As most of us are on holiday, it allows a little extra time for baking and cooking for family and friends. One of my favorite books is Donna Hay’s Flavors. The chapters are broken up into vanilla, lemon + lime, ginger, chilli, garlic + onion, chocolate, salt + pepper, basil + mint, and cinnamon + spice. Each chapter gives you the ‘basics’, quick good ideas and simple recipes. Pictured above from the book are her vanilla meringues. Here is the recipe in case you’d like to try them. An all-white New Year’s Eve party can be very chic. These meringues would make a wonderful sweet treat. Below is an all-white candy selection I styled on a coffee table for a party and a section of white foods on a buffet to give you a few examples. (via Martha Stewart)

Recipe: Makes 12 meringues

4 egg whites

1 1/4 cup caster (superfine) sugar

1 tablespoon cornflower (cornstarch)

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Preheat oven to 260F

place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. add the sugar a little at a time, beating well as you add it. sift the cornflour over the mixture and fold through with vinegar, vanilla extract and seeds. take half of mixture, shape into six small rounds and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. repeat with the remaining mixture, placing the meringues on a separate baking tray. place both trays in the oven an reduce heat to 200F. cook for 3-=35 minutes. turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven. Donna suggests serving with strong coffee or with fresh fruits and cream.

photos in donna hay’s book are by petrina tinslay