Try making these Christmas spiced jam tarts, filo cranberry and apple mini tarts, or nut cluster tarts instead

Try Christmas spiced ice-cream (and you don't need an ice-cream-maker for this one) 

— eat them when they're freshly baked or top them with ganache or icing

— old-fashioned, certainly, but there is a warmth and satisfaction to these too

— it's warming and creates a cosy scent as it bakes

Batch baking can be handy if you have a busy few days ahead and want to be prepared. These baked goods can be frozen and eaten later.  In the case of the cookies, you can freeze the dough before baking and then pop them in the oven to bake as needed.

A good fresh cooking apple will do the trick for these recipes.

There's zero room for melancholy with this array of seasonal treats

I am finding it handy to make a few extra savoury treats for those less exuberant days, and either store them in an airtight container in the fridge or pop a few pieces into the freezer.

"The oil made from crushed sesame seeds is a particularly popular ingredient in Asian cooking and can be used as a back note to a salad dressing."