in PR, pharmaceuticals and human resources to work in food, before taking the plunge and opening their own café, Three Sisters Bake, in a rural Scottish village in October 2011.

The sisters’ home-cooked dishes are featured in their recipe book, also named Three Sisters Bake.

The trio say they wanted the recipes in the book to be ‘a reflection of the type of food we serve in the café and also the food we eat at home: simple, innovative, everyday food made with wholesome ingredients’. They’ve just opened a second café, in the countryside outside Glasgow, and say preparing food is in their blood – their mum, Alison, is a home economics teacher and their grandparents ran a sweet shop.

Their business has quickly become so successful that they now have staff in the kitchen to help. Here is a tasty recipe from Three Sisters Bake.

Ham Hock And Mature Cheddar Muffins (Makes 12)

250g self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4tsp salt

125g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

100g cooked ham hock, diced

90ml sunflower oil, plus a little extra for greasing

150g natural yoghurt

125ml full-cream milk

1 large egg, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Grease a 12-hole muffin tin or line with muffin cases.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the cheese, ham, oil, yoghurt, milk and egg.

Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients using a freestanding mixer or a wooden spoon until well mixed. Divide between the muffin cases, or spoon directly into the muffin tin if not using cases.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove and leave to cool.

Three Sisters Bake by Gillian, Nichola and Linsey Reith priced £20. Available now.