Afternoon tea

Chewy, rich and gorgeously lush, these fudgy chocolate, cherry and coconut cookies are perfect served with a strong cup of coffee.

Top this dense white chocolate mud cake with a smooth, sweet ganache for the ultimate cake treat!

You can use pretty much any combination of nuts and glacé fruits for the florentines as long you substitute weight for weight. Note

This dense chocolate cake is filled with orange zest, chopped walnuts and almonds. A delicious sweet treat for an afternoon tea.

In China, dragons traditionally symbolise good luck, which, along with this dragon, is a pretty nice gift to give as a birthday present.

You need about two medium carrots to get enough grated carrot for this recipe. Spoon the mixture evenly into the paper cases in pan. Sift the icing sugar into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the butter and enough orange juice to make a firm paste. Put bowl of icing mixture over a saucepan of simmering […]

To prevent icing from becoming too thick, keep it over a bowl of warm water. Prepared sponge cake can be used instead of the Madeira cake. Alternatively, you can use your favourite buttercake recipe ­ it is best made the day before making the lamingtons. Note

On a surface dusted with icing sugar, mould the balloon end from the reserved icing Dust your hands with icing sugar then gently mould the icing into a balloon shape When icing is large enough to cover the cake, carefully lift icing over cake using a rolling pin Using a toothpick or skewer, make small […]

deep 25cm (10-inch) round cake pan 35cm (14-inch) round cake board 1 toothpick 2 packets strawberry sour straps 2 rolls yellow fruit and cola wheels 6 coloured sugar-coated almonds 1 Twix Bar 1 mint leaf Make a hole in the side of a Twix Bar with a toothpick. Push one end of the mint leaf […]

Topped and tailed with caramelised apple, these delightful tea cakes can be served up for morning or afternoon tea, and would be a different and welcome addition to the school lunchbox.

equipment 31cm x 34cm teddy bear cake pan 38cm x 47cm covered cake board Allen’s Peaches & Cream and Strawberries & Cream can be found in Allen’s Party Mix. Note

If in season, use halved and seeded fresh apricots. Note

Give your regular yo-yos a citrusy, nutty twist with these orange and hazelnut flavoured morsels. Perfect to enjoy with your morning or afternoon cuppa with friends.

It's the mixed spice, a blend of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, coriander and ginger, that makes this carrot cake so heavenly.

Eating gluten-free doesn't mean your baking days are over! These gluten-free chocolate fudge brownies are dense, chocolatey and immensely satisfying.

Spread this cut & keep butter cake with a simple glace icing and sprinkle it with hundreds and thousands before the icing sets. It will be a big hit with the kids. Try substituting the caster sugar with brown sugar for a light caramel flavour.

These tarts add a tasty, elegant twist to a traditional high tea, or can be just as fun served as individual desserts.

Full of flavour and pretty as a picture, these prawn sandwiches are perfect for a fancy high tea.

Serve these rum-spiked chocolate cake pops at your next cocktail party and watch as they quickly disappear.

Featherlight sponge cake layered with luscious raspberry cream makes for a stunning and delicious treat.

Buttery cake topped with a tangy and freckled icing - it's a fairy tale cake come to life.

Adorned with marshmallows and smarties, this colourful bouquet of cupcakes is sure to be a hit.

This spectacular layered chocolate cake with candied oranges is the perfect way to mark a special occasion.

These treats are best served while warm. Note

This stunning lattice-topped pie is delicious served with warm custard or ice-cream.

You will need 1 large (230g) over-ripe banana and 1 medium (120g) carrot for this recipe. Note

Put the kettle on and enjoy a slice of this fluffy banana and pineapple cake with orange icing.

Packed with chopped dates, chocolate chips and chopped pistachios, these not-too-sweet muffins make a tasty morning or afternoon treat.

The three types of nuts used here are tossed with the spice mixture then toasted, a process that infuses the cake with their combined flavours. The secret to a successful teacake lies in the beating of the sugar, egg and butter ­ the mixture must be very light in colour and full of air.

Delicious and divinely pretty, these Turkish delight cupcakes are an exquisite treat to make for an afternoon tea party or any other elegant celebration.

A genuine Australian classic, pumpkin scones are best scoffed warm and spread with lashings of butter.

There's only one way to make a custard tart even better, and that's to add chocolate.

These crispbreads with cheesy carrot and sultana filling make a great sandwich substitute for a healthy lunchbox.

These little lime and berry friands may be tiny, but they're absolutely bursting with flavour.

Light, zesty and crumbly, these beautiful shortbread biscuits are beautiful enjoyed with a cup of tea or given as gifts to loved ones.

A clear lunch-box winner, packed with fruit and fibre, these banana, craisin and macadamia muffins are utterly delicious.

Perfect with a dollop of cream and a coffee, this orange and passionfruit cake is fruity, sweet and deliciously dense.

Nutty brownies are the best brownies, and these pecan and chocolate brownies are right at the top of the pile. Pecans mild flavour and soft texture makes them ideal for baking.

These bite-sized Portuguese custard tarts are sweet, eggy and utterly moreish. Best served with really good coffee, they make a delicious afternoon tea-time treat.

Crunchy golden coconut, pecans and brown sugar make a divine topping for this luscious pineapple cake. It's lovely served still warm with a drizzle of cream.

Coconutty crumble is the perfect topping for the rich fruit filling of this date and lemon slice, a true tea-time classic.

There's nothing like the flavour of home-made jams and preserves. This strawberry conserve recipe uses lemon pips to help with setting, and lemon juice to add piquancy. Delicious.

For an easy, elegant dessert, try these decadent sandwiches of golden puff pastry, juicy berries and custard cream.

Roasting stone fruits intensifies their flavour as well as drawing out their natural sweetness, which helps make this roast nectarine tart exceedingly delicious. Serve warm with lashings of cream.

Now an established classic in the honour roll of great cookie recipes, these white chocolate and macadamia cookies are crisp on the edges and deliciously chewy inside. The perfect mid-afternoon indulgence.

Treacle is sweeter than molasses, but not as sweet as golden syrup, and it has a slightly bitter taste. If you don't have any treacle you can make these little gingerbread loaves with golden syrup but may want to remove one tablespoon of sugar from the recipe.

Savour a slice of this moist rhubarb and coconut cake with a cup of tea or coffee and a big dollop of whipped cream to complement the sweetness.

The slightly astringent flavour of quince is the perfect foil to the sweet creaminess of cheesecake, especially when doused in fresh lemon juice. This quince and vanilla cheesecake has our favourite granita biscuit base. Yum.

These chewy almond macaroons are made in the traditional Italian style and are absolutely delicious served with hot espresso coffee.

You can use fresh pears for this delectable roasted pear tart, just make sure that they're on the slightly firm side of ripe and peel them carefully first.

You'll only need one slice of this dense, dark and rich chocolate mud cake to be utterly hooked, but you'll definitely want more. Just to be sure.

Soaked in fragrant honey and tossed in sesame seeds, these honey almond pastry fingers are sticky and nutty and impossible to resist.

Burnt butter adds a gourmet edge to this delicious apple cake. Perfect for an afternoon tea-party, or just because you fancy something special on the weekend.

These cakes supposedly take their name from the powder puffs used by women to dust on face powder. Whatever the provenance, strawberries and cream powder puffs are light, airy and absolutely delicious.

This recipe can be made a week ahead. Note

Sweet, golden and crumbly, these beautiful lemon zest polenta biscuits are brilliant enjoyed with a mug of coffee or tea for a morning or afternoon treat.

The caramel frosting has a cheeky burnt sugar edge that serves as the perfect pairing for this indulgent mud cake. It's an excellent teatime cake, and the perfect post-dinner dessert.

These tasty little Greek-style cheese and spinach filo triangles are delicious served with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Great as finger food or for an after-school snack.

This crisp, biscotti-style chocolate almond bread makes a satisfying snap when you bite into it. Unless, of course, it's thoroughly dunked in your coffee first.

Stuffed full of peanuts and peanut butter, these gluten-free peanut cookies are nutty, chewy and a little bit addictive.

A traditional baba tin is the best option for this zesty lime syrup cake, but you can use an ordinary ring or loaf tin.

Fluffy cake with a bright and creamy icing - what better way to start the weekend!

Light, crumbly kisses are utterly divine sandwiched together with Vienna cream. These classic little biscuits are make a scrumptious afternoon treat. The hardest thing is trying not to eat them all at once.

This elegant berry nougat cheesecake is dreamy, creamy and irresistible. Just the ticket for a fancy afternoon tea.

Studded with whole, poached pears, this vanilla pear and almond cake makes a spectacular centrepiece for any table. Serve while still warm with double or clotted cream for a delicious end to a meal.

Light, fluffy and moist, this divine mandarin, polenta and macadamia cake is packed full of flavour and is beautiful served sliced as morning or afternoon tea.

This lime and poppy seed syrup cake is topped with fragrant lime zest. Before you grate the lime, make sure it is at room temperature and roll it, pressing down hard with your hand, on the kitchen bench to bring out the oil in the peel.

The perfect treat for those of us who prefer zesty flavours to overpoweringly sweet ones. With delicate meringue cases and a lemon cream cheese cake these delights are sure to impress.

These fruity, wholemeal muesli muffins are packed full of healthy grains and tasty craisins. Mashed banana helps keep them moist for days. They make an excellent lunch-box treat.

Cut yourself a big slice of this light and fluffy almond, honey and sweet spiced cake to enjoy as morning or afternoon tea with a cup of your favourite brew.

This is a beautiful cake, the combination of tart quince, sweet blackberries, delicate sponge and crumble is unusual and exquisite. Quince and blackberry crumble cake is the perfect tea-time indulgence.

Piled high with fluffy frosting, cloud cakes are as light and dreamy as their name suggests. Add a dash of colour by sprinkling them with coloured sugar.

Soaked in orange syrup, this flourless orange polenta cake is delicious with a dollop of whipped cream or yoghurt. If you want to kick it up a gear, stir one tablespoon of brandy into the syrup just before you pour it on the cake.

Orange and poppy seeds is a classic combination for friands, you can liven it up by using mandarin instead.

Sweet, golden and crunchy, these beautiful coffee snaps are brilliant enjoyed with a hot cuppa for afternoon or morning tea.

Passionfruit is an often underrated fruit but you won't be forgetting its sweet flavours anytime soon with this creamy buttermilk cake and syrupy passionfruit icing.

Enjoy a bite of heaven with these light and fluffy homemade coffee friands. They are gorgeous enjoyed with your mid-morning or afternoon coffee as a relaxing treat with friends.

Rich, crunchy, dense and caramelly, this upside-down chocolate caramel nut cake is a slice of pure indulgence. Perfect with coffee as a special afternoon tea, or served up to celebrate a birthday.

These mini choc chip friands can be made a day ahead if you're baking to entertain, and go down a treat with a cup of good coffee. They also freeze well, just don't ice them beforehand.

Crisp and flaky French pastries, palmiers are so-named because they are folded and shaped to resemble the leafy arc formed by palm tree branches. Honey, pistachio and rosewater add a touch of the Middle East to these quintessentially French pastries.

Put the kettle on and enjoy a sweet, golden passionfruit butter biscuit with your cup of coffee as a relaxing morning tea.

The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this delicious candied orange peel recipe can be included in desserts, cakes and savoury dishes like tagines.

Chocolate cake, while simple, can be the most satisfying desserts. And with a smothering of this rich fudge frosting you'll taste the decadence with every bite.

The perfect combination of sweet and zesty, this shimmering marmalade is beautiful spread on toast for breakfast or given as gifts to loved ones.

Basic cup cakes make a great project when you're looking to bake with the kids on a wet afternoon.

Sweet, rich and fudgey, these chocolate and macadamia squares are beautiful enjoyed with a mug of coffee for an indulgent afternoon tea or dessert.

The perfect balance between sweet and tart, this divine lemon coconut slice is beautiful served with a hot cuppa for an indulgent morning or afternoon treat.

This famous Viennese cake was originally made in 1832 by the grandfather of Eduard Sacher, founder of the Hotel Sacher, for the court of the Empire's Prince Metternich. The secret recipe was handed down to Eduard, who is responsible for popularising it on the hotel's menu.

These traditional Parisian delicacies are named after a palm tree because, when baked, they resemble palm fronds. Palmiers were probably invented as a way to make use of puff pastry scraps; quick and easy, they're great for afternoon tea.

The thing about rock cakes is that they should look like little rocks, not taste or bite like one. Our simple rock cake recipe makes for little golden nuggets with a scone-like interior studded with sultanas.

These fragrant sugar and spice shortbreads, infused with all the fragrances of the festive season, make fabulous end of year and edible Christmas gifts. Package in a pretty tin or box, and finish with a fancy label and pretty ribbon.