Dessert

These easy individual tiramisus require no cooking and are perfect for a dinner party.

Layers of dark chocolate cake and spiked chocolate mousse make this cake a boozy and decadent treat, perfect for a special occasion.

Cool, sweet and fruity, this refreshing mango and hibiscus sorbet is perfect to enjoy on a warm Summer afternoon by the pool. It is only enhanced by a splash of prosecco.

Perhaps the most well known pumpkin recipe comes from the United States, in the form of this delicious pie. You will need to cook about 350g pumpkin for this recipe.

Cake can be decorated a day ahead; keep frozen until ready to serve. Note

Get the kids helping in the kitchen with these adorable funny face cupcakes.

Dusted with cocoa, these elegant chocolate soufflés are well worth the effort of making, especially served with a big dollop of spiked mascarpone.

It is fine to use just the one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. A cheesecake pan is similar to a texas muffin pan, only the base is removable. Note

Tia Maria and Kahlua are both coffee-flavoured liqueurs and would work well in this recipe. Serve it up as a special grown-up treat along with your afternoon cuppa with friends.

The crêpes can be made a day ahead, layer them between sheets of baking paper, then cover and store in the fridge. Note

The perfect balance of sweet, salty and crunchy, these delicious caramel peanut hearts are the perfect weekend snack, or gift for loved ones.

They are an unlikely pair, but the combination of banana and passionfruit is fresh, healthy and delicious; always a winner. Make sure your bananas are ever so slightly firm, with no blemishes.

Sponge-finger biscuits are also known as savoiardi biscuits, savoy biscuits, lady’s fingers or sponge fingers; they are long, oval-shaped Italian-style crisp fingers made from sponge-cake mixture, and are available from supermarkets. Recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Bananas are a good source of the minerals potassium, which helps our brains function properly, and phosphorous, essential for good health. They are also a great source of easy-to-digest fibre. Don’t peel or cut the bananas until you’re just ready to assemble this dessert because they’ll turn brown quickly. Note

Looking for something a little bit decadent? This rich chocolate, cherry cheesecake could be your answer!

This pudding is also great served topped with fresh mango slices, instead of the banana, if you like. Sago is a grain often used in puddings and desserts; it is available from some supermarkets and most health-food stores.

This crumble goes well with custard. Note

Moist, fresh and earthy, this cake owes all of its finer points to the inclusion of the beetroot.

With hints of cardamom and orange, this rustic cake is delicious for a winter afternoon tea or dessert. Cardamom is one of the world's most expensive spices; it has a distinctive aromatic, sweetly rich flavour and is widely available.

These teeny tiramisu cupcake towers are not only adorable, but a delightful option for dessert!

Indulge your sweet tooth with this divine chocolate and raspberry tart. Filled with an oozy jam centre, one slice will send you to dessert heaven...

Drizzled in sweet passionfruit icing, this delectable tart is perfect with a morning or afternoon cup of tea.

These little individual pavlovas are the perfect finishing touch to any meal with friends. You can experiment will all sorts of fruit toppings; berries are always a good choice, as are the more tropical fruits like mango and passionfruit.

Compote is traditionally a dessert, but as shown here it can also be served over warm porridge as a breakfast dish.

These black forest brownies feature that classic combination of rich dark chocolate and cherries.

The mix of textures, flavours and temperatures combine in the classic king of desserts, the bombe alaska, to create a sensationally sweet dish.

These pear and marzipan tartlets would not look out of place in the display cabinet of the most upmarket French pâtisserie. Don't let their delicate appearance fool you, they're surprisingly simple to make.

It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton (tub) of cream for this recipe. Make sure egg whites are only beaten until soft peaks form. If too firm, the cake is more likely to crack when rolling. Note

You need about 6 passionfruit for this recipe. Note

Sweet and delicious Vietnamese coffee crème caramel tart from Australian Women's Weekly.

This is a recipe for the seasoned Christmas pudding maker, filled with all of the classic flavours and then some. It makes a great addition to the holiday festivities.

This chocolate almond tart has a rich, unctuous filling between layers of light, flakey pastry. Serve with a cup of coffee for an afternoon treat, or with a dollop of cream as dessert.

These scrumptious little chocolate and almond meringues manage to be both rich and light, crisp and chewy, all at the same time.

Moist, dense and dripping with syrup, this chocolate orange polenta cake is a very grown-up way to recapture a childhood love for jaffa cakes.

A soft and elegant white chocolate cake from the Australian Women's Weekly's famous test kitchen.

Topped with creamy coconut ganache, this white chocolate coconut citrus cake is a ripper of a recipe. Moist, dense and utterly delicious, the combination of coconut, lemon, lime and white chocolate is a winner.

This is a rich and sophisticated dessert that makes an elegant end to a special dinner.

You can use canned cherries if fresh are not in season. Note

A cool and classy take on an Australian Christmas classic.

This rich mocha cake with coffee syrup is pudding-like, darkly sweet and entirely satisfying.

We found the brown-skinned beurre bosc pears worked best for this recipe. Note

This impressive cake is brought to you by the classic Australian Women's Weekly birthday cake cookbook.

Drizzled in sweet toffee, these almond and cranberry wreath biscuits make wonderful Christmas gifts.

These fun and impressive blondies can be enjoyed by everyone. They are both nut-free and egg-free.

This healthy winter dessert would also be perfect for breakfast.

With a cinnamon-spiked plum and prune filling, these almond crescents are the perfect sweet treat with tea or coffee.

Let your creative juices run wild; use any lollies you like in the ice-cream, if they are large, roughly chop them. Make this a rocky road ice-cream sandwich by adding chopped turkish delight, dark choc chips, peanuts and coconut.

Rich chocolate tart topped with luscious fresh strawberries makes a fabulous dessert or afternoon tea treat.

The cheesecake will sink slightly in the centre during baking. Store the cheesecake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, or refrigerate for 1 week. Note

Slathered with chocolate cream frosting, these divine little coconut chocolate cakes make an excellent afternoon tea treat.

Equipment two deep 20cm (8-inch) round cake pans 25cm (10-inch) round prepared cake board (page 172) or cake stand large piping bag fitted with small plain tube Cake is best made and assembled on the day. For best piping results, place iced cake and piping bag filled with cream in the refrigerator for about 30 […]

Topped with candied carrot, this cardamom-infused fruit salad is magnificent served with thick Greek yoghurt.

Deliciously lemony and topped with meringue, these divine cupcakes are best served still warm.

Once filled, the choux will soften, so assemble 1-2 hours before eating. Note

Bring sago out of the nursery and into its own with this delicious coconut sago pudding with ginger and palm sugar.

Cream mixture must be cooled 5 minutes before adding chocolate to avoid the chocolate “seizing”, that is, becoming grainy and firm and having the appearance of a dull paste. Note

The tart cases we used were bought frozen and unbaked; they come ready-to-bake in foil cases and measure 6.5cm in diameter. They are available from supermarkets. Tartlets can be made a day ahead, keep refrigerated.

These romantic cupcakes are ideal for an engagement party or baby shower.

Cherries, pecans and brandy go together beautifully in these popular little cakes.

These preserved citrus fruits are great to use as a base for a whole range of desserts dishes such as pies, puddings, cakes and crumbles.

The creaminess of the ice cream and chocolate sauce is a delectable texture contrast to the crunchiness of the pavlova. You can serve this with a berry compote as well if you like.

Mixture is not suitable to freeze. Note

These mango cremes are quick and easy to make and you can pop them in the fridge early in the day, ready for dessert later in the evening. You could serve them with berries for an extra splash of colour, if you like.

equipment 26cm x 35cm (10¼-inch x 14-inch) baking dish 30cm x 40cm (12-inch x 16-inch) rectangular prepared cake board Note

This recipe is gluten-free, however, if you decide to use pre-made packaged caramel popcorn, check the label carefully. Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs (caramel popcorn) is available from supermarkets. Note

An elegant dish to bake for an afternoon tea with friends, or a light dessert on a summer's eve. Serve with a little cream if you like.

Equipment 21cm x 32cm number 1 cake pan (see tip) 35cm x 45cm covered cake board. After turning the first cake out of the pan, wash the cake pan and rinse it in cold water, then dry, to remove any residual heat. Note

Using fresh coconut for sweet dishes like this will enhance the flavour immeasurably, and you'll find many greengrocers and supermarkets now sell plastic bags of shredded or grated fresh coconut in the Asian ingredient section.

Rich and warmly spiced, this baked cheesecake with fig and orange makes an excellent dessert or mid-afternoon treat.