Moderate

You will need to buy a 200g jelly beans packet and a 35g tumini M&M’s for the decorations. Colin should beeaten before he under goes a metamorphosis and changes into a giant butterfly. This cake is just the right size for small hands and its bright colours will keep little ones amused. Note

Use a mandoline or V-slicer to cut the potatoes into paper-thin slices. Note

Spelt is an ancient form of wheat that has a higher level of protein and wider range of nutrients than ordinary wheat. It still contains gluten, making it unsuitable for coeliacs. You can use any form of long pasta instead of the spelt fettuccine. Note

EQUIPMENT 12 plain white paper cases Large piping bag 1cm (.-inch) plain piping tube Cupcakes stale quickly, so it’s best to use a fruit or mud cake for the best keeping qualities. The cakes can be made and frozen for about 3 months. Choose the cake you like, then a type of jam, or a […]

This cake is very moist, due to the proportion of fruit to flour, which gives it a similar texture to Christmas pudding. Great as a family dessert with custard or, traditionally, for more special occasions such as 21st birthdays and weddings. Rum, sherry or your favourite liqueur can be substituted for the brandy. The fruit […]

Calves liver should be cut into paper-thin slices then quickly seared because too much cooking will destroy its soft, delicate texture. Your butcher will slice the liver thinly for you. Note

Baskets can be deep-fried up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and keep airtight when cool, then reheat by immersing briefly in hot oil until heated through. Note

Bunting can be found at most craft and party shops. Be sure to remove the toothpicks from the cake before serving. For a boy, decorate with green or yellow fruit sticks and matching bunting, or use the colours of his favourite sporting team (of course, this also can be done for girls and their favourite […]

Potted prawns can be made a day before the picnic, keep well-iced during transportation. Make crostini close to departure time. Note

Made from fresh corn, these fritters, served with spinach, bacon and tomatoes, are also a great lunch dish or casual dinner. But for a late breakfast they can’t be beaten. For breakfast they should be cooked just before they’re served, but cold corn fritters are excellent picnic food, so make a few more than you […]

The day before you plan to cook the pork, unwrap it, pat dry with paper towel and leave uncovered in the fridge. Doing this will dry the skin out a little which will assist with crackling. Note

Dried rose petals are available from specialist food stores. Note

Larger supermarkets stock ready-mashed potato; you will find it either in the freezer or refrigerated sections. If you don’t have a V-slicer or mandoline, use a large sharp knife to slice the vegetables. Note

Equipment: 30cm (12-inch) round wooden cake board 15cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board smoothing tools 4 wooden skewers 2 paper piping bags number 1 and 2 cutters 2 x 10cm (4-inch) pieces 18-gauge floral wire fine artist’s paint brush pasta machine 1cm (½-inch) plain piping tube Covered in pastel hues, this very simple, though elegant, […]

This recipe is best made on day of serving. Note

Rose, violet, nasturtium and pansy petals are all edible and make beautiful additions to recipes. Note

Cook a double or triple batch of these quinces and store them in their syrup in the fridge. Serve with porridge or muesli for breakfast. Note

Ask your butcher to score the rind, 1cm apart, across the pork in the same direction as you will slice, to make carving easier. Note

Use roti bread instead of the naan, if you prefer. Note

For those who prefer a light fruit cake, this is ideal. Keep the cake for 3 to 4 days before cutting, then cut with a sharp serrated or electric knife to cut cleanly through the almonds. Note

While this frilly little cake is ideal for a baby shower or christening, it would also delight any budding prima ballerina in the family. Use shades of pink to resemble a tutu, and top with a pair of ballet slippers. The frilled strips of icing should still be slightly soft when positioned on the cake. […]

The technique to split open and flatten quail so that it cooks quickly and evenly is called `butterflying’. Place quail, breast-side down, on a chopping board. Using poultry shears or kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the backbone; discard the bone. Turn over, open out and press down on the breast plate to flatten […]

Ho ho ho and a bottle of red cordial will soon have Pete smiling again. We were lucky enough to find an odd-shaped chocolate- coated sultana for the eyebrow, but use some licorice instead. Note

These scrolls can be made 3 days ahead; store in an airtight container. They are not suitable to freeze. Note

Also known as floating islands, this dessert is an adaptation of a French pudding, in which a stale sponge cake, steeped in liqueur, was floated in a bowl of custard. Note

For a healthier option, use olive-oil spray instead of butter for pastry sheets. School prawns (shrimp) can also be used, or try crab or lobster meat. Note

Harissa is a North African paste made from dried red chillies, garlic, olive oil and caraway seeds; can be used as a rub for meat, an ingredient in sauces and dressings, or eaten as a condiment. It is available from Middle Eastern food shops and some supermarkets. Note

We don’t recommend that you freeze cooked vegetables as they tend to have a spongy texture and “leftover” look about them once they’ve been thawed. Mushrooms, eggplant and members of the squash family are especially freezer unfriendly. Note

When they’re in season, this pudding also works well with quince. Prepare 4 small quince (800g) as for the pears in step 1, cooking them for 30 minutes until softened. Note

Daikon are large, long, white radishes that have a sweet, fresh flavour without the bite of the common red radish. Used extensively in Japanese cooking, daikon are also great eaten raw in salads, shredded for a garnish, or cooked in stir-fries. Note

This cake serves 20. Store the cake in an airtight container for up to three days. Note

Equipment 10 lollipop or ice-cream sticks tyrofoam block or egg carton paper piping bag Decorations 10 mini ice-cream cones 2 tablespoons each grape, orange and pink WONKA NERDS, combined 10 WONKA Gobstoppers 10 ALLEN’S JAFFAS 2 ALLEN’S Ripe Raspberries, sliced thinly 5 Fairy Floss ALLEN’S FUNFAIR THRILLS Jelly Beans, halved crossways 10cm piece licorice strap […]

Use a lemon zester to make lemon rind strips for decoration; soak them in iced water to make them curl. Note

Player position seems to indicate only a handful of runs are needed before the end of the match. Budding cricketers will surely want a rematch before cutting into this fun cake. Note

For a clear jelly, don’t push the mixture through the muslin-lined strainer, instead, allow the mixture to strain gradually. 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

Use a mandoline or V-slicer to easily cut the kumara into thin slices. Note

Generally the meat filling and lettuce leaves are served separately; guests fill and roll their own lettuce leaves. Note

Equipment: Deep 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan 7cm (2¾-inch) round cutter 30cm (12-inch) square cake board Note

Grand Marnier or Cointreau can be used for the orange-flavoured liqueur. Store truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Truffles, without cocoa coating, can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove from freezer 1 hour before serving and dusting with cocoa. Note

There's no cake like an chocolate layer cake, and this one will be sure to turn heads when presented at any party.

This cake is perfect for the little girl who dreams of having her very own pony. Note

Persian lamb and rhubarb stew

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

Reserve some of the feathery fennel fronds to sprinkle over the soup at serving time. Note

To finely shred (or chiffonade) the basil leaves, lay the leaves flat on top of each other, then roll up tightly and cut into thin slices. This results in long, fine strips. Note

Aïoli is garlic mayonnaise, available from the condiment aisle in most supermarkets. Note

You will need to cook 350g pumpkin for the amount of mashed pumpkin required in this recipe. 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

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 […]

These cookies can be topped with nuts before baking or, once cooked, iced then dipped into various sprinkles, or simply dusted lightly with sifted icing sugar. To flavour the dough, beat your choice of essence or extract with the butter and sugar mixture, or beat in a teaspoon or two of finely grated citrus rind. […]

You can turn this into an ‘eggless processor fruit cake’, if you like. Omit the eggs, and increase the golden syrup by 1 tablespoon to ⅓ cup (155g). The cake doesn’t keep quite as well without eggs, about 5 days, but will freeze for 3 months. Note