Hundreds & thousands 18 milk chocolate freckles 30cm yellow ribbon The cutter we used was about 5cm (2 inches) deep, which made it easier to cut right through the cake. You could use a sharp pointed vegetable knife to cut out the cake rounds, cutting around the markings of the shorter cutter. Freeze the little […]

Edible gold leaf and candy thermometers are available from kitchenware stores and cake decorating suppliers. Note

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. We used snapper in this recipe, but you can use any white firm-fleshed fish you like. Note

Pizza bases are available from most supermarkets Note

Rösti can be eaten hot or cold. Swap sweet potato for potato, squeeze excess liquid from potato first. Note

Canned tiny new potatoes are a nifty shortcut in this recipe. Tortilla can be eaten hot or cold and makes great picnic fare. Note

Flaked coconut can be bought from a store which stocks Indian and Fijian food. Note

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, boil the syrup until it’s thick with heavy bubbles. Remove from heat, let bubbles subside, then reassess the thickness of the syrup. Note

The perfect Asian starter dish; homemade spring rolls.

Ballerina cake toppers are available from cake decorating suppliers, or top with tiny ballerina dolls from toy stores. Note

Spanish-style spiced meatballs with a romesco sauce; a great tapas dish or sharing platter.

Grilled chicken parcels stuffed with ham, spinach, ricotta and sun-dried tomatoes.

Use a clean piping and tube for each different coloured meringue. Note

Inserting the base of the springform pan upside down will make it easier to slide the cake from the base. Note

Use frangelico (hazelnut) or crème de cacao (chocolate) flavoured liqueurs. Cut cakes with a serrated knife. Note

Store cake pops in an airtight container at a cool room temperature until ready to serve. Pipe eyes and mouths on the day of serving. They will keep for up to a week. Note

A bright, colourful and exquisite lamb, spinach and spiced peach salad.

Create the flavours and textures of a slow-cooked meal in under an hour by using your pressure cooker. This delicious chickpea and lentil soup can be ready in no time at all, perfect for a cool weeknight dinner.

We used desiree potatoes in this recipe. Season this dish carefully as the haddock and stock are already salty. Note

We used blue-eye trevalla cutlets in this recipe, but you can use any white fish cutlets. Vietnamese mint is not a mint, but a pungent and peppery narrow-leafed member of the buckwheat family. Also known as laksa leaf and cambodian mint. It is available from Asian greengrocers. Note

Dried lavender is available from gourmet food stores and cake decorating stores. Note

Soupe au pistou is a Provencal minestrone served with a good dollop of basil pesto.

You need two oranges for this recipe – one for the salad and one for the juice. You can substitute fresh baby beetroot with canned baby beets, or the chicken with pork fillet or salmon, if you like. Note

Exquisite and delicious Asian-style marinated duck with peppered strawberries from Australian Women's Weekly.

A light and summery dish of char-grilled scallops with a zesty corn salsa.

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

Pink petal dust can be purchased at specialty baking or cake-decorating shops. Note

Place any leftover lime leaves in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for another use. Add three or four to a curry, scrunching the leaves first to release the flavour; toss thinly sliced leaves through a tropical fruit salad; or add sliced leaves to a jug of iced water for a refreshing citrus flavour. Mango […]

Who said sausage sausages have to be boring? These ones are packed full of strong flavour, and are presented beautifully - perfect for a picnic lunch with loved ones.

You can find artificial spider’s web at novelty shops. If you can’t find it, use fairy floss or cotton wool instead. Be sure to remove spider’s web or cotton wool and skewers before cutting and serving the cake. You will need approximately 3 x 100g bars of Toblerone for this cake. Note

Sometimes called Indian blood plum, the large plum used in this recipe has a distinctive dark red to purple fibrous flesh, is extremely juicy, pleasantly sweet, and is the plum most often found canned. Canned apricots or peaches can be substituted for the plums. A delicious time-and waist-saving recipe. Note

Dried lavender is available from selected delis and spice shops. If you prefer, you can use 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon rind instead. Note

A perfect summer dish of barbecued sausages with tomato relish.

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mixture. If itis not available as a mixture, buy half the amount as pork mince and half the amount as veal mince. Passata is available from most supermarkets. If you can’t find it, use pureed canned tomatoes instead. You can freeze this dish in an airtight container for […]

Flavoured Milk Bottles can be found in packets of Allen’s Milk Bottle Mania; you will need about 3 x 170g packets. Note

To make lemon dressing; dry-fry cumin and coriander in small heated frying pan, stirring, until fragrant. Combine spice mixture in small jug with oil and juice. Note

White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the supermarket and cake decorating shops. Note

Equipment you will need for this recipe, 23cm x 34cm number 4 cake pan and a 25cm x 40cm rectangular cake board. You can decorate this cake with single or multi coloured lollies. Place lollies such as Smarties on butter cream close to presentation time to prevent the colours running. Note

The chicken can be marinated a day ahead. Recipe best made close to serving. Note

Use hundreds and thousands as an alternative to the orange sprinkles. You can use cream-filled rollettes, if you prefer. If using butter cream instead of the vanilla frosting, you will need two quantities. White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the […]

Teppanyaki is traditionally cooked on a grill plate on or near the table, and is eaten in batches.

More fun and delicious animal cupcakes that the whole family will love.

Tart will keep in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to three days. Note

We used a mixture of parsley, basil and dill for this recipe, but you can use any herbs you like. If your frying pan does not have a heatproof handle, cover the handle with aluminium foil to protect it from the heat of the grill. Frittata can be served warm or cold. Reheat slices of […]

We used large (25cm diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. It’s important to slice the potatoes as thinly as possible. Note

Sopressa, a salami from the north of Italy, can be found in both mild and chilli-flavoured varieties. If you can’t find it easily, you can use any hot salami, but the taste won’t be exactly the same. Note

Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Note

Garlic is easy to roast and has a more mellow taste than it does raw or fried. Make it and freeze it by the tablespoon wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Roasted garlic beaten with softened butter adds a whole new dimension of flavour to mashed potato or steamed corn cobs. Note

You need one trimmed corn cob to get the amount of corn kernels required for this recipe; canned corn kernels or frozen corn kernels, if you prefer. Note

One-year-olds may be too young to eat the cachous, but they’ll certainly love the cake. Tiny heart-, star-, moon- and other-shaped cutters are sometimes sold as aspic cutters. Note

Have a Tex-Mex night with these delicious lamb fajitas, guacamole and salsa cruda.

A beautiful and flavour-packed sardines with preserved lemon salsa from Australian Women's Weekly.