Cooking the beans ahead simplifies last-minute preparations.
Celebrate this summer's reunion with a cake displaying your family tree. To get it to the picnic, cover it with a cake dome, or place toothpicks at 2-inch (5 cm) intervals around top edge and drape with plastic wrap, then transport it in a cooler.
This playful take on our classic brownie formula creates a peppermint-flavoured square with a festive tartan-patterned top. Disposable piping bags are easy to use and don't require tedious washing; choose ones with narrow tips for thin, elegant lines. Leave one of these delicious treats by the chimney for Santa.
Fiery looking in a bowl but cool on a spoon, gazpacho is a hot-weather dish from Spain. Although traditional, there's nothing old-fashioned about this refreshing half salad/half soup that's make-ahead, low in fat and high in garden-fresh flavour. Whether it's peppered-up Fire and Ice, the milder classic version or any of the herb variations, a bowl of this chunky soup makes an easy beginning to summer meal or satisfying weeknight supper.
Budding rock stars can celebrate with this tasty electric guitar. Instead of two 9-inch (2.5 L) square cakes as in Easy Chocolate Cake recipe, make one square cake and 12 cupcakes; bake in two batches.
Available in 400 g packages, cooked thick yellow miki noodles are ready to use – and the perfect amount for two. If you can't find them, use Shanghai-style noodles instead (see Tip), but you'll only need half the package.
Sweet-and-sour balsamic-glazed shallots are tossed with crisp beans in this tasty side. Take the stress out of hosting dinner by preparing your shallots and green beans ahead of time, then tossing them together with the remaining ingredients just before serving. Shallots shrink as they cook and can vary in size, so quarter only the larger ones and halve any smaller ones.
For extra flavour, add a slice of lemon, a celery stalk and/or a green onion to the poaching water for the chicken.
Take simple tree ornaments to the next level with these pretty 3D cookies. Place them in clear jars on your holiday table, then pass them out as impressive party favours at the end of the night. For a perfectly even green tint, thoroughly knead the food colouring into the dough.
