Cocktail

Use a vegetable peeler to thinly slice the cucumber lengthways. Note

These tasty sticks are a perfect finger food, starter or nibble to serve with a glass of wine.

These summery coconut and lemongrass rum cocktails will be a hit during the festive season and right through the summer.

We've foregone the classic version of this drink for a little sweetness. James Bond might frown, but we love it.

soak eight bamboo skewers in cold water for an hour before use to prevent them splintering or scorching during cooking. Note

Tia Maria or dark crème de cacao can be substituted for Kahlua. Glass 180ml old-fashioned Note

A classic cocktail, this timeless combination of tequila and lime will take you to Mexico with every sip.

Citron vodka is a lemon and lime flavoured vodka that contains small amounts of lemon peel. Limoncello is a popular after-dinner drink in Italy, and is usually served ice cold. It is sweet and lemony, but not sour. Note

Use sashimi quality tuna; the loin is the best cut for this recipe. A non-stick pan is best to use for cooking the tuna. Don’t overcook the tuna, it should be rare. Make-ahead tips 8 hours Make filling; cover, refrigerate. Note

You need approximately eight limes for this recipe. Note

This is a great alcohol-free drink to offer guests, but you could replace the mineral water and lemonade with champagne if you want to make a punch with punch.

We love a good sausage roll recipe at the Weekly, so we thought we'd give the classic sausage roll a spin and create this delicious version using chicken mince instead!

If you don’t have the time to make the crostini, ready-made crostini can be found in various flavours in most delicatessens and some supermarkets. Note

This delicious creamy cocktail is a good seasonal alternative to egg nog if you like something lighter in texture.

You could use peach slices in place of raspberries and peach liqueur rather than strawberry when making this delightful party drink if you like.

Give your bubbles a little tropical twist with these delicious mango cocktails. Cheers!

Long and cool, a jug of ginger fizz is a welcome sight at any party.

Take the soft option with these delicious non-alcoholic drinks perfect for any time of day or night. Note

Adjust the strength of your drink with a little more cola if you prefer. Note

Use a 150ml cocktail glass; garnish a straw. Note

Making these cute little wonton cups is frightfully easy; all you need is a muffin pan and you're good to go. Remoulade or rémoulade is a condiment invented in France that is usually aioli-or mayonnaise-based.

Campari Rosso (red vermouth) is a red-coloured apéritif made by infusing herbs in alcohol and water. You can also use Aperol, an orange-coloured apéritif made by infusing bitter orange and rhubarb in alcohol and water. Note

You need 2 oranges and 5 passionfruit for this recipe. Note

When making several serves, make up to three quantities of recipe in cocktail shaker at a time. Note

For this cocktail we used canned passionfruit in syrup, which is available from supermarkets Note

One version of the Fallen Angel cocktail is made with crème de menthe, but this version, using blue curaçao, is more popular with us. Glass 350ml piña colada. Note

Serve up this Italian cocktail at your next party.

Wonton cups can be prepared a day ahead and stored in an airtight container. You need 3 x 12-hole (1-tablespoon/20ml) mini muffin pans. If you only have one pan, that is fine, just cook the wonton cases in batches. You could also serve the tuna tartare in a bowl with a pile of home-cooked prawn […]

The ultimate summer cocktail, this watermelon cosmo is sweet with juice and zesty with lime.

Sweet lychee and tart lime make a refreshing cocktail combined with white rum and soda.

YOU WILL NEED TO START THIS RECIPE 1 WEEK A HEAD. SERVE THIS COCKTAIL TOPPED WITH A PINCH OF GROUND NUTMEG OR CINNAMON, AND HALF A CINNAMON STICK TO STIR. THE RESERVED FIGS WILL BE QUITE BOOZY AFTER SOAKING IN VODKA FOR A WEEK. YOU CAN EITHER DISCARD THEM OR KEEP THEM FOR ANOTHER USE. […]

We used `forest berry’ tea bags to make the iced tea. Note

Crunch through these crisp wonton wrappers to the juicy duck filling inside. A classic Chinese dish, these duck wonton cups are perfect for a light lunch or entree.

Slices of creamy camembert on pumpernickel topped with pear compote make sophisticated canapes for a cocktail party.

This is a cold, fruity and deliciously moreish party punch that, funnily enough, packs a bit of a punch. We used a traminer riesling for this recipe, but you can use any medium-dry white.

This is a super way to serve asparagus as finger food. It also makes a lovely starter, especially with some ripe figs on the side. If you want to take it up a notch, you can put a small slice of fontina cheese under the prosciutto, and quickly pan fry to melt the cheese before serving.

Chicken puffs should not be reheated more than once. Puffs can be baked several hours ahead. Cool slightly then refrigerate. Reheat thoroughly in a 160°C preheated oven just before serving. Note

You will need about 7 passionfruit for this recipe. You can also pulse the passionfruit juice in a food processor for 1 second, before straining, this will help break the juice sacs and give you more passionfruit juice. Note

Use a bland tasting vegetable oil or a light olive oil for the remoulade; it can be made a day ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge. Note

This recipe can be made a day ahead store covered, in refrigerator freeze not suitable Note

Gin comes in differing styles, with juniper berry the principle flavour. Choose one with added botanicals (components derived from plants), which will give the cocktail a more rounded, complex taste. Note

This traditional frozen Venetian drink made with gelato is hard to categorise – part drink, part dessert ­with a texture more akin to a slushie. We’ve used sorbet instead of gelato but, either way, it’s delicious; just be sure to serve it with long spoons or straws, if served in tall glasses. Note

This cocktail should be made with the best bourbon you can buy. Use a 300ml highball glass. Note

We rimmed the cocktail glass with pink sugar; simply add a drop of red food colouring to sugar and mix well. Note

For a lower-fat version, use no-fat milk and low-fat dairy-free spread instead of the butter. Piroshki are small Russian dumplings that can have various savoury or sweet fillings but this one is among the most traditional. Baked or fried, they make excellent hors d’oeuvres. Note

Prepare the mushrooms ready for grilling the day before; keep covered in the fridge. Mushrooms can be grilled up to 30 minutes before serving. Note

Instead of piping the cream cheese mixture onto the canapés, you can just use a teaspoon to drop small amounts on top of the mini toasts. Mini toasts are available from delis, groumet food shops and some supermarkets. Note

Punch is best served very cold. Try freezing some of the berries and lemonade together in shaped ice trays and add these to the punch instead of regular ice. This way, you won’t dilute the flavour. Note

Bacardi or dark rum can be used, though the slightly darker rum has a stronger flavour. Note

Vanilla-infused vodka can be bought from an alcohol store or made at home. To make vanilla-infused vodka, combine 250ml vodka and 2 split vanilla beans in a glass jar, cover; stand for about 5 days or until the vodka is infused with vanilla flavour. Discard vanilla beans before using the vodka. Guava juice is available […]

This delicious cake is both cheesecake, and margarita cocktail. For when you've just had one of those days.

Use a soft creamy blue cheese for the blue cheese mousse. The mousse can be made a day ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge. It’s best to cook the beef as close to serving time as possible. Note

To segment the grapefruit, cut the top and bottom off each fruit; cut down the side following the curve of the fruit to remove the rind and white pith. Cut between the membranes to release the segments. Note

The caipiroska is a classic cocktail made with vodka, sugar and muddled lime. Great for a hot summers day.