Lesley Fernández-Armesto on a superior cake for Christmas

THIS year, Vanessa was going to have a different kind of festive season. She usually hosted Christmas for her family at her house, even after her husband passed away a few years ago. Every second year

Betty Middleton had only moved in two weeks earlier, but already she was starting to annoy me with her frequent knocks at my back door. “Would you like a slice of my lemon drizzle? It’s home-made!” No

This easy, stylish decoration is quick to achieve, and you can adapt the sugarpaste colour and sprinkles to your taste. Once iced, the decorating takes just minutes.

Whip up these classic holiday eats from Jane’s Patisserie

I loved my gown, just not the body in it. But I had a plan to change that...