Try these: caramel ripple brownies. A combination of dense, bittersweet chocolate brownie rippled with veins of sweet vanilla-scented baked cheesecake.

This is one of those useful recipes which uses only a small amount of flour and converts superbly to gluten-free. I swapped 50g of plain flour with 40g of all-purpose gluten free flour (i like Dove Farm's version), and there was no difference from the straight version i had previously made. A small piece is all you need as it is stunningly intense, although it worked very well as the second course of a lazy lunch, following this glorious gratin by Peter Gordon.

As much as i adore potato dauphinoise, i can't contemplate eating much of the rich cream bake. As an alternative, i prefer a gratin made with layers of potato, celeriac and leek with a salty note of feta and sage, cooked with only a small amount of water in a carefully sealed parcel. Light, and gloriously moreish without that sinking feeling.

Nigella Lawson's spanish macaroons; ground almonds, egg whites and a generous grating of orange zest. Oh, and don't forget the sugar (which i did, but fortunately i whipped them out of the oven in time, and remixed and rerolled .. yes, it is a very obliging recipe).

I made a large batch of these for a party; they have a satisfying crunch on the outside, chewy and moist in the middle. Any remaining will be frozen as they defrost quickly (with no ill-effect) for emergency snacking.

Probably the best chocolate cookie recipe ever created.

Eggs and sugar whisked to a thick foam consume an obscene amount of melted dark chocolate and butter. Gently folded together, the pretty marbled effect becomes a dense earthy batter which solidifies into a divinely scented truffled cookie dough, and 12 minutes later, out of my oven come these perfect crackled moist biscuits.