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."

Crumbles are quite uncomplicated and adaptive. Most fruits will work and the topping can be diversified and added to as you wish.

The latest in our series of quick dinners from the recipe archives comes from Michelle Darmody, and is a handy way to get through some fridge and garden staples that might otherwise be overlooked.

Not everyone has space in their kitchen to store mixers and larger baking items. There are many recipes that can be made without such equipment.