Want to bake up a storm this Christmas? Sweet sensation Elise Strachan shares three showstopping festive treats guaranteed to impress

If there's one thing December brings, it's a guilt-free nod to indulge in as many sugary delights as you dare. But while we're all stocking up on the mince pies and Christmas pud, why not throw a few Bake Off-inspired showstoppers into the mix? Grab a pinny, set your ingredients out, and get your festive on. Ready, set, BAKE!

HIDDEN ORNAMENT CUPCAKES

(Makes 12)

1 batch Classic Vanilla Cake batter (see below)

Red and green food colour pastes

60g white chocolate (ideally one without cocoa butter)

24 mini peanut butter cups (like Reece's) or Rolos

Yellow sprinkles

Large gumballs or gobstoppers in festive colours (4cm diameter)

1 batch Vanilla Bean Buttercream (see below)

For the Classic Vanilla Cake batter:

250g salted butter, at room temperature

225g caster sugar

3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 vanilla pod split lengthwise, or 1tsp vanilla extract

2tbsp vegetable oil

260g plain flour, sifted

3tsp baking powder

110ml whole milk

For the Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

650g icing sugar

1-2tbsp whole milk

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160C. Coat the top and bottom cavities of a non-stick 12-hole cake pop mould (24 sections in total) with cooking spray.

Make the cake batter. In a stand mixer with the whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and eggs on high speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixing bowl (or add the vanilla extract, if using). Add the oil to the creamed mixture and combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture and milk to the creamed mixture and beat on high speed until the flour is completely mixed, for up to one minute.

Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top.

Measure out half the batter and set aside. Divide the remaining batter evenly between two bowls. Colour one bowl red and the other green.

Fill six cavities of the bottom section of the cake pop mould with the green batter and fill the remaining bottom six cavities with the red batter. Each cake pop cavity should be filled to just over full.

Close the mould and bake until the mixture stops pushing out the breathing holes of the cake pop mould. Check first at 10 minutes, and then every minute thereafter. Remove the baked balls from the mould and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Once cooled and semi-frozen, use a serrated knife to cut a 5mm thick slice from the centre of each ball, leaving you with two hemispheres and the 5mm thick disk. Reassemble the balls, matching the colours of the hemispheres, but replacing the centre slice with the opposite colour.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and place a quarter of a teaspoon of it onto either side of each middle disk.

Attach a hemisphere to each side to create a completed ornament.

Line 12 holes of a cupcake tin with paper liners.

Place one teaspoon of the reserved cake batter into the bottom of each of the cupcake liners. Place a completed cake pop ornament into the centre of each liner and press down to secure, making sure the middle disc is horizontal and level.

Place the rest of the batter into a piping bag with no tip and pipe the batter first onto the top of the ornament, to add weight, and then around the outside of the ornament, until the liner is three-quarters full.

Bake until the sides of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched, for 10-13 minutes. Immediately transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the mini ornaments: Use a toothpick to make a small hole in the base of each mini peanut butter cup or Rolo, dip a yellow sprinkle into a little melted chocolate, and insert into the hole (this is the ornament's handle). Take the gumballs and use a little more melted chocolate to attach a peanut butter cup or Rolo to each gumball.

Next, make the buttercream. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed for at least five minutes, until the butter has lightened in colour and is thoroughly whipped.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape the vanilla seeds into the butter and beat to incorporate.

Add 220g (about a cup) of the icing sugar and begin mixing on low speed to combine, then beat on high speed for about two minutes.

Repeat this process a cup at a time until all the sugar has been added. Add milk a dash at a time if the mixture becomes too thick or dry. Scrape down the sides as needed and make sure no icing sugar is visible.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe a high swirl onto each cupcake and then top with a mini ornament.

Sweet! Celebrations by Elise Strachan (Murdoch Books, £20)

STUFFED STOCKING SURPRISE COOKIES

(Makes 8)

1 batch Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough (see below)

Flour for rolling out

200g white chocolate (ideally one without cocoa butter)

Tiny red and green festive-looking sweets, such as Nerds, M&M's or sprinkles

For the Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough:

400g plain flour, sifted

1/4tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4tsp salt

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature

170g caster sugar

1 large egg

1tsp vanilla extract

1tbsp red food colour paste

METHOD

First, make the cookie dough. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and food colouring, and beat until well-combined.

With the mixer on low, add one-third of the flour mixture and mix to combine. Add the second third of the flour and continue mixing on low speed.

Add the final third of the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Pour the mixture onto a work surface and knead with your hands until the dough is no longer crumbly and you are able to form a tight ball.

Split the dough into two portions, wrap with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160C. Line your baking trays with baking parchment.

Trace the outline of the Christmas Stocking and then cut it out of thick card to use as a template. (Cut out the central rectangle as well.)

Working with one portion of dough at a time, on a floured surface, roll the dough to 5mm thick. Use the template to cut out stockings, re-rolling the scraps to cut out as many as you can. You need multiples of three, as each 'surprise cookie' is made up of a set of three cookies.

Arrange the cookies on baking trays, but turn one cookie out of every set of cookies so it's inverted (toe pointing the opposite way). Use the rectangle part of the template to cut a hole out of every third cookie.

Bake until you just start to see the cookies darkening around the edges (seven to 10 minutes). Let cool for 10 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack.

Grate 35g of the chocolate using a fine grater and set aside.

Melt the remaining chocolate and place into a zip-seal bag, cutting a small tip off the corner.

Assemble the stocking sets so each has a front, a middle and a back, with the 'baked side' of the front and back stockings facing inward.

Pipe a thin line of melted chocolate close to the edge of the 'baked side' of the back stocking and then take a middle stocking and place it on top.

Fill the stocking cavity with the sweets. Do not overfill.

Pipe a line of melted chocolate on top of the middle stocking and place the final whole stocking on top, baked side in. Pipe around the toe, heel and top of the top stocking and immediately sprinkle with the grated chocolate to create a fluffy effect.

TOP TIP: Use a spoon to sprinkle the grated chocolate so you don't crush or melt it with your fingers.