Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

Using a cake release spray or butter, grease two 20cm (8”) round sandwich cake tins.

Sift the flour into a large bowl and add all of the other ingredients. Whisk for 2-3 minutes or until you have a smooth cake batter. You can also do this in a food mixer.

Pour the cake batter evenly into the two prepared sandwich tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and cooked in the middle.

Run a knife around the edge of each cake and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, before turning out onto a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing.

Now make the buttercream icing. Add the icing sugar and cocoa to the butter in two stages and beat. Beat well, then mix together the Guinness and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and add to the buttercream, beat well again and set to one side to firm up before using.

When the cakes are cold, place one onto a plate and spread some of the buttercream over it, before placing the other cake on top. Spread the remaining buttercream over the top and the sides of the cake and decorate with some crumbled chocolate flake. Serve in small slices, as the cake is very rich.

Heat oven to 150˚C. Line the base and sides of a round cake tin with baking parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly.

Once the mixture is combined, add all the dry ingredients and the zest and juice of 2 oranges after you have measured off 100ml of juice for the glaze.

Transfer the mixture to the tin, spread evenly, then cook for about 45 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the glaze, put the juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil.

Let it simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Drizzle the orange glaze over the top of the cooled cake. Place the ‘snow’ back in the freezer until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 170˚C and grease an 8”x 8” baking tray with butter and line with parchment paper.

In a bowl stir the flour and ginger powder together and set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan or microwave.

In another bowl whisk the egg with sugar together with the vanilla and salt.

Add melted butter to egg mixture and beat until smooth.

Add in the flour mixture and fold gently.

Mix in white chocolate chips.

Pour batter into lined baking tray.

Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, turn the tray halfway through to ensure even baking.

Leave to cool before cutting.

Place the raisins in a bowl and pour around ¾ of the brandy or spiced rum over the top and leave them to soak for at least 90mins.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Generously butter an ovenproof dish. Arrange a single layer of croissant chunks, slightly overlapping, in the bottom of the dish.

Scatter over some of the raisins, place another layer of croissant chunks on top and scatter over the remaining raisins. Press down gently with a fish slice or spatula.

To make the custard, heat the cream and milk in a saucepan until the mixture comes almost to a boil and add the remaining brandy or spiced rum.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, ground cinnamon and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the mixture is thickened and the whisk or beaters leave a trail when lifted.

Remove from the heat and beat in the slightly cooled cream mixture until well combined.

Pour two-thirds of the custard over the croissants and leave to stand for about 30 minutes or until they have soaked up all the liquid.

Pour the remaining custard over the soaked croissants and press down firmly with a fish slice or spatula so that the custard reaches halfway up the croissants.

Place the dish in a roasting pan and pour in enough water to the pan so that it comes a third of the way up the side of the dish. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the custard is just set and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs, yeast, salt and honey together. Once combined gradually add in the flour to create a smooth batter.

Make sure that the melted butter is at room temperature, then slowly pour it into the batter mix. Beat the mixture until completely smooth and free of any lumps.

Divide the batter across the savarin moulds until they are half full. Leave the batter to proof at room temperature (22-24°C) so that it doubles in size and reaches the top of the moulds.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

Bake the cakes in the oven for 10-12 minutes so that they are firm to the touch and golden brown. Once baked, remove from the moulds and leave to cool.

For the syrup, place the caster sugar, water, vanilla pod, orange rind, lemon rind and 200ml of rum in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer.

Individually soak each rum baba in the simmering syrup for no more than 15-20 seconds then place them on a wire baking rack to cool.

Once the rum babas have been soaked, pour 60ml of rum into a small dish and using a pastry brush, dab each baba evenly with the rum until completely coated.

To serve, whip the double cream, slowly adding in the caster sugar to form stiff peaks and spoon into the centre of each rum baba. Arrange 6-8 fresh raspberries on the cream and serve immediately.

Using the toilet paper tube as a guide, cut the cardboard into rectangles the same width, to make the inner piece of your cracker.

Roll up the cardboard pieces around the toilet paper tube and use paper tape to hold the cardboard in place. Once done, slip the toilet paper tube out of it.

Insert a cracker snap into each cardboard tube and secure it with some paper tape. Repeat until you have enough cracker tubes.

Wrap the decorative paper or leftover Christmas wrapping paper (this should be a little longer on both ends than your tube) around the tube.

Lightly squeeze the paper inwards using your index finger and your thumb to create the "neck" of the cracker.

Take a piece of twine and use to secure the one end closed. Pop your mini gift inside the tube (see our delicious vanilla fudge recipe) and tie the other end the same way.

Decorate the outside by adding name tags, doodling or whatever you'd like. And, voila your Sustainable Christmas Cracker is ready!

Fill a small jug with ice cold water and put near the stove. Grease a tin of approx.12 x 8 inch or 10 inch square, or use a throwaway foil tin.

Put all the ingredients, apart from the vanilla, into a large, heavy bottomed pan and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.

Bring to a rolling simmer/low boil for 15-20 minutes, still stirring all the time, until the mixture is golden. The harder and longer the boil, the darker the colour and the harder and crumblier the fudge. If you like a softer squishier fudge a low boil for 15 minutes is preferable. You will know your fudge will solidify when a bit is dropped into the water, it will turn solid but still squidgy. This is known as the soft ball stage.

When the fudge is at soft-ball stage, very carefully remove the pan from the stove and stir in the vanilla.

Using an electric whisk beat for about five minutes, by which time the fudge will have thickened in texture and should resemble the consistency of peanut butter.

Pour your fudge into the tin. Shake and tap the tin on all sides to remove any air bubbles that have become stuck in the mixture.

Put in the fridge to cool for 1-2 hours, you do not want to leave it longer then 2 hours or it will set too hard.

Using a sharp knife detach the fudge from the sides of the tin. If it is tough to remove from the tin, turn the tin upside down and place a pot of boiling water on top for 1 minute. This will soften the bottom enough for it so slide out easily.

Cut into squares and enjoy!