Moderate

Crush juniper berries with the side of heavy knife. Juniper berries, best known for the flavour they impart to gin, are a dark blue, almost black, soft, aromatic berry used in many traditional European recipes. Note

Youngsters will squeal with delight at the sight of these cute little pigs. You could easily make a piglet for each small guest to take home. Instead of tinting your own sugar, you can use the packets of coloured sugar crystals found in packets of Monster 5s or Fairy 5s, available from supermarkets. Note

You will need to buy a 265g packet of small lollipops for this recipe. You should never smile at a crocodile, or be taken in by her welcoming grin, but Clara looks friendly enough — maybe! Note

Don’t be too concerned if your cake has a small dip in the middle; it will be covered with icing. Note

Chicken drumettes are drumsticks with the end of the bone chopped off. They are also sold as “lovely legs”. Note

Some people find the bitterness of radicchio a little overpowering. Try brushing each whole radicchio with oil and grill or barbecue until the outside leaves are charred and the inside is tender. This will give a sweeter smokey flavour. Slices of mango or paw paw make a nice addition to this salad. Note

Peanut butter sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead. Leftover sauce can be used over ice-cream. 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

Flavoured Milk Bottles can be found in packets of ALLEN’S Milk Bottle Mania; use whichever colours you like. Remember to remove the skewers from the drawbridge before cutting the cake. Note

Limoncello is an Italian lemon-flavoured liqueur made from the peel only of fragrant lemons, which is steeped in clear alcohol then diluted with sugar and water. Store unfilled macaroons in an airtight container for about a week. Fill macaroons just before serving. Note

Try using a variety of mushrooms such as flat, cup, button, portobello, oyster and enoki, keeping small mushrooms halved or whole and large types sliced. Cooking the potatoes whole with the peel on keeps the potatoes dry and fluffy-doing this helps to create lightly textured pillows of gnocchi. Note

Vitello tonnato is a well-known Italian veal dish accompanied with a tuna mayonnaise. It is usually served cold or at room temperature, making the perfect appetiser for a Christmas lunch.

Use white Candy Melts in place of chocolate Melts for an extra-white finish. Note

We used small (15cm/6-inch diameter) packaged pizza bases for this recipe. Note

Porcini, dried Italian mushrooms, are available from delicatessens, gourmet food stores and some supermarkets. Some butchers sell a pork and veal mixture, this is fine to use here. Buy 625g. Note

Soba are fresh or dried Japanese noodles made from buckwheat and wheat flour. They’re available from Asian food stores and major supermarkets. Note

Equipment deep 23cm (9¼-inch) square cake pan 30cm (12-inch) round or square prepared cake board and a bamboo skewer. The cake can be made a day before the party. Note

It’s easy to make pesto from different herbs or green leaves and with other nuts. A great combination is baby rocket and pistachio (it goes beautifully with chicken). A few other enticing blends include fresh coriander leaves with chilli instead of nuts, or sun-dried tomatoes processed with olives and walnuts. Note

A cheese slicer makes curls about 2.5cm long; if you don’t have one, use a vegetable peeler, it will make smaller curls. We used a white chocolate mud cake in this recipe, and made a coffee-flavoured ganache to complement it and the chocolates, however, a dark chocolate mud cake would also look wonderful filled with […]

Macaroons are available from specialty bakery shops and select supermarkets. If you can’t find them, any small round filled biscuit will do. Try mini Oreos or mini Wagon Wheels, or Monte Carlos. Note

Aïoli is a garlic mayonnaise; it is available in supermarkets and delicatessens. Note

Be extremely careful when blending hot soup, let it cool a little first. Don’t overfill the blender, one third to half full is a good guide, and make sukre the lid is secure. Alternatively use a stick blender. Note

Whether you're a fan of the original story or of the sassy Shrek cat, this Puss In Boots cake from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook is an all-time favourite.

Peaches & Cream are found in Allen’s Party Mix. You’ll have about 1 cup of the cake mixture left over; use to make extra cupcakes for the party. Note

The butterflies can be made months ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature. Tylose powder is a hardening agent, it helps the butterflies maintain their wings in an upward position. Cascading butterflies of just about any colour will look splendid on a tiered cake like this. Keep the colour of the cakes pale, […]

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

If plums are not in season, use a 1kg (2-pound) jar of whole plums. Drain, halve and seed them before using. Note

Get the milk and yogurt ready before tasting this hot and delicious Indian pork vindaloo.

Fun, colourful and delicious, this adorable sand castle themed birthday cake is perfect for busy explorers who love spending time at the beach.

You can use lemon, lime or blood orange marmalade or your favourite jam instead. Note

Remember that when you put food onto skewers, not to squash everything together. Leave a little space between each item to allow the heat to circulate and to ensure everything cooks through. If you have time, soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to stop them from burning during cooking, or cover the ends […]

The fruit mix is enough to make a pudding, a cake and a dozen mince pies. Note

The tin needs to be coated thickly with melted butter so the roll won’t stick to the inside of the tin. Don’t use cooking-oil spray, as this doesn’t give a good enough coating and the roll will stick and be hard to turn out. If you can’t find nut roll tins, this mixture can be […]

Equipment: 4 x 10cm (4-inch) (closed) springform pans Everybody loves their own individual dessert ­ here, the tropical flavours blend happily with the creamy cheesecake filling. The mango rose pattern is simple to achieve, but looks impressive on the cheesecakes. We used a plain store-bought sponge for this recipe, you can make your own, if […]

Use white Candy Melts in place of chocolate Melts for a whiter finish Note

We removed the roe from the scallops, but it can be left intact, if you prefer. Note

You can use any fresh berries you like in this recipe. Note

A modern take on the traditional French method of cooking “en papillote” (in sealed paper packets), this recipe uses aluminium foil rather than parchment to enclose the ingredients. Cooking this way intensifies the contained flavours. Note

To save time, buy shelled and deveined prawns and calamari rings from your local fish supplier. Some major supermarkets also have a fresh seafood section. Note

For best results use only the reddest parts of the rhubarb stems. Note

Sumac is a purple-red, astringent spice ground from berries growing on shrubs that flourish wild around the Mediterranean, it adds a tart, lemony flavour to dishes. It can be found in Middle-Eastern food stores and most major supermarkets. Note

This is a quick version of making a soufflé as the base is not made on a flour-thickened cheese sauce. Note

Panettone are easy to find around Christmas time, at other times they may not be as readily available. You can use brioche instead, adding a handful of sultanas, or thick-cut fruit bread. Note

This adorable princess birthday cake is perfect for kids who love all things pretty and pink.

Equipment 6-hole (¾-cup/180ml) texas muffin pan 7 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans 1 yellow texas muffin paper case 77 yellow mini muffin paper cases 50cm-square prepared cake board (see basic know-how number 2, pages 160-161) Decorations 85g packet yellow jelly crystals 400g packet Smarties 1 tablespoon orange sprinkles 5cm piece black licorice strap 25 […]

store in an airtight container at a cool room temperature until ready to serve. Cake pops will keep for up to a week. Note

Use small piping bags without a tube or strong plastic bags snip a tiny corner from the bag for easy piping. Prepared cake boards are available from cake decorating and craft stores; you will need one 30cm (12-inch) round board for this cake. Note

Charming little savoury pies filled with a delicious chicken, celery and thyme mix.

This cake is at its best eaten on the same day as baking. Keeping time: 1 day. Note

You will need a 60cm square of unbleached calico. If the fabric is new, soak in cold water overnight, then boil for 20 minutes; rinse well before using. Use day-old breadcrumbs for this recipe. Chop all the fruit to the same size as the sultanas. Wrap the pudding in plastic wrap, seal tightly in a […]

Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Stir in coriander. Note

Crispy, crunchy and golden minted tuna triangles that are perfect for sharing with friends at the bach.

You will need 2 large pomegranates (860g) for this recipe. Note

If you can’t find dried cherries, use the equivalent amount of extra dried cranberries instead. Note

We used a large octopus in this recipe, but you could also use baby octopus. Ask the fishmonger to clean the octopus. Note

This recipe also makes 6 texas muffins (¾-cup/180ml), bake about 25 minutes. Note

You need half a 1kg (2-pound) can plums for this recipe. You can use fresh plums when in season. Fill pastries up to an hour before serving. Note

Warming buns packed fulls of currants, pecans and spices and topped with gooey honey and coffee icing.

Silver leaf, available from cake decorating stores, is delicate and fiddly to handle but worth the effort. Note

Keeping time: 4 days. Note

These delicious savoury potato pancakes are absolutely beautiful enjoyed with smoked salmon and dill cream. Perfect any time of the day, this dish is a real winner!

Recipe can be prepared 4 hours ahead up to the end of step 4. Note

Light and delicious French-style passionfruit and raspberry eclairs from Australian Women's Weekly.

You need 25 foil petit four cases for this recipe. Note