American

Eating gluten-free doesn't mean your baking days are over! These gluten-free chocolate fudge brownies are dense, chocolatey and immensely satisfying.

Ideal for kids and adults alike, these juice burgers with mustard mayonnaise are sharp and tasty.

Use the best quality mince you can for these gourmet beef burgers, you'll be glad you did once you taste them!

Try this classic family meal with the added flavour of creamy mustard sauce.

Also known as corn dogs, these battered sausages are a favourite among the kids.

These tasty little spinach and corn pasties are sure to be a firm favourite with young and old. Great for lunches, after-school snacks and lunchboxes.

You get a double berry hit with these fat little hotcakes studded with strawberries and slathered with blueberry sauce. Perfect for an indulgent brunch or special breakfast.

Nutty brownies are the best brownies, and these pecan and chocolate brownies are right at the top of the pile. Pecans mild flavour and soft texture makes them ideal for baking.

Assuming you find yourself with left-over doughnuts to hand, a big assumption granted, there's no better way to eat them than grilled with maple syrup.

There's nothing like a piece of homemade rocky road, and the best thing is that you can play around with the ingredients, adding more or less of your favourite bits or choosing to use a different type of nut.

Indulge in the taste of the Deep South with this Cajun-spiced steak.

The real pleasure in this lime meringue pie lies in the airy heap of soft meringue, crisped golden in places. And in the piquant lime curd and biscuity base. Also, in scoffing a big slice of it.

You'll only need one slice of this dense, dark and rich chocolate mud cake to be utterly hooked, but you'll definitely want more. Just to be sure.

Tender, succulent lamb shanks and creamy black-eye beans together make a hearty soup. Serve with crusty bread and a liberal sprinkling of freshly chopped coriander.

This recipe can be made a week ahead. Note

This mile-high frosted layer cake, stuffed with raspberries and passionfruit, makes a real statement and a stunning centrepiece for any celebration.

Serve these divine little blueberry hotcakes with walnuts and lashings of maple syrup for a decadent breakfast or brunch treat.

Choc-chip cookies are always a crowd pleaser and these mega choc-chip cookies will be hugely popular. Generously sized, crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle. Perfect.

This lime and poppy seed syrup cake is topped with fragrant lime zest. Before you grate the lime, make sure it is at room temperature and roll it, pressing down hard with your hand, on the kitchen bench to bring out the oil in the peel.

A true American classic, pumpkin pie is traditionally served at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sweet and spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger and all-spice, this pie is at it's best served with a dollop of cream or a scoop of ice-cream.

Just as yummy as a pumpkin scone, and more useful for breakfast on the go or lunch-boxes. A delicious variation to this rosemary pumpkin bread is to add 100g crumbled soft goat cheese or crumbled soft blue cheese to the pumpkin mixture.

Smooth, sweet and glossy, here is a recipe for royal icing that you can use on your cakes, cupcakes and desserts.

You can dip just about any fruit that takes your fancy into chocolate fondue, bananas would be a good addition, as would marshmallows.

This Mexican-style corn soup is delicately spiced with garlic, chilli and cumin. The crunchy tortilla strips and jalapeños sour cream are both moreish, so make sure to have plenty on hand.

Tender morsels of meat and sweet chilli sauce combine to make these barbecued beef ribs finger-lickingly good. Be sure to prepare enough per person, or you'll have people fighting over the last bone!

Ditch the store-bought version that is often laden with preservatives and sugars, and go for this delicious homemade version of everyone's favourite spread.

Corn or vegetable oil can be used instead of the peanut oil. Note

You will need about 2 limes for this recipe. Note

You need four passionfruit to get the required amount of pulp. Note

You need one small overripe banana (130g) for the amount of mashed banana used in this recipe. Whoopie pies are best eaten the day they are made. Note

Use any scraps of pastry to make trees, people or other decorations and bake with walls. Candy canes and lollipops also make good decorations. Note

Oatmeal, also sold as oatmeal flour, is made from milled oat kernels; it is not the same product as rolled oats or oat bran. It is available at health food stores. Note

Place sultanas in large colander; wash under running water until water runs clear and sultanas are plump; drain well (step 3). Remove rind from oranges with a zester (glacé orange rind). Note

Pecans are a native American nut; they were introduced to the world through this famous pie. Note

Gingerbread can be made up to a week ahead, store in an airtight container. The house can be assembled 5 days ahead, keep covered in a cool dry place. In hot humid weather, the toffee should be made on the day of serving. Note

This cocktail should be made with the best bourbon you can buy. Use a 300ml highball glass. Note

This recipe makes a lot of little one-bite shortbreads. If you like, make 50 shortbreads and freeze the remaining log, wrapped in baking paper then plastic wrap, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and baking. You will need to halve the butter cream frosting if only baking 50 shortbreads. […]

We rimmed the cocktail glass with pink sugar; simply add a drop of red food colouring to sugar and mix well. Note

Makes 10-12 maple snaps. Maple snaps can be cooked one day in advance and stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container. Ice-cream can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Note

EQUIPMENT Oven trays 6cm heart cutter paper piping bag 30cm square or round cake board The gingerbread house can be assembled 3 days ahead. Bake gingerbread a day before it’s required and store in an airtight container. Secure the roof panels to the birdhouse with royal icing; hold in place until set. Secure the walls […]

Keeping time: 2 days. Note

Try layering various herb leaves, such as sage, inside the potato wafers. You can also use russet burbank or spunta potatoes for this recipe. Note

Crispy, crunchy and delicious Southern fried chicken from Australian Women's Weekly.

Quirky little sausage and pastry treats that are great for children's parties.

A slab of American-style pork spareribs will consist of between 7 and 10 ribs each. After the meat is cooked, separate the ribs with a knife then eat them in your hands. Note

An Italian-American dish of chicken breasts, capers, parsley and Marsala wine.

equipment 25cm (10-inch) round wooden cake board Smoothing tools Set of 3 snowflake plunger cutters (small, medium, large) Fine artist’s paint brush Paper piping bag The sanding sugar gives the snowflakes a lovely texture, however, if you can’t find it, don’t worry, the snowflakes look divine without it. Snowflakes can be made months ahead. Store […]

Pie can be prepared a day ahead. Note

Sticky, smoky American-style pork ribs with a zesty and crunchy slaw.

The classic reuben was always assembled then cooked in a frying pan. Making one in your sandwich press not only saves on washing up but keeps it slightly healthier because the bread doesn’t have to be buttered on the outside as for pan-frying. Plus, the cheese melts inside the sandwich without oozing out into the […]

Pork cutlets like you've never seen before with the sweet and smokey flavours of maple, bourbon and pear.

The inspiration for this tasty salad is that famous New York deli sandwich, the Reuben, a universal favourite ever since its creation in the early 1900s.

To tell if a peach is ripe, look around the stem of the peach, the absence of green skin plus a strong peach aroma indicates ripeness. If the skin is slightly green, it is not ripe. If peach stones are difficult to remove, leave them during roasting, they will come out more easily after cooking. […]

Chicken can be coated with parmesan several hours ahead. Place in a single layer on a plate and keep refrigerated. Cook chicken and prepare salad as required. Note

A classic hearty chicken stew that originated in southern Louisiana.

It’s important to not grease the tube pan, the cake mixture needs to cling to the pan as it rises during the baking process. Tube pans are large smooth-sided ring pans with small “feet” to support the inverted pan while the cake cools. If the cake doesn’t drop from the pan when it becomes cold, […]

Bake one cake at a time, unless you have access to two savarin pans. Have the sprinkles close by for decorating, as this icing sets rapidly after it has been warmed. If you’re not happy with the icing, leave it to set completely, then snap or lift off any ugly pieces on the cake or […]

You could also use coliban or sebago potatoes for this recipe. Note

Ask the butcher to cut the rib racks into pieces that will fit your slow cooker. Note

For a healthier option, use olive-oil spray instead of butter for pastry sheets. School prawns (shrimp) can also be used, or try crab or lobster meat. Note

You will need to cook 350g pumpkin for the amount of mashed pumpkin required in this recipe. Note

Chipotle chillies in adobo sauce are sold in small cans from delicatessens and specialist food stores; they have a medium-hot smoky taste. Any leftover chillies will keep with their sauce in a small screw-top jar in the fridge for up to 3 months. Substitute with a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a pinch of chilli […]

Have a Tex-Mex night with these delicious lamb fajitas, guacamole and salsa cruda.