The best recipes from the April issue of Taste magazine

The trick to making the choux pastry for these milk chocolate eclairs is to allow the steam to create the puff – if you open the oven door mid-bake you’ll be destined for a flop. Literally.

This monumental chocolate cake is Fiona Hugues’ extreme solution to those times when you need an epic cake to either celebrate something audacious or silly, or to shed tears over as you commiserate with a loved one. Fiona has included every fantastic, wicked treat that she has at some time or other danced around with, or sat and wept with, and enveloped them in a Snickers-like cream and then drizzled in salted caramel sauce. Recipe and styling by Fiona Hugues. Photography by Jani Shepherd, Gatherum Collectif.

These little dark cakes are sized to share, but you could also bake them in Texas muffin tins – just shorten the cooking time. Recipes and styling by Fiona Hugues. Photography by Jani Shepherd; Gatherum Collectif.

This recipe is perfect for those times when you can’t fit in dessert, don’t want cheese or fruit, and yet hanker for a little ‘something else’. These rich chocolate salamis filled with fruit and nuts last for a couple of weeks in the fridge, so they’re the ideal, fail-safe treat to have on hand for such an occasion.

These chocolate crêpes are thin and soft, with a nutella filling. Recipe and styling by Fiona Hugues. Photography by Jani Shepherd; Gatherum Collectif.

Sfoglia di mozzarella is a very thin layer of mozzarella which looks similar to a pastry sheet. Stuff and roll it, then slice it up just before serving.

Luca Villari is a heat-seeking missile when it comes to sourcing top-notch produce.

Curious Croppers provided Luca Villari with the most amazing tomato varieties for this salad. He’s used a mixture of ‘Spanish Red’, ‘Orange Blossom’, ‘White Doris’ and ‘Little Miss Sunshine’. If you ever get the chance to visit the Clevedon Farmers’ Market, stop by their stall and sample their fantastic selection of tomatoes; they also supply restaurants and Farro Fresh.

Panettone is a light, airy Italian version of a fruit cake, usually eaten at Christmas and Easter. It varies slightly from region to region but generally is studded with raisins and fruit peel. My favourite brand is called Dal Forno (available from specialty food stores). It is fabulous eaten on its own with an espresso or sweet liqueur, or lightly toasted as I have done in this recipe.

This is a simple and quick option for a platter – ideal as a party canapé or pre-dinner snack. The terrine and parfait on crostini are perfect on their own but I’ve added a crisp apple and radish slaw for a touch of sharpness.

There’s something amazingly comforting about a steamed pudding, especially when it’s drizzled with warm vanilla crème anglaise and served with poached seasonal fruit