Chocolate Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise

Indulgent and luscious, this bread pudding is an ideal centrepiece for brunch or the ultimate sweet afternoon treat. The best part is that it uses up two perennial holiday leftovers: day-old bread and decadent chocolates.

Minty Meltaways

Melt-in-your-mouth peppermint drops are creamy and cool – a perfect treat to accompany a hot winter beverage. Lightly smashing the candy canes with a rolling pin makes a good mix of peppermint dust and chunks of red and white for a festive pop of colour.

Honey Pecan Pie Squares

Classic pecan pie gets a bite-size makeover with these crunchy pecan-packed squares. Toothsome shortbread is the perfect base, adding a delightful contrast. Chill the squares before cutting for a smooth, easy slice.

Carrot Cake for a Crowd

We bulked up our favourite recipe to fill a 20-cup (5 L) metal cake pan, such as a 14- x 14- x 2-inch (35 x 35 x 5 cm) square or 15- x 11- x 2-inch (38 x 28 x 5 cm) rectangle. You can rent these from some cake-decorating stores, or buy one online at goldaskitchen.com. Or use two 13- x 9- x 2-inch (3.5 L) pans.

Red Velvet Cake

Snowy Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Sugared Pecan Fudge Squares

Each layer of these bars is a delicious treat on its own; together, they become the star of any goodie tray. To make them gluten-free, be sure to use oat flour that's labelled as such. If you choose not to use pasteurized egg whites, whisk a fresh egg white until frothy and measure out one tablespoon.

No-Bake Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Swirl Squares

Refrigerate the dulce de leche mixture to firm it up before swirling. Keep the plain mixture at room temperature though, as it's already quite firm.

Maple-Glazed Baked Doughnuts

Coconut & Strawberry Panna Cotta

This is that amazing time of year when the sun is shining, birds are chirping, bees are buzzing and the fresh strawberry harvest is underway. Sure, we love these little bites of delight any old time, but local, homegrown ones always taste best!