We're all looking for things we can do to gear up and get ready for Christmas without that last minute panic of having to get the food prep done all at once.

Here are some scrumptious recipes you may be able to throw together, cover up and pop in the back of the fridge until needed.

First up is Tim Tam Tiramisu - it’s Australian, looks spectacular and will last in the fridge for three days, so you can get creating on December 22.

Ingredients:

• 500g Mascarpone
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup (110g) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (500ml) thickened cream
• 3 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) strong espresso, room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60ml) Kahlua, optional
• 2 x Tim Tams Family Pack (660g)
• Cocoa powder, to dust

Method:

• With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone in large bowl until smooth. Set aside.

• In a heat-proof bowl place egg yolks and sugar, whisking to combine. Place bowl over a small pot of simmering water over medium-low heat. Don’t let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk together until pale and thick. Remove from the heat and add to mascarpone. Beat on medium speed to combine.

• Whip thickened cream and vanilla bean paste to firm peaks (do not overwhip). Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. Place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

• Combine coffee and Kahlua (if using) in a shallow bow, set aside.

• Slice edges off all the Tim tams length ways just enough to reveal the cookie. Soak Tim tams in coffee mixture, then arrange them in serving dish to make one solid layer. Top with half the mascarpone mixture, then remaining soaked Tim tams.

• Put the remaining mascarpone in a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip, then pipe on top layer. Chill for 2-3 hours before dusting with cocoa to serve. Cover leftover tiramisu and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Mini fruit cakes are the all-star of the dessert world. Either love them or hate them, you can prepare these well ahead of time.

These little babies will last for a month to three months in an airtight in the fridge.

You can pelt it into the freezer for a year (the kind with no alcohol).

Fast soaked fruit:

• 300g / 10 oz raisins
• 150g / 5 oz diced dried apricots, chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
• 75g / 2 1/2 oz mixed peel, diced 5mm / 1/5
• 150g / 5 oz glace cherries, chopped 8 mm / 1/3"
• 180g / 6 oz dates, diced 5mm / 1/5"
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp apple juice, OR 1/3 brandy + 2/3 juice

Cake:

• 115g / 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (1 US stick)
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed (or dark brown sugar for a darker crumb, Note 3)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, grapeseed)
• 3 tbsp molasses or golden syrup (Note 4)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 2/3 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Decorating:

• Icing sugar, for dusting
• Christmas fondant – see directions here
• Christmas Pudding Drippy Glaze
• 1 1/2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp / 15g unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 – 3 tbsp milk

Fast Soaked Fruit:

Heat – Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a large microwavable container. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high or until hot.

Soak – Stir to coat all fruit in liquid. Cover then set aside for 1 hour (to plump up/soak and cool).

Cake:

Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan).

Grease and line a 20cm / 8" square cake pan with baking paper, or larger pan to get more cakes out of it.

Beating – Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute on speed 5). Add oil and molasses, beat until combined. Add salt, spices and baking powder – beat until incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated.

Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon, then the dried fruit (including all the extra liquid in bowl) and walnuts (if using).

Pour into the cake pan, it will fill it right to the top (it won't spill over, the cake barely rises). Cover the surface with paper then cover with foil.

Bake 2 1/2 hours – Bake for 2 hours, remove the foil and paper, then bake for a further 30 minutes.

A skewer inserted into middle should come out clean with no batter on it.

Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting.

Cutting – Trim off the sides (to make them neat). Then cut into 9 squares (or more, if you want). Trim the surface (to make them level as the cake slightly domes). Then flip upside down and decorate the base of the cake.

Decorating, gifting and serving

Simple – Dust with icing sugar. That's all this cake needs, it's so full flavoured and moist! Wrap with cellophane and ribbon to gift.

Ribbon – Wrap and tie a ribbon around each cake. Nice way to present for serving. (Optional to include for gift wrapping too, but then there's a double ribbon situation happening – ie ribbon and cake, ribbon on cellophane!)

Drippy white glaze – Mix the icing sugar, butter, vanilla and start with 2 tbsp milk. Mix really well (it will take time to come together, be patient). Then adjust thickness using 1/2 tsp milk at a time. BE CAREFUL – it goes from too thick to too thin very easily!

Goal: Thick glaze that will ooze "pudding style", as pictured, rather than dripping in long streaks. Spoon onto cake, coaxing it down the sides. Allow to set before wrapping.

Fondant – See directions in my classic round Christmas Cake.

Serving – serve with custard for a traditional experience! Either homemade custard or store-bought pouring custard.

Ingredients

▢1 cup plain flour / all-purpose flour

▢1/3 cup cocoa, sifted (unsweetened, not Dutch processed – Note 1)

▢3/4 tsp baking powder

▢3/4 tsp baking soda / bi-carb (Note 2)

▢1 cup white sugar

▢1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

▢1 large egg, at room temperature

▢1/2 cup milk, preferably full fat, at room temperature

▢1/4 cup plain oil, like vegetable, canola, peanut oil

▢1 tsp vanilla extract

▢1/2 cup boiling water

▢1 tsp instant coffee powder, option (Note 3)

Chocolate Buttercream

▢250g / 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

▢4 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar, sifted

▢1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

▢1 tsp vanilla extract

▢5 tbsp milk, preferably full fat

Decorations

▢Dark chocolate, finely shaved using a knife (white chocolate is also pretty)

▢Raspberries, rosemary sprigs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced).

Baking pan – Butter a 40 x 28.5 x 2.5cm cm tray (15.8 x 11.3 x 1" – US standard jelly roll pan) then line with baking paper (parchment paper).

Cake layers

• Whisk dry – Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt, then whisk to combine.
• Mix in wet – Add the egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Dissolve the coffee in the hot water, then add into the batter. Whisk to combine. The batter will be VERY thin!
• Bake – Pour into the pan and bake for 13 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes then use the paper overhang to lift the cake onto a rack and cool for 30 minutes (leave it on the paper). Then refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour before cutting rounds (cake is too soft when freshly baked).
• Assembling & frosting:
• Cutting rounds – Cover the sticky surface with paper. Then flip upside down onto a cutting board (i.e. sticky side down). (Note 4) Peel the paper off the base. Then press out 21 x 6cm / 2.4" rounds (or other size or shape as you desire).
• Pipe frosting – Place a piece of cake on a small piece of paper, using a dab of frosting to stop it from sliding. Pipe coils of frosting on the layers, using 3 rounds for each cake. Pipe frosting around the sides and on the top. (A cake turntable is handy if you've got one but not essential.)
• Smooth frosting – Smooth the frosting using a small offset spatula or knife, taking care to only touch the surface. Avoid touching the cake because it will dislodge crumbs that will end up in your frosting!

Decorate with piles of chocolate shards. I also used raspberries and rosemary for the photos in the post!

Chocolate buttercream:

• Beat butter for 3 minutes on high until soft and fluffy. Add icing sugar in 3 lots.
• Beat it in, starting on low speed then increasing the speed (to avoid a snow storm). Once incorporated, add more icing sugar and repeat.
• Beat 3 minutes – Once the icing sugar has all been added, added the cocoa powder, milk and vanilla. Beat again, starting on low speed then increasing the speed gradually. Once the cocoa is incorporated, beat on high for 3 minutes to make it really nice and fluffy.
• Piping bags – Transfer to a piping bag for frosting. (This is the fastest and easiest way, trust me on this. Even a Ziplock bag will work here).

Assembled cakes will stay fresh in the fridge for five days – the cake sponge has excellent shelf life!

You just can't go past the good ol' no bake cheesecake - especially for people in our area, who would be understandably loathe to put the oven on on a hot day. In my humble opinion, substitute lemon for whatever you want, adapt the recipe as suits; nutella for nutella cheesecake, coffee etc. Go your hardest.

Biscuit crust:

• 200g/7 oz digestive biscuits (13 pieces, 1 2/3 cups crumbs), or other plain biscuits/cookies
• 90g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• Pinch of salt

No-bake cheesecake filling:

• 2 1/4 tsp (9 g) gelatine powder, unflavoured.
• 2 tbsp cold tap water
• 1 cup thickened or heavy cream, or any whipping cream, FRIDGE COLD (Note 3)
• 500g/ 16 oz cream cheese block (not tub), well softened at room temperature (Note 4)
• 3/4 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar (Note 5)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (not critical, can do without)

Optional decorations:

• 6 strawberries, halved (plus extra for serving).
• Whipped cream (half batch for decorating, or full batch for extra to serving on side)

Blitz crumb ingredients.

Press into 20cm/8" inverted base lined springform.

Bloom gelatine in the water, re-melt. Whip cream.

In separate bowl whip cream cheese + sugar, then vanilla, lemon, salt and gelatine.

Fold in 1/4 cream, then remaining cream. Fill crust, fridge 6 hours.

It is excellent for 4 days, and still good at 7 days though the base does start to soften a bit as it continues to take in moisture.

However, be mindful of the shelf life of the cream you used as you will be limited by that, i.e. the cheesecake shelf life will be the short of the expiry date of the cream or seven days.

And if all else fails, cut up some fruit, leave a can of compressed whipped cream on the table, and people can make their own fruit salad sundaes.

Ingredients

• Dough
• 80g unsalted butter
• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• ¼ cup (60ml) water
• 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract.
• 3 2/3 cups (480g) + 2 tbsp (20g) bakers or plain flour, divided
• 2 sachets (14g) yeast
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Filling

• 3/4 cup (110g) brown sugar
• 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon or Queen Cinnamon Baking Paste
• 80g unsalted butter, softened
• Caster sugar to sprinkle on top
• Cream Cheese Glaze
• 60g cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (150g) icing sugar
• vanilla bean paste
• 2 tbsp (40ml) milk, slightly warmed

Method - Dough

Place butter and milk in a small saucepan over a low heat until butter has melted. Remove pan from heat and whisk in water and vanilla. Allow mixture to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook, sift in 3 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt, lightly mix with a spoon. On a low-medium speed, add milk mixture. Add eggs and mix until slightly combined before adding the remaining 2/3 of a cup of flour and continue mixing for 5-10 minutes.

Transfer the dough into and oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place and leave until doubled in size (about an hour).

Grease and flour a large loaf pan (23cm x 13cm x 6cm) and set it aside ready for the dough. Punch down the dough to let out the air and if it is still sticky, knead in the extra 2 tablespoons of flour. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour on the bench and roll the dough out into a rectangle about 40cm by 30cm.

Method - Filling

While dough is resting, mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.

Spread butter over the rolled dough.

Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over butter layer, and cut dough into 6 even strips down the length of the dough.

Stack the pieces on top of each other and cut into 6 even pieces.

Place slices a couple at a time into the tin, lining them up in a row, making sure the sugared sides all face the same direction. If needed, progressively press the dough toward the back of tin in order to fit in all the dough.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size (45 minutes).

After 30 minutes of rising, preheat oven to 160C (fan-forced). Lightly sprinkle the top of the loaf with caster sugar and bake for 30-35 minutes. Leave it to rest in the tin for 30 minutes while making the cream cheese drizzle.

Method - Cream Cheese Glaze

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together and whisk until smooth. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Remove loaf from tin onto serving tray and generously drizzle with cream cheese icing and serve warm.

Recipe Notes:

• Rising times may vary depending on time of day and season.
• The addition of baker’s flour creates a lighter, more tender dough.
• If using Queen Cinnamon Baking Paste, simply mix paste with softened butter before spreading over dough.
• Prep ahead:
• Filled and formed loaf can be frozen before its final proof/rise. Simply ensure frozen dough is kept in an airtight container. Defrosting and final proofing will take approximately 4-5 hours from frozen.