Sugar

Once I was sent a tin of toffee as an end-of-year gift from the US office of an American company I worked for. It was thin and nutty and outlandishly delicious. So good, in fact, my colleagues and I polished off most of the tin before I left the office that day. Here’s my version of that very almond toffee, pimped out with green pistachios and a little silver sparkle. I’ve also added a thin base of the finest milk chocolate (use dark, if you prefer), just to make each bite extra special. To give as gifts, simply snap into shards and place in cellophane bags. You will need a candy or kitchen thermometer that measures up to 140°C for this recipe. Photograph by Jani Shepherd and styling by Fiona Hugues – Gatherum Collectif.

This is one of my all-time favourite sweet treats. My papa comes from Messina in Sicily, and this is a typical dessert from that region of Italy. You will need a sugar thermometer to achieve perfect results and a very small cake tin, about 11cm square. Photograph by Todd Eyre. Props and styling by Cameron Woodcock.

This is a slightly salty, almond-flavoured version of hokey pokey, very thin and crunchy. It is hard to resist, so for the sake of your teeth, best make it when there is a crowd around to share the task of eating. You will need a heavy-based saucepan in which to cook it, and take special care since boiling sugar is very hot indeed. Photograph by Mike Rooke. Props and styling by Alexa Johnston.

Alexa Johnston gets you out of the mall and into the kitchen to craft delicious edible Christmas gifts.

Gluten-free pros will know how to achieve fantastic results when baking, but for the newbies, or those who would like to cater for their gluten-free friends, it can be hard to know where to begin. Here are 8 indulgent recipes to try at your next gluten-free bake-off!