— cakes made with this versatile ingredient are a real pick-me-up on a winter's day

— seeds are little bundles of energy and these bars store well in containers

— and a rich beetroot and chocolate cake

— this 'snowman' icing can be used to decorate your Christmas cake too

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.