Alcohol

Saltimbocca is a classic Italian dish that literally translates as "jump in the mouth". It is usually made of beef or veal, and rolled with proscuitto and sage leaves.

This pudding can be made a week ahead; store, covered, in the fridge, or freeze for up to 2 months. Brandy cream sauce can be made a day ahead; store, covered, in the fridge. Note

36 lollypop or paddle pop sticks are needed for this recipe. Push the sticks of the popcakes into the top of a cardboard egg carton to dry. Light or dark fruit cake is suitable, use whichever is preferred. Note

This Italian-style seafood, bean and tomato stew has a delicious combination of flavours and textures.

Pork cutlets like you've never seen before with the sweet and smokey flavours of maple, bourbon and pear.

Instead of individual dishes, use a single large shallow 3-litre (12-cup) baking dish for this recipe. The cooking time will be the same. Note

Punch is best served very cold. Try freezing some of the berries and lemonade together in shaped ice trays and add these to the punch instead of regular ice. This way, you won’t dilute the flavour. Note

You need smoking chips and a smoke box for this recipe; they are available from barbecue supply stores. port-smoked beef Note

You can substitute white wine, Grand Marnier or brandy for the red wine. Note

Store-bought sponge cakes can also be used in this recipe. Note

This cake also can be made up to 6 months ahead. Turn it into an emergency Christmas pudding by brushing with liqueur, heating in the microwave and serving with ice-cream or custard. Note

To segment the grapefruit, cut the top and bottom off each fruit; cut down the side following the curve of the fruit to remove the rind and white pith. Cut between the membranes to release the segments. Note

This moist cake can be eaten warm or cold. Note

The sauce is not suitable to freeze. Note

We used Sambuca in this recipe; it can be replaced with Pernod, ouzo or your favourite aniseed-flavoured liqueur. Note

An Italian lemon-flavoured liqueur, limoncello was originally made from the juice and peel of lemons grown along the coast of Amalfi. You can substitute it in this recipe, if you wish, with any lemon-flavoured liqueur or with an orange-flavoured one such as Cointreau. You need approximately five lemons for this recipe. Note

We used moscato, a low alcohol, lightly sparkling Italian wine. To line the pan smoothly with plastic wrap, dampen it first. This recipe needs to be prepared a day ahead. Decorate close to serving. Note

Cake pops will keep for up to a week. Note

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 […]

If you have one, use a melon baller to scoop perfectly round balls of truffle mixture. Note

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

You need to cook 1kg pumpkin for the amount of mashed pumpkin needed. You can decorate this cake with Chinese candied ginger strips, available from Asian grocers. Note