Flavours magazine marks the end of its 21-year run with a special Christmas edition, celebrating the year-end festivities. Don’t miss out!

Wow guests with petite, bite-sized treats that are sure to dazzle the eyes and the palate. It’s all within reach of the average home cook with these merry gentlemen in charge. That would be Frederic Oger, pastry chef extraordinaire and founder of the Pastry Institute of St Honore in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, and the talented Ivan Ang and Keith Loh, chef-owners of catering business Crudites.

Oger’s precious sugary creations are guaranteed to turn heads on the dessert table, while the Crudites’ team has come up with moreish canapes – both savoury and sweet – for the Christmas table.

December also sees hotels coming up with great offerings for the season. This month, the magazine features a selection of dishes from some of the best hotels in the Klang Valley.

Also, take a gander at the quintessential Christmas fruitcake from five very good home bakers, so you can get your cake orders in, in time for the holidays.

Whisper the name “Pierre Gagnaire” and any chef worth his/her salt will be quick to tell you how his ideas have helped shape the culinary spectrum we see today. His newest outpost is La Maison 1888, the fine dining bastion of the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam. Flavoursdeputy editor Suzanne Lazaroo recently had the pleasure of experiencing his cooking first hand at La Maison.

Joining Gagnaire in the pages of the December issue is celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. His work has seen him opening restaurants all over the globe. With the recent opening of his second Spago outlet at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, Puck has solidified his presence in South-East Asia.

The Amalfi Coast in Italy is a breathtakingly beautiful place. Hidden culinary gems are scattered across this popular holiday destination, and most are small, family-run eateries that serve up age-old recipes. Fall in love with this slice of heaven as you flip through the Travel pages.

John Doe restaurant in London’s Notting Hill has its stoves fuelled by wood and charcoal – gasless cooking is one of the newest dining trends around. During a three-day pop up at Medan Damansara’s Stoked Restaurant & Bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysians got a taste of what’s on the John Doe menu. Stoked itself also cooks with the Bertha oven, imparting its regular menu with smoky appeal.

Santa’s treats: Clever canape ideas for your Christmas table.

Featured in the Wine pages this December is Tormaresca from Italy. The winery is based in Puglia, an agricultural haven that flew under the fine wine radar until the 1990s, when family-owned Antinori set Tormaresca up. Plus, check out the list of Christmas food-friendly wines to go with classic festive dishes.

Over in the Eating Out pages, the team gets cosy with the rustic offerings of Tray Café, samples the porky dishes of Porcupine Place, and enjoys delicious creations at Sion Dining & Bar.

All these wonderful food stories and more, only in the December issue of Flavours. Get your copy of the final issue today!