Flour

This soup is filled with ham and vegetables, a great complete meal to serve in winter.

This cake is made with oil but it has a light texture and crumb and is fragrant with cinnamon which makes a nice variation from regular run-of-the-mill chocolate cakes.

Get the party started with these easy to make cheese twists. Great for lunchboxes as well!

Kohlrabi cabbage creates a crispy fritter for dipping. You can also use broccoli instead.

Pull-apart cheesy scrolls are a hearty afternoon snack straight from the oven, or an ideal lunchbox addition.

Gather the kids for some festive baking. They'll love the process of getting their hands dirty with dough and the delicious end result as well!

Keep a healthy theme going by swapping fried chicken or nuggets for delicious poppy-crumbed bingo wings.

Pizza with a twist! Pile your base high with veges that are packed with nutrients.

To make lunchtime morsels, add a few rocket leaves to the mix with the salmon, then bake in regular-sized muffin tins.

Toppings could include pickled peppers, gherkins, Swiss cheese or herby butter.

You can also add fresh blueberries or diced apple to this recipe.

Muffins can take you from breakfast to dessert and every snack in between, so line up the tins and get a batch (or two) going.

If you’re after a quick fix, ditch the syrup and serve these heated with ice cream or natural yoghurt.

Nana was not surprised to read on the interweb recently that animal fats appear to do little or no harm to heart health. My parents were farmers and theirs before them. For generations we have eaten off the land, and nothing but nothing went to waste, even fat. Drippings, as they were known, are the fat from cooked meat. They were spread on bread – butter being a luxury that could be sold, rather than eaten at home. Drippings were also used to roast spuds or fry bread. Grandad says you can’t beat a fried slice of bread with a bit of bacon and eggs. Drippings are full of flavour and are the backbone of proper gravy; no need for packets of anything. Really good gravy for a roast dinner needs only a whisk, some flour, the pan drippings and the water you cooked your veges in.

There's a reason the classics never go out of style, and we still love these retro favourites. Serve with a hot cup of tea.

Too cute! Get the kids involved with these simple biscuits and let them decorate away to their hearts content. Definitely a wet weather winner!

Half the fun of baking gingerbread is the decoration; get the little ones involved for a fun (and delicious!) afternoon activity.

We can never get enough chocolate chip cookies! Try this classic recipe from the Collectors' Edition of the Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits.

Sweet and coconuty, we still love this classic recipe; it was made to be enjoyed with a hot cup of tea for a retro treat!

This slice has everything you could possibly want in an afternoon treat; sweet, zesty and packed with coconut, no-one will be able to resist.

Who can resist the sweet delights of a hundreds and thousands biscuit? Recreate everyone's favourite with this classic recipe.

Switch up this classic with nutty wholemeal flour for a hearty afternoon tea.

Italian cakes are often overly sweet, but a savoury note, in this cake from rosemary, helps balance that.

Who says bread can't be the star of the meal? This hearty flat bread is filled with herbs, nuts and tomatoes that give it extra flavour and make it perfect to share with friends.

Perfect biscuits of gingernut baked to perfection. Watch them go at afternoon tea!

These sweet little desserts hit the spot for an afternoon treat. Serve with vanilla ice cream and some zest on top give these banana nut fritters another layer of flavour.

This colourful, cheeky caterpillar will be the star of the show – and he’s great fun to make.

The trick is to get the icing colours just right (try gel colours from cake shops). Finish with marshmallows and chocolate coins.

These are best served warm, dripping with butter and maple syrup – go on, try them!

All you knead! You can cater for every occasion with the perfectly versatile pizza.

(Makes 4 large pizzas) This recipe was given to me by my photographer, Nick Tresidder’s son Joseph and it never fails! They have a family tradition of pizza Sundays and now we do too. It’s a great way to get interactive with the family or if the kids are older it means they are on […]

Easy to freeze and defrost when you please!

Top of the morning! Treat mum to a healthy breakfast spread that’s sure to make her smile

This is a simple, rustic cake, lightly spicy with a nice nutty bite. You can serve your sultana spice cake warm with cream or ice cream, but it’s also a good picnic or lunchbox kind of cake.

These savoury pancakes are a great easy meal for either breakfast or dinner.

http://www.taste.co.nz/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-leek-pie-cheddar-pastry/

This is hardly a pie – it’s really a stew with a crusty scone topping – but it does the job of a good meat pie; that is, it fills you up with warming inexpensive food.

These dumplings can be made ahead and then reheated in a moderate oven for 3-4 minutes before finishing with almonds, icing sugar and yoghurt dip.

Makes 20 squares. Note

Serve Mixed Berry Clafoutis with low-fat pouring cream if liked. Note

For decoration, slice another banana and arrange on baking paper on a heatproof plate. Microwave on high for 5 minutes to dry, then use to top muffins, before baking. Alternatively, you could use this recipe to make 12 mini muffins, using a smaller muffin-pan. Note

For a more substantial meal, you can add tomato or other vegies to the filling. Note

Decadent chocolate profiteroles are full to bursting with whipped cream and smothered in sweet hot fudge sauce to create this deliciously indulgent dessert by Australian Table.

Try a small star cutter to make a festive ribbon hole. Note

Dates make this cake super moist and full of flavour without being heavy.

Nothing tops off a meal better than my grandmother’s own apple tart, which my mother learnt to make as a young girl in Holland.

This indulgent seasonal dessert, layered with fresh fruit, is ripe for the picking.

When you have lived together as long as Grandad and I have, one develops little strategies for dealing with the inevitable irritations that crop up. My mother used to iron away her stress, the thud of the iron serving as an early warning to us kids of disharmony in the ranks. Ironing was certainly preferable to swigging the cooking sherry like some of the mothers I knew. And as my father was a prickly character, it meant we were assured a constant supply of freshly ironed clothes. Grandad is a man of few words so tiffs are rare – he is more likely to glower meaningfully and stomp off to the shed; whereas I bake bread.Kneading – the physical action of making lumpy dough turn smooth and silken – is pure therapy and the smell as it bakes should be available on prescription. Finally, there’s the joy of slicing that first warm, crusty slice. And all is right with the world once more. But I don’t only bake bread when I’m cross; I make it because it pleases me so much. Hand-made bread is utterly different to store-bought in both texture and flavour and is particularly good toasted and topped with thick slices of Grandad’s heirloom tomatoes.

Even novice cooks should feel confident making Richard’s easy no-knead bread.

If desired, sprinkle these shortbread shapes with caster or demerara sugar before baking. Note

Sprinkling caster sugar on a tea towel prevents cake from sticking during cooling. It is very important to roll this cake while hot to prevent cracking. Note

To make a simple aioli, combine mayonnaise with crushed garlic and grated lemon rind. Note

Cheese and walnut shortbreads

Crab meat is available canned or in chilled section of your supermarket. Remove any remaining shell. Note

I know it’s not the old-fashioned way of making jam, but it is fool proof and sometimes you just need to know it’s going to work and set perfectly. You can use either fresh berries (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries) but also thawed frozen berries. I used half and half. The little knob of butter […]

When time is limited, make your baking work for you. These recipes will take you from afternoon tea to dessert!

This two-tone brownie is a delectable twist on the classic recipe and can be easily dressed up as a decadent dessert.

When time is limited, make your baking work for you. These recipes will take you from afternoon tea to dessert!

This two-tone brownie is a delectable twist on the classic recipe and can be easily dressed up as a decadent dessert.

As if this isn’t sweet and indulgent enough! For a decadent dessert platter, stack slices in a pyramid and drizzle over melted chocolate. It really says “eat me!” I love the addition of oats to the base; they give substance and you can pretend it’s good for you! Note

Alexa Johnston transforms basic dough into buns and herb bread

If you prefer to mix the cake batter using an electric mixer, start on low speed to just combine ingredients, then increase to medium for 1 minute. For best results, be careful not to overbeat. Note

This basic pancake recipe serves up winning pancakes every time

If preferred, in place of prepared salsa use chopped tomato combined with a little green onion and coriander. Note

Makes 16 Note

Proving is essential for yeast to grow and give bread its characteristic texture. Note

If preferred, form dough into a round “cottage loaf” shape and place on a greased baking tray. Makes 1 loaf Note

You will need 1/2 cup orange juice for syrup. Makes 12 Note

If desired, add a pinch of salt to flour when sifting. This is optional, but it does enhance flavour of scones. Leftover dough can be lightly kneaded and rolled for extra scones, but these will be harder and tougher than the first batch due to the extra handling. Scones can be made in the food […]

This damper freezes very well. Just wrap in foil, thaw at room temperature and reheat at 180°C for 5-10 minutes. Note

Vegemite may be replaced with tomato sauce or 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked bacon. Note

Drain tofu and if time permits, press lightly with a plate for a short while, to remove some of excess liquid. Using an oil that can reach a high temperature without burning is important when it comes to frying tofu. Rice bran oil is perfect for this. Note

A traditionally French snack, gougere is a baked savoury cheese choux pastry. It is beautiful enjoyed fresh out of the oven with a cup of coffee for afternoon tea.

Makes 15 Wipe down your frying pan with paper towel between batches to stop the pikelets becoming too brown. Note

Margarines in Australia contain minimal trans fats, but check the nutrition label to ensure that the one you’re buying has less than 1% trans fats (hydrogenated oil) Note

Use up those ripe speckled bananas that come home in the lunchbox for these fluffy hot cakes. The oats set the kids up for a big day ahead. Make them any shape you want!

The summer hols never last long enough. Soon it’s back to school or work. Sophie Gray sends you on your way with a smile and this tasty lunch option