Gift or Present

This strawberry and cherry jam recipe is perfect for Christmas Day, as the hints of cinnamon and vanilla give it a beautiful festive flavour. Have it with scones in the morning for breakfast!

For something a bit different this Christmas, gift a jar of prettily stacked brownie mix, which your recipient can transform into baked deliciousness with ease! All you need to do is stack the dry ingredients, write a note and voilà!

These gingernut truffles are the ideal way to get a bite-size of delicious flavour! A great gift idea or easy snack to get you through the working week.

There's nothing quite like the caramel creaminess of butterscotch, so add it together with marshmallows and fudge and you've got a winner! This recipe is perfect for a sweet Christmas gift.

These Christmas cake brownie pops make great little presents for teachers or neighbours and can be wrapped and tied with pretty ribbon. Or keep them for a special treat on Christmas day!

These are fun biscuits that are easy to make and great to have on hand for guests who drop in. You could also make batches to give as cute edible Christmas gifts - just pop some in a glass jar and tie a ribbon around the top!

This is such a lovely Nici Wickes jam recipe! It’s so seasonal and great as a little Christmas gift for anyone. And it can be made ahead of time, so you won't get stuck in the Christmas rush.

Buy cute little boxes, or recycle some, and gift these gorgeous flavour bombs to your friends and family for Christmas. They couldn’t be easier to make or more delicious to eat!

Decadent as well as pretty, these Christmas crisps are a real treat to gift to friends. Although you might want to keep a few for yourself too - these little sweets are too good to give up!

Homemade biscotti makes a wonderful Christmas gift, as it keeps well and it’s much better than the store-bought variety. Your friends and family will definitely be impressed!

Nici Wickes shares her mum's delicious gift idea. This recipe sees one big batch of Christmas cake mix divided between smaller loaf tins and dressed up with a simple icing and some glacé cherries

Nici Wickes' chewy meringue recipe creates a wonderful gift. They’re very shelf-stable, will last for ages in an airtight container and can be made ahead of time. Plus, they’re absolutely delicious!

This Nici Wickes recipe is a variation of the Italian shortbread-like butter biscuit that's traditionally dipped into chocolate. They are rich but not too sweet, and the chocolate coating is almost chewy

Nici Wickes' spiced nuts recipe creates such a scrumptious snack that's perfect for sharing. These oh-so-moreish treats are savoury yet sweet and can easily whipped up in less than an hour.

Mum’s made this cake for many years since her dear Aussie friend Lynne shared it with her. It is always a success, thus their friendship remains intact! Photography by Todd Eyre

This spicy oil makes an attractive, useful gift. As well as giving pizza a kick, it is superb in vinaigrettes or wherever you use oil but yearn for a little extra heat. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

This gift takes a few months (so start now for the following Christmas), but the magic and shared wonder is well worth the wait. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

This icy cold limoncello keeps guests guessing as to how the lemon got inside the bottle. The secret is patience. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

Like the hot, roasted, sugared nuts sold outside the marchés aux puces, the Parisian flea markets, these peanuts are gorgeous and fragrant. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

Rich and warming, these dark morsels are a delicious treat on their own or a great way to finish off a Mexican-inspired summer meal. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

Good-quality smoked paprika teamed with creamy cashews with a slight bite of heat makes these nuts a perfect pre-barbecue snack. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

Salty and crunchy, these apéritifs are like the snack nuts you find in bars all over New York. Make sure you make more than you need as you’ll consume a few while packaging them. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

This chutney is a summer favourite, not only is it great with strong hard cheese, it is the perfect match for thick slabs of cold Christmas ham jammed into fresh bread. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

Incredibly easy to make and yet so gorgeous to look at, this edible gift is a fun one for the kids to make. There are three flavour combinations but the method is the same. Photography by Jani Shepherd/Gatherum Collectif.

Perfect as a festive season gift or special treat, these buttery shortbread rise to new heights with the pairing of vanilla and cinnamon.

These tasty biscuits spread some festive cheer with their bright red and green colours. Perfect to decorate with the kids and hang on the tree or hand out as Christmas goodies to your friends.

Make a batch of your very own Limoncello liqueur to give to family and friends as exciting Christmas or birthday gifts, or enjoy a glass on your own to wind down after a long day.

Gather your friends for a cup of tea or coffee with these delicious shortbread bikkies filled with glazed cherry pieces and flakes of almond.

Create the perfect little snack in no time at all with just three ingredients: icing sugar, cinnamon and all the almonds you can eat.

You'll finally understand why Edmund was tempted into joining the White Witch in 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' when you taste this treat. Sticky, sweet and pink there's a reason it's called a delight.

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!

Cheese and walnut shortbreads

If preferred, substitute cinnamon sugar for caster sugar and cinnamon, available in spice section of supermarkets. Note

If preferred, other dried fruit may be used in place of glace cherries. Note

This recipe can be made up to two weeks ahead; store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, but not in the refrigerator. Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

This recipe can be made several days ahead. To refresh pies before serving, heat in a moderate oven until warm, about 10 minutes, then allow to cool. Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Uncooked dough suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Note

Pink grapefruit marmalade, fruit recipe, brought to you by Australian Women's Weekly

Can be made four days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

Rhubarb is available all year and is usually sold as 500g bunches, trimmed of tops, which makes about 3/4 cup of cooked rhubarb. 1 cup chopped raw rhubarb is about 125g. Note

Instead of savoiardi, you can use any type of biscuit you. like, including gingernut, shortbread or plain digestives. Note

Use any combination of dried fruit and nuts. Note

Adjust rosewater quantity according to taste. When rolling balls in chocolate, work in batches so chocolate doesn’t set before you sprinkle it with sugar. Note

Craft sticks are in craft stores and some newsagents. Food colouring in little dropper bottles is easier to use for these lollipops. Note

Add 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, cinnamon or mixed spice to flour mixture. Dairy-free spread will break down if overmixed; beat gently until just combined. Note

You could also use milk or white chocolate. Note

Rather than joining 2 biscuits with lemon curd, serve swirls plain. Ti make the biscuits chocolate, omit lemon zest and juice, and replace the 2 tablespoons of cornflour with cocoa powder. Sandwich with bought chocolate hazelnut spread. Note

The more thinly you roll out the dough portions, the more pretty swirls your biscuits will have. Note

You’ll find lollipop sticks at craft and cake decorating shops. You can use wooden popsicle sticks instead. Try chocolate or Madeira cake instead of fruitcake. Try plum jam instead of apricot. Note

Add grated lemon or orange zest for extra flavour. Try drizzling stars with melted white chocolate. Note

Whip up these gifts from the heart for a song in your home kitchen.

White Christmas

These pans come in a tray like a muffin pan and are available from specialty kitchenware shops. Use a 12 hole medium muffin pan instead if you like. Note

A candy/sugar thermometer will reach 160°C when the syrup is ready. Note

For something different, you could try a mixture of hazelnuts and almonds. Note

If liked, reserve some toblerone and press into the top of each friand with the strawberries. Note

Crush lollies for windows in a food processor, separating into different colours, if desired. To warm syrup, remove lid and heat in the microwave on high for 20 seconds. For gingerbread trees, cut tress shaped cookies from dough. Bake and decorate. Secure in an upright position with icing. We used mini wheats to make roof […]

It only takes 30 minutes to cook this peach and ginger chutney, which has a nice bit of spice and heat.

Home made preserves are so very simple to make, and there's so much pleasure to be had from eating jam you made yourself.

An easy, tasty gift idea.

Salted caramel took the world by storm a few years ago, and as a go-to sweet treat, it's not going anywhere anytime soon. These salted peanut caramels are perfectly sticky, chewy, nutty and salty.

Package jumbled pieces of these delectable Christmas biscuits in a bag or box with a note to tell the recipient they need to solve the puzzle before they can eat it!

Marshmallows are best eaten on the day they are made when they are at their softest. Note

Crunchy and decadent, these amazing almond caramel bars make the perfect gift.

Spiced with ginger, these dark chocolate truffles make a delectable after dinner treat with a cup of coffee or a digestif.

This pretty marbled chocolate thins are easier to make than you'd expect, marbling the chocolate can be almost therapeutic once you get the hang of it. Avoid rapid cooling and don't put the sheets in the fridge to set, you want the chocolate to be set firm but not brittle when you're ready to use the cutters.

These ginger oat cookies go splendidly with coffee or tea and make a lovely gift.

For bold icing colours, we used powdered food colourings, available from cake decorating shops and some health food stores. Mixing the powder with a small amount of hot water, before stirring into the icing, gives a better result; liquid colourings can be used for pale colours. Note

Rich and decadent, you'll only need a small square of this lovely fudge to satisfy the sweetest of cravings. Enjoy with your afternoon cuppa.

These gooey, delicious two-tone brownies make an excellent gift! Jazz them up with a little cellophane and ribbon.

The perfect balance of sweet, salty and crunchy, these delicious caramel peanut hearts are the perfect weekend snack, or gift for loved ones.

These crunchy Italian treats are perfect with hot espresso coffee.

We used a store-bought lemon curd in this recipe. Biscuits can be made a day ahead; they are best filled on the day of serving. Note

These bite sized truffles make great gifts, especially at Christmas, as well as a sweet treat for parties or afternoon teas. If you want to go all out, dust with little fragments of gold leaf.