These fruit and nut bars are easy to make and deliciously chewy.

The contrast between wafer-thin brandy snaps, sweet rhubarb and cool yoghurt is delightful in this sophisticated dessert.

To freeze; wrap cake in two layers of plastic wrap. Seal, label and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight at room temperature. This cake will also keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week. Note

The beauty of this pavlova roll is that you can experiment will all sorts of fruit to fill the centre. We've used banana, kiwi and passionfruit here, but any soft fruit will do. The result is still amazing.

The second best part of making my own snacks is that I know exactly what goes into them - the best part is how they taste. The muesli bars in this recipe can be changed to suit any needs. I put linseed and sesame seeds in them, mostly so I can convince myself that I should eat them. Nuts are lovely, although the boys’ school, as well as many others I am sure, has a peanut ban because of serious allergies. Good additions include slivered almonds, pine nuts, choc chips or chopped apricot pieces.

The winning combination of rich chocolate and nutty hazelnuts work perfectly together in these sweet and fluffy meringue cupcakes. Perfect for an indulgent dessert or mid-morning treat.

Talk about cheap and easy! My boys love this slice as an alternative to sandwiches in the lunchbox. It takes minutes to prepare and is full of flavour and stacks of vegetables, too.

Sweet, juicy peaches are beautiful served atop this golden, crumbly almond tart. Sprinkle with some icing sugar for a quick and tasty baked dessert.

We all want to find the balance between food that is exciting for the kids to eat and also provides them with the good stuff they need for their health. These muffins are light, soft and yummy, but still have the added health benefit of oat bran hidden in them.

Almonds add a fresh, nutty taste to this crumbed chicken, which is perfectly paired with a zesty citrus salad.

This pear and hazelnut bread are a delightfully fruity and crispy accompaniment to your morning or afternoon brew. They also make a lovely and thoughtful homemade gift.

This type of bread involves a few more steps than a usual loaf, but is definitely worth the time. The aromas of delicious, warm, fresh baked bread will fill the kitchen, building the anticipation for the final, delectable result.

Austalian Women's Weekly brings you this delicious veal stroganoff pies with carrot salad.

EQUIPMENT 25cm (10-inch) round cake board You can make your own meringues for this cake and colour them any colour you like. This works well as a Christmas cake using green and white meringues. You can use butter cream instead of vanilla frosting if you like. Note

Make this delicious Italian specialty your new Christmas staple.

Inspired by the classic nursery rhyme, this gorgeous yellow moon cake - straight from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook - is sure to thrill your child on their birthday.

Baked on lollipop sticks, these raspberry and lemon curd heart biscuits will be a smash hit at kids and grown-up parties alike.

This buttery shortcake is filled with apricot jam and topped with crunchy blanched almonds.

these delicate biscuits can be coloured to suit your theme; they look lovely in one colour, or layered using different colours, however, it is quicker and easier to ice the biscuits in the same colour. equipment 6.5cm (2½-inch) round cutter 5cm (2-inch) round cutter 3.5cm (1¼-inch) round cutter 6 paper piping bags (page 221) tweezers […]

The cake is best made on the day of serving. Note

This recipe is gluten-free, wheat-free, yeast-free and dairy-free. Note

Serve these delicate turnovers dusted with sifted icing sugar for a delicious mid-afternoon treat or, for a yummy dessert, serve with ice-cream.

Palmiers are at their best eaten warm from the oven, but they can be made a day ahead; store in an airtight container. Note

Roast chicken with garlic potatoes, olives and rosemary from Australian Women's Weekly.

We used barramundi fillets in this recipe. Note

EQUIPMENT 5 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans 12-hole (⅓ -cup/80ml) standard muffin pan 2.25-litre (9-cup) pudding steamer 60 mini muffin paper cases (28 yellow, 32 dark brown) 35cm (14-inch) square cake board Make the mini muffins in batches; the cake mixture will be fine to stand at room temperature. Make the toffee wings up […]

The combination of sweet, gooey filling and crunchy topping is delightful in this easy slice.

Served with grilled asparagus, this stunning whole baked snapper is brimming with zesty flavours.

We used glacé peaches and pineapple in this delicious, moist cake recipe. Glacé pears, apricots, cherries and figs could also be used.

If you don’t have purple food colouring, use a few drops each of red and blue food colouring until the desired shade of purple is achieved. Note

This sweet, creamy no bake cheesecake is delectable and simply moorish. This recipe will need to be started the day before to give adequate setting time.

Rich and delicious main dish of beef fillet with garlic cream sauce, dinner doesn't get more mouthwatering than this!

These gorgeous tarts are perfect for special occasions; elegant afternoon tea's, high tea, dessert - anything with a touch of decadence.

Roasting tomatoes results in a much more intense flavour. The combination of both fresh and deep-fried basil finishes off this brightly coloured and healthy side dish perfectly.

Make the batter for these muffins the night before you want to bake and serve them. Note

A good basic, light cake that is perfect as a base for kids' birthday cakes. It is also nice plain or with cream and berries.

This blue chopper is a favourite from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous Children's Birthday Cake Book.

This recipe is best made on the day of serving. Note

Perfect for an afternoon tea party, or just an afternoon treat, these little coffee cakes are light and delectable.

Light, fresh and tasty, this delicious oven-baked whole fish is served with fragrant tomatoes and olives to create a tasty dinner dish for any night of the week.

20cm (8-inch) round cardboard cake board10cm (4-inch) round cardboard cake board30cm (12-inch) round cake board10cm (4-inch) round cutter Use regular hundreds andthousands for a brighter,less pastel, cake. Note

With the added texture of walnuts and sesame seeds, this delectable pear and ginger strudel makes a most satisfying dessert.

Make a cake in shape of a football jersey, ­decorate it with the colours of your child’s favourite team to make him the hero of the day. Note

Sweet, chewy coconut macaroons studded with tart dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

A vegetarian dish of eggplant timbales with roasted tomato sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

Allowing the eggplant to stand a while covered with salt will help withdraw most of the vegetable’s slightly bitter juice; it also helps prevent the eggplant from absorbing too much oil when it’s cooked. Be sure to rinse the eggplant well under cold running water to remove as much of the salt as possible and […]

Rich, moist little orange cakes are finished beautifully with a drizzle of hot orange syrup.

This loaf is suitable to freeze for up to two months. Note

Both crunchy and chewy, this easy no-bake slice is full of delicious fruit, nuts and chocolate.

Loved by children and adults alike, there is something about humble jam tart that still holds its own among today's more upmarket pastries. Experiment with your favourite jam flavours.

The combination of fragrant fennel, nutritious spinach and perfectly cooked baked eggs creates a perfectly flavoursome savoury breakfast dish.

This cake is almost a cross between a mousse and a fallen soufflé. It’s a wonderfully impressive cake to present for dessert or with tea and coffee.

These herby, juicy stuffed tomatoes make a fantastic side dish.

Sandwiched with silky chocolate ganache, these oaty cookies will be a hit with family and friends.

Turn your favorite Italian restaurant treat into a spectacular cake.

Serve thick wedges of this traditional pudding with custard or cream.

Kids will love these mildly spiced beef and potato pastry puffs. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt and chutney.

You will need about six passionfruit to make this recipe. The thin-skinned purple-black variety will yield much more pulp than the thicker-skinned Panama passionfruit. Note

These ginger oat cookies go splendidly with coffee or tea and make a lovely gift.

equipment 5cm (2-inch) square cutter 4 paper piping bags small stencils (see tips) small offset metal spatula 16 plain coloured paper cases 30cm (12-inch) square wooden cake board (page 208) Square paper cases are available in specialty food or kitchen shops, but we found round cases happily change shape to accommodate the square cakes. The […]

We used large, 25cm diameter, packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

Leek lovers can add the thinly sliced white and pale green part of a leek to this delicious chicken and mushroom pie, just add it after the onion.

Sesame snaps or bars are available from supermarkets either in the confectionery or biscuit section. They are basically sesame seeds set in toffee. If you don’t have a square cutter, simply cut the dough into 4.5cm x 9cm rectangles. Use a ruler and a sharp knife to measure and cut the dough. Note

A lovely strudel is delicious, easy to make, and relatively inexpensive. You can also experiment with different fillings. We've gone with basic apricot here, but all sorts of fruits and nuts make an equally yummy filling.

This creamy, cheesy zucchini gratin makes a great side dish for dinner, or a lovely lunch with salad and fresh bread.

Vegemite and cheese pinwheels are perfect tasty treats for kid's lunchboxes.

Your guests will be trumpeting praise when they see this cute elephant cake from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook on the party spread.

Casserole bakes are so simple to prepare, and great for family meals. One dish wonders never looked so wonderful.

These buttery lavender shortbreads make a divine morning or afternoon treat with a cup of hot tea.

You could use turkey pastrami as an alternative and add 2 teaspoons of cranberry sauce to the coleslaw. If taking to work for lunch, package coleslaw in a separate container and assemble the sandwich just before eating. If you have one, use a mandoline to cut the vegetables into matchsticks, or you can coarsely grate them.

Serve your usual anti-pasta fare atop a pizza base smothered with melted mozzarella and watch it disappear before your very eyes.

This dense banana loaf is even more delicious when sliced and served with a drizzle of honey and sliced fresh bananas.

These refreshing cookies are perfect after a meal with hot espresso.

Attach pattern to cake using toothpicks before cutting out cake. Note

In this delicious recipe, chocolate and cinnamon cupcakes are topped with a swirl of cream cheese frosting sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

It is thought the Crusaders introduced these to England when they returned from the Holy Land in the 13th century. Recipe can be made two days ahead. Suitable for freezing. Note

Both Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples are suitable for this recipe. Note

Quick, easy and delicious; try these baked beans and smoked cheddar roast potatoes.

Pastry cases can be made 3 days ahead; store in airtight container. Note