Princess Party Cookbook by Annabel Karmel (Ebury, £12.99) is filled with sparkling recipes, there are healthy snacks, such as the Fruit Flowers, but these cupcakes caught our eye. Jewelled CupcakesMakes 10IngredientsFor the cupcakes125g (41/2oz) butter or margarine125g (41/2oz) c...

Parsnip Soup Serves 8–10This is a perfect soup for February, as parsnips are at their best during the cold weather. A touch of frost actually makes them even tastier. This luscious soup is sweet, smooth and nourishing. Enjoy with buttered toast or, even better, home-made, heart-s...

Coco loves making biscuits, so The Usborne Children’s Book Of Baking (Usborne, £12.99) is perfect. It has lots of practical tips and simple recipes and includes one of the all-time favourite biscuit-based recipes – this Blueberry Cheesecake with an accompanying compote. If you pr...

?The first thing I remember cooking on my own was peanut chicken. I helped with many family meals before I made this recipe, but this was the first thing that I cooked totally on my own. I was eight years old at the time. I remember cutting chicken breasts

ParsnipsParsnips are related to carrots and packed with potassium and vitamin C. The Romans considered them an aphrodisiac, so no wonder we feel good when we eat parsnip stew! But Fay Ripley enlivens them with Parmesan in her cookbook, Fay’s Family

and wrap a wet napkin around the outside of the ramekin for the children, in case it is too hot. Serve straight from the oven for adults with crusty bread, or toast, that can be cut into soldiers, for children. Adapted from Fay’s Family Food by Fay Ripley

Showcasing in the One Year On section for new talent, the child-sized work surface fits inside a draw and expands when opened, enabling children to cook alongside parents. The show takes place at London’s Business Design Centre on July 3–6 and 10–13.  

delightful take on Italian farmhouse cooking. This Penne Alla Carbonara recipe is one of our favourites.Penne Alla CarbonaraServes 6For us, the two most important ingredients are excellent free-range eggs and good quality pancetta.Ingredients200g (7oz

secret portion of fruit.Ingredients2 eggs225g (8oz) wholegrain flour3 tsp baking powder300ml (1/2 pint) apple juice1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped or 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cookingTo serve400g (14oz) fresh

to make all the meatballs the same size, so that they will cook evenly in the pan. Rigatoni is a tube-shaped pasta with ridges around the outside, but you could use penne, fusilli or any other short types of pasta for this recipe if you prefer