Mother's Day

Sweet, rich and fudgey, these chocolate and macadamia squares are beautiful enjoyed with a mug of coffee for an indulgent afternoon tea or dessert.

These traditional Parisian delicacies are named after a palm tree because, when baked, they resemble palm fronds. Palmiers were probably invented as a way to make use of puff pastry scraps; quick and easy, they're great for afternoon tea.

A classic recipe, this beautifully simple cinnamon tea cake is wonderfully light, fluffy and sweet, perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea as an afternoon treat.

The fairer cousin to a brownie, these white chocolate blondies are stuffed with raspberries and macadamia nuts.

Rich, fudgey and utterly decadent, the combination of chocolate and coffee flavours makes this mocha fudge irresistible. Serve with a shot of liqueur for a sophisticated dessert.

This very rich cake is perfect for the grand finale to a dinner party, and should be made ahead and served cold. The cake is almost like a huge truffle in texture; note that no flour is used.

A cross between mandarins and grapefruit, tangelos make a jam that's sweeter than marmalade yet still tart, thanks to the fruit's natural acidity. This jam is particularly good spooned generously over rice pudding.

There's something about warm cake that can turn even the most anti-sweet toothed reaching for the fork. These warm ginger and date muffins with caramel sauce are worth writing home about.

A traditional, German rye bread, pumpernickel has a strong flavour and unique texture. Most often served here in tiny squares as a canape base, freshly made pumpernickel is softer and can be used for open sandwiches or served with soup.

You can finely chop the pistachios in a food processor if you like; use the pulse button, in bursts, for an even texture. Cake flour is lower in protein than plain (all-purpose) flour so it produces a finer, more tender crumb in baking. This cake is best made on the day of serving. Note