EQUIPMENT Oven trays 6cm heart cutter paper piping bag 30cm square or round cake board The gingerbread house can be assembled 3 days ahead. Bake gingerbread a day before it’s required and store in an airtight container. Secure the roof panels to the birdhouse with royal icing; hold in place until set. Secure the walls […]

EQUIPMENT 25cm x 35cm (10-inch x 14-inch) rectangular cake board 5cm (2-inch) heart cutter 3cm (1¼-inch) heart cutter Use any shaped cutter for this cake, try snowflakes or stars. You can use letter cutters and write the name of the child on the cake. Use coloured sprinkles that suit the occasion of your party. If […]

Thanks to hothouse growing, rhubarb is available all year, so you can indulge in a hot pie or crumble as well as any number of luscious desserts matching rhubarb with berries and cream or mascarpone whenever you like. Be sure to discard every bit of the vegetable’s leaf and use only the thinnest stalks (the […]

Keeping time: 2 days. Note

Recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Note

Roti is an Indian subcontinent flat bread that is the perfect complement to curries, stews and other saucy dishes.

Fill macaroons just before serving. If the marmalade is too chunky or thick to spread, warm it, strain it, and leave it to cool before using. Note

You will need about 1 bunch of rhubarb for this recipe. Note

Recipe is best prepared as required. Note

Personalise the messages scrawled all over this clever cake, which looks just like an inner-city wall for the cake. Note

These scones are at their very best made just before serving. Eat them hot, straight out of the oven. Note

You can substitute chopped, drained canned peaches or apricots for the pineapple in this recipe. We used Just Right breakfast cereal in this recipe but you can use any flaked and dried fruit cereal, even a muesli or granola-like product. We used Malibu liqueur but you can use your favourite brand. Note

Crab meat can be bought already cooked from some fishmongers. Alternatively buy cooked crabs (about 600g) and remove the flesh from the shells and claws – enough to weigh 200g. Well-drained canned crab meat could be used in this recipe. Note

We used sebago potatoes in this recipe. Note

ORANGE FROSTING Beat cream cheese and butter in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar; stir in rind. You can use a zesting tool to make the thin strips of orange rind. Note

And this little piggy went all the way to the top of your favourite cakes list! From The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book', it's the perfect party pick.

You can use 8 x 6cm-square (3.5cm-deep) ready-made lamingtons, if preferred. Note

Celebrate Chinese New Year with a special message for your friends and family. Cut 12 paper strips measuring 1.5cm x 8cm (¾-inch x 3¼-inch); write a message on each strip. Do this before starting to make the cookies. If the cookie cools and hardens too quickly before you have time to shape it, return it, […]

You need an 80cm length of 50mm diameter PVC pipe, cut into 10cm lengths; ask the hardware store to do this for you, or use a hacksaw. This recipe will also fit into six 10cm round springform tins or a 24cm springform tin. Note

The secret for making perfect roast potatoes? Use olive oil instead of other oils or butter because it tolerates high oven temperatures better and gives a delicious taste to the potatoes.

Equipment; 20cm x 30cm rectangular cake pan; 30cm x 40cm rectangular cake board. Note

You can use low-fat cream cheese in this recipe if you prefer. Note

A slab of American-style pork spareribs will consist of between 7 and 10 ribs each. After the meat is cooked, separate the ribs with a knife then eat them in your hands. Note

These delicious and crunchy little garlic and chive croûtons will spruce up any leafy salad.

A delicious filo pastry pie that will fill the bellies of your entire family (and more!)

Simple mocha cookies bring to joy of chocolate and coffee from pantry to plate in under 30 minutes.

There are usually 22 sheets of pastry in a 375g (12-ounce) packet of fillo pastry. Dried lavender flowers are available from spice shops and online. Note

Macaroons are available from speciality bakery shops and select supermarkets. If you can’t find them, any small round filled biscuit will do. Try mini Oreos or Wagon Wheels, or Monte Carlos. Colour the butter cream, and decorate the robot, using any colours and lollies you like. Fruit Mentos and Smarties come in pastel colours, if […]

other ideas: tiny blini or rösti, polenta squares, upturned mushrooms, baby cos or betel leaves, crisped won-ton wrappers or tortilla wedges. Note

A rich, slowcooked French casserole with lamb, white beans, streaky bacon and crushed tomatoes.

If the birthday person is mad about cats, this enigmatic creation will be… purrfection Note

Eastern and Western cuisines collide in this delicious baked dish of curried pumpkin and lentil crêpes.

Known variously throughout the Middle East and North Africa as basboosa, namoura or harisi, this sweet slice is saturated with a citrusy sugar syrup which gives it a lovely individual flavour. Note

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Note

siena cake is a perfect accompaniment for after-dinner coffee. Cut into thin wedges or slices about 1cm thick,then into small pieces Note

M'hanncha, a Moroccan almond pastry, means `the snake' and this coiled sweet pastry treat certainly represents that.

An easy way to make sure your toffee is cooked to the correct stage and will set hard, is to use a sugar thermometer. Toffee should reach 149°C (“hard crack” stage) on the thermometer. Red delicious are the best apples to use for this recipe. Note

These pork, fennel and fig sausage rolls will be the most gourmet snack at the party.

You need only slender small servings of this ultra-rich cake, which is why we’ve chosen to bake it in a lamington pan. The layer of marzipan in the middle keeps the cake moist as well as adding to the flavour. Buy the best marzipan (or almond paste) you can find. Note

If you want, yo u can prepare the cake with almond paste (marzipan) before covering it with ready-made icing. Note

Sometimes the strangest ingredients make the best cakes! The addition of mashed potato makes a cake that is deliciously moist.

Equipment: 20cm x 30cm (8-inch x 12-inch) rectangular cake pan, 35cm x 40cm (14-inch x 16-inch) rectangular cake board, wooden skewer and toothpicks. Note

14cm x 21cm (5½-inch x 8½-inch)loaf pan 20cm x 30cm (8-inch x 12-inch) rectangular prepared cake board (page 172) Shaping bath Shaping inside of bath Making rolled edge of bath The bath tub, feet and tap (plus handles) can be completed up to two days ahead of the party. The water (fluffy frosting) is best […]

These tarts must be served warm to be enjoyed at their best. Serve with a good dollop of cream, if you like. Note

artist’s fine paint brush 3.5cm (1½-inch) round cutter 12 plain white paper cases large plastic disposable piping bag The cupcakes stale quickly so it’s best to use a fruit or mud cake for the best keeping qualities. The cakes can be made and frozen for 3 months. The monograms can be prepared at least a […]

Unbaked scones can be frozen for up to a month. Bake them from the freezer, adding about 10 minutes to the baking time. Note

Saffron is obtained from the stigmas of the saffron crocus and it is famously the most expensive spice in the world. Note

Patch any gaps in the top, sides and base of cake with a little icing. Brush top and sides evenly with a little jam. Note

Place pastries on trays; brush with egg, sprinkle with seeds. Bake about 15 minutes or until browned lightly. Combine ingredients in medium bowl. Parmesan cheese can be used instead of romano cheese. Pastries can be served warm or cold. Uncooked pastries are suitable to freeze. It is best to cut pastry into the 26 rounds […]

Depending on the variety of quince used, some will turn more of a rusty red colour while others a deep crimson. Also, cooking time can vary between types, with some needing a little longer cooking to achieve a red hue. Note

We used green, orange and yellow paper muffin cases to match the decorations of these lovely cakes. Note

Stories vary on the true origin of the margherita pizza - but at least we can all agree that when it comes to pizza, nothing beats a classic.

If you can’t buy char-grilled zucchini, you can make your own; use a mandoline or vegetable peeler to thinly slice one large zucchini lengthways, then cook the slices on a heated oiled grill plate until browned lightly and tender. Pizza bases can be bought at any regular supermarkets. Note

For a lower-fat version, use no-fat milk and low-fat dairy-free spread instead of the butter. Piroshki are small Russian dumplings that can have various savoury or sweet fillings but this one is among the most traditional. Baked or fried, they make excellent hors d’oeuvres. Note

EQUIPMENT 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x16-inch) rectangular cake board Wooden skewer Test kitchen tips: If using butter cream instead of the vanilla frosting, you will need one quantity of butter cream. Look for cakes with slightly domed tops, otherwise you will have to trim the cake tops to create the curved book shape. You will […]

Risotto cakes came about as a way of using up left-over risotto. It is far easier to shape the cakes when the mixture is cold. It is worth lining oven trays with baking paper to stop the cakes sticking. Note

Equipment: 3 x 12-hole (-cup/80ml) muffin pans 36 square cupcake cases 2 disposable piping bags fitted with a 1cm plain tube 45cm-square covered cake board Decorations: 36 NESTLE Melts White Cooking Compound chocolate Piping gel 5 ALLEN’S SNAKES ALIVE 3 x 25g packets WONKA NERDS Ropes Wash and dry the piping tube between colours. If […]