The odd cuppa wont hurt the kids and a sweet, spicy chai is as warming and tasty as hot chocolate.

A tortilla press is cheap and great fun to use, but a plate or pan will do for these simple, versatile tortillas.

Had enough of hummus? Try this tangy cheese dip instead great for lunch with pitta bread and crudites.

These quick and easy mini trifles are a great way to round off Sunday lunch on a cold winter's dayThis weekend, faced with making a great big sponge cake for my daughter's fifth birthday party, I kept all the trim from the sponge, wrapped it ...

Liven up winter breakfasts with the addition of fruit, sugar and spice - it might not suit porridge purists, but everyone else will love itOh dear, the kids are already fed up with porridge in the morning and it's still only November. Granted, it is...

Pumpkins aren't just for Halloween - these tasty tapas will go down a treat on any autumn nightIt's not right that when Halloween has passed, pumpkins become instantly redundant. More fool us; we are only halfway through the British pumpkin growing season...

No eggs? No problem! Gram flour made from ground chickpeas provides a delicious, crispy alternativeMy children love pancakes. Sweet or savoury, they will wolf them at an insatiable rate. The call for them one recent lunchtime was loud and clear, just...

Packed lunches will never be boring again. From soups, stews and curries, to flatbreads and dips, this Cook special offers quick, affordable and adaptable ideas for delicious and portable meals to take to the office, or to send your kids to school with.BREADS...

With the new school year about to begin, try this easy and moreish alternative to hummus to curb the kids' appetitesIf there's one thing we've got through a mountain of this summer holidays it is hummus. My children's appetite for the stuff is insatiable....

These crisp, chewy rice balls, filled with a nut and sesame paste, round off a Chinese meal nicelyA day spent with my Sichuanese stepmother Lily is always a joy - she's a terrific cook and the children love the delicious food she makes. It is ...

Homemade membrillo is a delicious filling for these buttery biscuits - and baking is a great way to fill a rainy day over the summer holidaysWe hardly ever make biscuits. In term time, whimsical activities such as biscuit-baking don't get a look in,...

This fruit-filled summer treat will make your kids forget about Mr WhippySummer holidays, a heat wave: cue endless requests for ice lollies. I bet my children that I could mak a better ice lolly than those sold for a pretty penny by the hypnotic Mr ...

Last week of term and then school is out for the summer. Faced with a round of class parties, I promised to make something for my children that they could take in as their contribution. Honeycomb, or its better name, hokey pokey, is a cinch ...

This fruity, crunchy, spicy snack pairs brilliantly with fried chicken - and is a great way to sneak a salad past the kidsMy kids love mango so much I tend to just slice the fruit into halves in a lattice ("hedgehog") pattern, turning them out ...

With seasonal vegetables and a generous dollop of homemade pesto, minestrone makes a luxurious meal for the whole familyWith one daughter podding peas, the other doing the broad beans and the littlest eating more of the raw peas than is helpful, making...

These bite-sized balls of choux pastry - gougères to give them their French name - make a perfect finger food for children to snack onMaking a choux pastry feels a bit cheffy for some, but it needn't. Simply, it is flour beaten with a ...

This recipe for chocolate hazelnut pastries is a weekend treat that definitely beats Nutella on toastSome combinations are no-brainers. Chocolate and hazelnut is just brilliant and has inspired many riffs, perhaps the most well known of which is Nutella...

These meatballs are healthier than most sausages, and you can double up the tomato sauce to freeze for future dinnersMeatballs are quick and easy to make, and I would far rather cook these for my children than sausages. Their versatility as bedfellows...

The fizz makes the scones light, with a terrific crust - eat with pumpkin soup, or slather with whipped cream and stem ginger for afternoon teaMy husband is a Kiwi and his family are fervent bakers. One elderly aunt, in particular, is prolific: for afternoon...