Coconut bauble truffles

Make these colourful truffles from leftover Madeira cake, dried apricots and desiccated coconut – perfect as an edible gift to make with kids

Snowball dippers

Make a batch of these to dip in warm milk or hot chocolate for a festive party or gathering, or wrap up and give as Christmas gifts

Christmas tree pops

Decorate wedges of chocolate sponge with green icing and Smarties to make festive cake pops on sticks – perfect for baking with kids

Wilted spinach with nutmeg & garlic

Throw a bag of baby spinach in a wok with some garlic and spices for a tasty last-minute side dish that still feels special

Sauté potatoes with sea salt & rosemary

There are few sides as simple and perfect as pan-fried spuds – the secret is boiling the potatoes in their skins before frying until golden

Baked sea bass with lemon caper dressing

This elegant, gluten-free main is special enough for a dinner party, yet simple and quick to make for no fuss entertaining

Butternut soup with crispy sage & apple croutons

The apple and sage contrast beautifully with naturally sweet butternut squash in this low-fat, gluten-free festive dinner party starter

Chocolate peppermint shooting star cake

A real festive showstopper, this extra-special bundt cake comes with a chocolate star centre – top with silver-coated Malteasers

Mincemeat, apple & cranberry lattice tart

Forget fiddly mince pies, fill puff pastry with juicy mincemeat and fruit and serve this festive dessert in slices – perfect for entertaining

Pineapple & ginger Pavlova

Pile whipped cream and charred pineapple on a meringue base to create a stunning dinner party dessert which you can make ahead