Baking

The pavlova was so named because it was thought to be as light as the famous dancer, Anna Pavlova. We love that this version reminds us of her brightly coloured ballet tutu. It's almost a shame to eat. Almost.

Give this traditional Aussie bread a boozy, fruity makeover with this rum and raisin damper recipe. Cooked in a campfire oven or in the comfort of your kitchen, it's the real deal. Serve piping hot with lashings of butter.

You could serve this tart as a cheese course in a menu, or make a lunch or brunch out of it by serving it with a bitter leaf salad.

This delightful spiced ginger and orange biscotti gives a lovely Christmassy twist to this favourite Italian biscuit.

Parfait means 'perfect' in French and there's a lot about this chocolate, honey and red berry version that is perfect. For starters, it's easy to make and doesn't melt too quickly which means it's great for entertaining. It also looks amazing.

The thinner you make these delectable almond crisps, the crisper they'll be. If you like the centre to stay a little chewy, then just flatten them a little less.

For a quick, easy and popular family dessert, try this golden, flaky strudel filled with sweet apple and juicy sultanas. Serve with a generous dollop of cream, ice-cream or both. It's also delicious cold.

Winter comfort food has never been better with this effortless soup and irresistible garlic bread, filled with capsicum, tomatoes and beans.

These exquisite quiches are great for picnics, platters or simply as a snack.

The contrast between sweet rhubarb and creamy vanilla cheesecake filling is divine in these impressive desserts.

Served with shoestring fries, this crisp salad with deep-fried eggs and hot sliced chilli makes a tasty, sophisticated lunch or light dinner.

Try this delicious Spanish-inspired stuffed squid recipe for an impressive starter or lunch.

Prosciutto, pumpkin and sage are a heavenly trio in this delicious, comforting dish.

Brioche is one of the most popular French breads, delicious served fresh as a sweet treat with jam or toasted with foie gras or pâté. It also makes wonderful French toast or a luxurious bread pudding.

Originating in Scotland, shortbread has become very popular in many parts of the globe and is now eaten all year. Enjoy the crumbly, golden biscuit with a mug of your favourite brew.

Recipe is best made just before serving. Old-fashioned cast gem irons are available from specialty cookware shops or second-hand shops. Note

Brown lentils can be substituted for the puy lentils, although they do require longer cooking. Note

The combination of sweet, light sponge cake with a creamy white chocolate and strawberry filling is utterly irresistible. Cut yourself a slice and enjoy with a pot of tea for morning or afternoon tea.

It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Note

These little spinach and cheese parcels are very tasty extremely versatile; you can serve them on their own, as a soup accompaniment, or as part of an antipasto platter.

Served on a feta and black olive mash, these tender slices of tuna cooked in tomato and anchovy will melt in your mouth.

Wrapped in crisp prosciutto, this creamy vegetable terrine would make a delicious side dish or lunch served with salad.

It’s important to measure the closed springform pan, the measurement appearing on the base of the springform pan sometimes refers to the measurement of the pan when it is open. Note

Puff pastry squares make a light, tasty and adorable case for these delicious and fresh tomato, leek and feta tartlets.

Succulent figs add interest, depth and flavour to this deliciously easy chocolate caramel slice.

Delicious triangles of lamb kibbeh piled high with bright and refreshing tomato, pomegranate and feta.

Keeping time: 2 days. Note

Light and fluffy white chocolate and macadamia cake from Australian Women's Weekly.

You can use any coloured jelly beans you like. Choose a writing icing to match the colour of the jelly beans. Note

Incredibly quick and easy to make, these pumpkin and feta pizzas are a great option for a fast mid-week dinner.

You just can't go wrong with this traditional Christmas turkey with forcemeat stuffing of onion, bacon, pork, chicken, breadcrumbs, parsley, pistachios and tarragon.

These simple white cakes make an elegant wedding cake for an all-white wedding.

Try this sweet, spiced classic drizzled in honey syrup for a decadent but light dessert.

White chocolate, pineapple and coconut slice from Australian Women's Weekly.

This pudding goes straight to the top of the favorites list when it comes to classic winter warming desserts.

Do not be afraid of the humble macaron. Yes, they're tricky, but easier than you think. Don't take any short cuts, use a light touch when mixing, and you'll be well on the way to making the perfect cappuccino macaron.

Drizzled with a creamy chervil dressing, this easy dish makes an excellent brunch or lunch.

Topped with whipped caramel frosting sprinkled with sea salt, this moist banana, walnut and coffee cake is perfect for a special occasion.

Pop the kettle on and enjoy a thick slice of this beautifully moist apricot cake with crisp macaroon topping.

Sprinkled with a crunchy walnut topping, these fluffy raspberry muffins are lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, resulting in a delicious combination of flavour and texture.

These tasty fish parcels are so easy to make and taste fantastic served over crispy fried cauliflower.

Separate chicken livers into halves by cutting lobes apart. Note

equipment deep 23cm (9¼-inch) square cake pan 30cm (12-inch) square prepared cake board Note

These two classic sweet treats just got even sweeter, as they have merged into a fabulous fun cupcake.

Greek yoghurt has less moisture than ordinary yoghurt, giving this lovely cake a firmer texture.

If roasted hazelnuts are unavailable, you can roast your own. Place nuts on an oven tray; roast at 200°C about 5 minutes or until the skins begin to split. Rub hazelnuts in a tea towel to remove most of the skins. Cool. Fresh pomegranate seeds can sometimes be found in packs in the fridge section […]

A first-class morning tea treat.

Confit is a cooking term for foods that are preserved either by being salted and cooked slowly in their fat, or are cooked and preserved in oil in a similar method. You can use ocean trout instead of the salmon. Note

Back in 1792, two Carmelite nuns dubbed the "Macaron Sisters" baked and sold macarons to pay for their lodgings. Over 200 years later, our love affair with these almond delights continue. These chocolate and cherry macarons are beautiful served with hot espresso.

Light and spicy crumbed chicken to share with your friends and family.

Finely chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or macadamias can be used instead of the pecans. Top each biscuit with a chocolate-covered coffee bean or an almond kernel, if you like. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Note

Once upon a time, your grandmother made a thrifty bread pudding with leftover bread, and some basic store items. This chocolate pecan bread pudding is something quite, quite different.

These Middle Eastern biscuits are perfumed with orange flower water.

Serve with crusty bread. Note

Pleating the foil allows the cake to expand as it cooks. Use a piece of foil slightly larger than the pan. Fold the foil to create a pleat down the centre. We used a loaf pan with a capacity of 3 litres (12 cups). The uniced cake can be made a day ahead; store in […]

This tasty pizza is ready within minutes and perfect for the whole family.

Tasty, salty prosciutto wrapped around the fish helps seal the juices inside and capers add a vinegary bite to the finished dish.

Fettuccine comes from the Italian word `fettucina’, meaning ribbon, because of its long, narrow shape. It goes especially well with creamy sauces; you can replace it with tagliatelle or other large egg noodles, if desired. Fresh pasta cooks even faster than dried pasta; you can find fresh pasta in most supermarkets in the refrigerated section. […]

This potato, onion and herb pie makes a nice change from more meatier versions. It is delicious either hot or cold.

You can substitute potato or pumpkin for the kumara, or use a combination of all three ­ it will be just as delicious. Triangles can be made a day ahead to the end of step 3, cover, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Note

You could use any Christmas cookie cutter to make these biscuits, but angels and snowflakes work the best.

Studded with pistachios, pomegranate seeds and raspberries, this deconstructed dessert is perfect for an elegant dinner party.

You can use any cut of chicken you wish in this lemongrass chicken recipe. Lovely legs are trimmed, skinned chicken drumsticks but full drumsticks and thighs work beautifully too.

You'll be seriously popular after you serve up these hot little banana, chocolate and peanut butter turnovers.

Topped with fluffy pink icing and sugar roses, this gluten-free butter cake is perfect for a party.

An exquisite dish of chicken confit with spinach and pan jus from Australian Women's Weekly.

Make this delicious Italian-style broth with chicken & mushroom ravioli to impress dinner guests.

When you drop the whoopie pie mixture onto trays ensure that the mixture is in round shape. The shape that the mixture is dropped onto the trays will be similar to the cooked shape. Note

Equipment: 2 x 10cm (4-inch) round cardboard cake boards. 10cm (4-inch) round wooden cake board 2 x 12cm (4¾-inch) round wooden cake boards. 6 wooden skewers. Use ganache instead of butter cream, if you prefer. Once the cakes are covered in butter cream or ganache, they will keep for about a week at a cool […]

The beauty of freeform tarts is that they're incredibly easy to throw together, and taste every bit as delicious as a perfectly primped example.

Give your usual fish pies a sophisticated variation with this smoked fish version. They can go straight from the oven to the table in pretty individual dishes and make a lovely dinner party main meal.

This dessert recipe is a great way to show off your baking skills with a beautiful result; remember that room temperature egg whites will beat better than cold ones.

Self-saucing puddings are quite magical really, and the best thing of all is that they’re complete when they come out of the oven. You only need a scoop of ice- cream, custard or cream for serving. Always let the pudding stand for at least 5 minutes before serving. Note

Store rolled up in baking paper in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Chia seeds are a gluten-free wholegrain that contain fibre, omega-3 fats and protein, they are very high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium and calcium. The seeds are available at health food stores and from large supermarkets in […]

Dust with a little extra sifted icing sugar. Note

It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. This recipe also makes 6 texas muffins (¾-cup/180ml); bake about 40 minutes. Note

A dish that looks wonderful doesn't need to be difficult, as is shown by this mushroom tart recipe.

You can use one quantity basic shortcrust pastry instead of the store-bought pastry sheets. Note

A perfect and fun ten soda and pizza cake for you child's birthday party.

Juggling is so much fun, people have been doing it since ancient Egyptian times. This delightful fellow is constructed from lots of little cakes, so it's simple to make and easy to decorate.