Cocktail party

A sophisticated take on the classic Italian dessert.

The perfect cocktail to sip on a warm summer afternoon.

Two of your favourite things in one elegant glass - the ideal after dinner pick-me-up.

Look forward to the good times with a colourful fizz.

A feast not only for the eyes but the tastebuds, too.

A cocktail perfect for summer entertaining.

You'll come back to this one over and over again.

Make the snacks the highlight of your next party.

They'll be a hit at your next party! As will the lemon and fennel seed aioli.

Cured salmon the Scandinavian way. You can use gin in place of vodka if you prefer.

This classic sweet quince paste is a great accompaniment to cheese, or can be melted down and used in fruit tarts and pies.

Create your own delicious marinade that will suit either green or black olives.

A classic Indian dish re-created into a delicious hand-held feast for the whole family to enjoy!

Watch out! This is a seriously addictive snack.

Quite a pickle.

Fresh and flavour-packed, try this on for a midweek dinner or easy workday lunch.

Crispy on the outside wth a soft and fragrant filling.

So much to love about these tasty favourites.

Salty and strong, there's nothing like a classic margarita to liven up the party.

Recreate this clasic cocktail at home.

Grab the pita's and get dipping.

Recreate the height of fashionable 70's food with these delicious prawn cocktails.

Traditionally served as an antipasto (starter), here we have made our caprese salad a little more substantial with the addition of grilled chicken skewers and peach cheeks.

The pan bagnat (pronounced with a French accent, more like "pahn bahn-yuh") is a classic sandwich from Nice (pronounced like "niece") and features many ingredients familiar to us from the popular salad Niçoise.

Simple and satisfying bite-sized tarts featuring creamy brie and the sweetness of caramelised leek.

These delicious tuna sushi style sandwiches are perfect for a kids' lunchbox or light snack with drinks.

Christmas doesn't have to be without luxury. Serve this refreshing ginger cocktail with oysters on a bed of ice.

This simple recipe gives a gourmet edge to the classic toasty. With silky smoked salmon, cream cheese and crunchy rye bread you'll breathe new life into a lunch time staple.

There is no better match than cream cheese and soft smoked salmon. With dill, mint, capers and lemon juice you'll find you just can't stop eating these refreshing pinwheels.

Asian-revered bean curd with herbs and encased in light batter, produces healthy and yummy bite-size snacks - the perfect starters to serve guests at your next social gathering.

The juicy flavours of lychee and lime blend with a cheeky splash of vodka and soda water for a minty refreshment.

Serve your guests this delicious canape that takes just 15 minutes to make. Just drizzle cranberry sauce over juicy chicken strips and serve on a crisp lettuce leaf.

Use seasonal fruit of choice and to suit your budget. Note

Light, creamy and packed full of flavour, this gorgeous avocado pate is beautiful spread on crackers and served as part of a tasting plate for afternoon tea or nibbles to accompany a glass of wine.

This is an excellent way to use pearly white button mushrooms when you can find them. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. Note

Croutes are best assembled close to serving. Note

Not suitable to freeze or microwave Note

Cool, fruity and refreshing, this beautiful pomegranate cosmopolitan is perfect for a night out with your friends or relaxing afternoon drinks on a hot Summer's evening.

Potato and pastrami tortillas

Royal reds are deep-sea prawns always sold peeled – they are a cheaper alternative to other varieties. 200g extra uncooked prawns, shelled, could be used, if preferred. Note

Use shallow patty pans, if preferred. Change the filling-try wilted spinach and feta, char-grilled vegetables and brie or caramelised onion and blue cheese. Note

Lillet is a French aperitif made from a blend of Bordeaux wine and citrus liqueur and it comes in blanc, rose or rouge. Often served chilled with a slice of lemon or orange, it’s also a refreshing way to toast the approach of spring.

This colourful loaf is stuffed full of bright and healthy Mediterranean vegetables and makes a delicious change from the usual sandwiches.

Instead of mango, use another soft fruit of choice. Toast the sesame seeds by stirring them in a frying pan over a medium heat 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Note

You need two limes for this recipe. You can buy cinnamon sugar from most supermarkets or make your own. Combine 1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar with a pinch of ground cinnamon. You can buy sugar syrup from liquor stores or make your own. Stir 1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar with 1 cup (250ml) water […]

If you're looking for a simple and tasty finger food to that will please a crowd, look no further than these salmon quichettes. They are delicious hot or cold and a also make a perfect after school snack.

This smoked salmon pate is delicious and ridiculously easy to prepare. Enhance your presentation by experimenting with pretty moulds and serve with a selection of crackers or vegetable sticks.

Making your own crackers may seem like a lot of effort for something that can be easily be bought from the supermarket, but just one bite of these tomato basil crackers and you'll be convinced it's totally worth it.

This delicious tuna dip is versatile enough to be a healthy quick and easy after school snack or part of your next cocktail party repertoire. Serve with tortilla chips or sticks of carrot, cucumber and celery.

Fire up your oysters with a shot of mirin and fierce wasabe. Finely chopped cucumber adds a cool edge to this spicy little concoction. Great as a starter, or for handing round a platter with a difference at a party.

There may well be some time investment here, but your efforts will be worth it. These chicken teriyaki brown rice sushi rolls look fabulous and the brown rice filling makes it an extra nutritious snack.

Is there a more classic cocktail than the martini? With this recipe we've gone all 007 with a gin martini, shaken not stirred, one olive added.

The potato in this smoked trout dip adds a lovely robust flavour and a creamy texture. It goes beautifully with tostini, crackers, or vegetable sticks

Don't wait until your next trip to a tropical island to enjoy this classic cocktail. Just 5 minutes' preparation will have you imagining you're already there.

Perfect for passing around as finger food at a cocktail party or other celebration, these delicious little sushi bites are given added bite by their pickled green onion topper.

Affogato is a hugely popular Italian dessert that is composed of a small bowl of ice-cream, a shot of espresso and, sometimes, a shot of liqueur. These chocolate and cinnamon affogato shots are our cheeky take on the original.

These salt and pepper prawns look and taste fabulous. They are easily and quickly prepared and can be served as part of a casual seafood barbecue or as finger food for a cocktail party.

Empanadas are the perfect snack to serve at a barbecue or cocktail party. They are also delicious cold and make a tasty addition to the kids' school lunch boxes.

Add a touch of sophistication to your next gathering with these prawn croutes with lime aioli. They look and taste amazing. Lime aioli can be prepared in advance, and prawns can be shelled several hours ahead.

Few people can resist the temptation of freshly cooked vegetable crisps. While potato is the commonly chosen option, consider the humble eggplant. You'll be surprised how tasty these crispy morsels can be.

Otherwise known as char siu bao, barbecue pork buns are a traditional Cantonese comfort food. The soft, pillowy exterior hides a delicately flavoured filling. You won't stop at just one.

One of the true classics from cocktail history, a Tom Collins is a gin based cocktail spiked with lemon, sweetened with sugar and finished off with a maraschino cherry.

Perfect as a finger food for your next cocktail party, these deep-fried prawns with dipping sauce won't last long. If you pre-prepare the dipping sauce and buy the prawns pre-shelled and de-veined, the dish can be prepared in just a few minutes.

Making finger food often seems fiddly and time consuming, but the ability to buy ready made pastry cases and good quality chicken mean that these dainty smoked chicken and asparagus quiches will be ready before you know it.

For a new take on deep-fried fish, try this crispy and delicious whiting tempura. Cut into smaller pieces for finger food and serve alongside the dipping sauce, or with a crisp salad as a main meal.

Simple, herbed prawn skewers make a great starter for a dinner party, or share platter for a celebration or barbecue.

These little spinach and cheese parcels are very tasty extremely versatile; you can serve them on their own, as a soup accompaniment, or as part of an antipasto platter.

Perfect as part of a spread of shared starters or just as a snack, this garlic toast with feta and olive dip is also quick and easy to make.

These potato and goat cheese puffs will make a moreish and tasty addition to your next dinner party hors-d'oeuvre selection. To save on time, make them in advance and cook just before serving.

These crostini are absolutely delicious and ideal for a dinner or cocktail party.

Served with chopped parsley and a drizzle of yoghurt, these spicy lamb pastry boats are fantastic for a party.

Wow your guests with these delightful canapés.

Serve these moreish mini croissants at your next party and watch as they quickly disappear.

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.

Champagne adds sparkle to a traditional brandy, orange liqueur and lemon juice side-bar. We used cointreau for this recipe but you could use any orange-flavoured liqueur you like.

These prosciutto wrapped lamb cutlets hide a delicious creamy and boldly flavoured centre. Serve with some grilled mediterranean vegetables for a tasty, low-carb meal.

Little fried cheese pastries. Four different types of cheese and a sliver of salami. Yes, they taste as good as they sound. You're welcome.

Bhaji is a classic Indian snack similar to a fritter; it has several variants and is sometimes known as pakora. Onion based bhaji is very popular, but we've used zucchini and carrot here. Served with mango chutney, they're divine.

Serve this delicious smoked salmon bruschetta to your guests at your next gathering. Topped with a sprig of fresh dill, and served with a glass of bubbles, they will be sure to please.

Carpaccio is the perfect Italian starter dish of thinly sliced raw Kingfish. Much like ceviche, the fish is served raw, but 'cooked' in a food acid like lemon or lime juice.

You can prepare the chicken the night before; store, covered, in the refrigerator. If using bamboo skewers, wrap the ends in foil to prevent them from burning. Note

These crunchy beef dumplings with sweet chilli dipping sauce are the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

Perfect for a party, these mini sandwiches look great and are so easy to prepare.