A light, elegant make-ahead starter to ease you into the Christmas Day blow-out, or to kick off a dinner party menu

Bake this festive fruit cake in advance of Christmas and feed it regularly with rum, brandy or whisky to build the flavour and keep it moist

An easy-to-make alternative to traditional Christmas cakes which requires no beating

Love crinkle cookies? Try our extra-festive version for Christmas, with orange zest, mixed spice and cinnamon – and not forgetting the classic fudgy centre

Whet the appetite for the main event by serving guests this special chicken terrine with leeks and apricots. It can be made up to three days ahead

Cross a Christmas pudding with a cheesecake and what do you get? A fantastic alternative festive dessert with a crunchy ginger base and creamy filling

A perfect match for cheese and cold meats, and delicious in turkey sandwiches

Set aside a couple of hours and enjoy every minute of making this impressive terrine

Combine a few key Christmas flavours here to make a pie that both children and adults will adore

Substitute eggs for chia seeds in this vegan take on a traditional Christmas cake. The coconut oil adds a great background flavour and keeps the cake moist

A decadent dinner party pudding or family afternoon treat

Mix up your festive main with this fabulous Christmas dinner Wellington. A make-ahead meal in one, it incorporates stuffing and cranberry sauce, so all you need to think about on the big day is the veg and gravy

Combine the best bits of a Christmas dinner in one moreish bite with these canapés. Ideal for a festive buffet

This posh pud is much easier to prepare than it looks and can be made ahead of time

A show-stopping layered fish centrepiece with cream cheese and lemon filling, flavoured with dill and chives

A homemade Christmas pudding is easy to make, then it just needs time in the steamer to turn it into a glorious, rich, fruity dessert. A festive classic

Paul Hollywood's fruit rolls can be made ahead then heated up before adding a glossy glaze and citrus icing

Try this twist on a favourite childhood ice-cream dessert with coffee and chocolate layers. Made with just five ingredients, it's a great make-ahead pud

Switch up your traditional Christmas pudding with this sticky toffee version. It's a great modern twist on the classic festive dessert

A fruity pud, served with orange custard cream, makes the perfect end to the traditional Christmas meal

A festive treat to give or receive

Make this vegan Christmas pudding as part of a festive feast, packed with dried figs, raisins, sultanas and a tot of rum. Serve warm with vegan ice cream

Gordon's make-ahead terrine is the perfect starter when you're entertaining a crowd

Mix dried fruit, nuts, cranberries and maple syrup on Stir-up Sunday for this crowd-pleasing Christmas cake that improves as it keeps

Use your choice of dried fruit, nuts, citrus zest and booze (or even tea) and get your cake made up to six months in advance

Treat yourself at Christmas with these moreish stuffing balls. The sausagemeat and bacon add the ‘pigs in blankets’ flavour, while cranberries make them taste extra festive

A mix of trend and tradition, this is one of the easiest Christmas cakes we've ever created, with a virtually all-in-one method that'll save you some stress

This traditional Christmas cake is the perfect combination of fruit, nuts and spices

Get ahead at Christmas with this showstopping cake boasting white chocolate, cherries and festive spice. You can bake the sponges, meringues and biscuits the day before assembling

Chocolate truffles, amaretti biscuits and a few edible Christmas flourishes make these festive brownies an extra-special dessert no one could resist