Gingerbread Gift Cake

The flavour of gingerbread cookies magically becomes a fork-friendly moist cake complete with candy decor. Gather little hands to help decorate and many mouths to help devour this sweet holiday treat. For the best gift-wrapped look, choose 1-inch (2.5 cm) wide fruit leather candy strips.

Cannelloni with Lemon Ice Cream and Warm Berry Compote

My advice at Bacchus: save room for desserts. They are decadent — and shareable. Here, tangy lemon ice cream fills a crisp tuile playfully shaped like Italian pasta.

Citrus Éclairs

Mini Cherry Almond Christmas Cakes

Make these golden amaretto-soaked cakes a month ahead so they have plenty of time to develop the perfect level of mellow boozy flavour.

Dark Chocolate Bûche de Noël

A traditional holiday recipe, this popular Yule log is a cinch to make in stages, ready to assemble the day before serving.

Mini Carrot Cake Trifles

Scrumptious layers of carrot cake, pineapple, candied walnuts and a luscious cream cheese custard make these tiny trifles a must-try for carrot cake lovers. Make them a day ahead and simply add the garnish before your guests arrive.

Vol-au-Vent of Mussels, Shrimp and Scallops

This is an appetizer dish that has a number of steps: the seafood, sauce and puff pastry cases. At The Little Inn, the chefs make the components ahead of time — and so can you.

The Ultimate Chocolate Layer Cake

If the stomach is indeed the way to a loved one's heart, then this ultra-decadent chocolate cake is sure to seal the deal. Just as easy and versatile as a cake mix— but way more moist and delicious—it's a recipe you'll want to make again and again.

Chocolate Orange Crêpe Cake

Don't worry if a few crêpes aren't perfectly round; just layer the less attractive ones in the centre of the cake and no one will be the wiser. A bar zester makes perfect, delicate strips of rind and comes in handy when preparing the orange zest topping.

Daniel's Favourite Pot Stickers

My dad is the family's official butcher and meat carver, expertly chopping barbecued duck and pork into bite-size pieces on his makeshift butcher block. When carving turkey, Dad (who loves his gadgets) always trusts his electric carving knife for what he insists is “even” slicing. That carving knife has been the butt of many jokes over the years, but using it has turned into tradition, and our turkey dinners would not be the same without it.

My mom would make Dad's favourite dumplings – called gao ji – to serve alongside a steaming bowl of congee or fried noodles. Traditionally these dumplings are pleated on one side, but we have eliminated this step to simplify the recipe. Enjoy them as is, or with a little soy sauce or Chinese red or black vinegar for dipping. You'll need at least 45 wrappers, and you can freeze any leftovers. – Irene Fong