The days are short, and the nights are long. For many of us, warming up in winter comes from a good, hearty meal. We’ve rounded up some savoury and sweet cookbooks that will keep you snug and cosy all winter long.

Winter: Warm Recipes for Cold Nights by Louise Franc

It’s official: winter was specifically designed so that comfort food could exist. Slow-cooked meats, hearty stews, decadent desserts…it’s not the time of year for salads and smoothies, that’s for sure. With 140 recipes included – designed to not only taste amazing but to warm you up too – Louise Franc’s _Winter: Warm Recipes for Cold Nights_is a comprehensive volume on cold-weather cooking.

Soup: The Ultimate Book of Soups and Stews by Derek Bissonnette

Speaking of soups and stews…this delightful compendium is the perfect resource to take you beyond the basics into creating mouth-watering dishes with over 300 easy-to-follow recipes. Everyone is catered to here – delicious winter warmers aren’t just meat-eaters’ territory; the gluten-intolerant, vegans and vegetarians are well-looked after too in Soup: The Ultimate Book of Soups and Stews.

Sugar Rebels by Nick Makrides

It’s winter, so we’re allowed to indulge. If you’ve spent the last little while following Nick Makrides’ absolutely wicked Instagram account, thescranline, then rejoice. He’s released a cookbook where now you can try to recreate his outstanding cake, cupcake and macaron creations from the comfort of your own kitchen. It’s the perfect rainy Sunday afternoon activity, but be warned, these dazzling confectionery creations are not for the faint of heart.

Australia Bakes by Australian Women’s Weekly

This gorgeous gift book put together by those masters of all things domestic, Australian Women’s Weekly, is the go-to for classic goodies: cakes, tarts, scones, you name it. But it’s not just sweet treats – you can also learn recipes for savoury pastries and breads. Delicious. Either way, you’ll be rugged up and cosy with a delicious something in front of the fire on a wintery weekend.

Provence: Recipes from the French Mediterranean by Caroline Rimbert Craig

Further to the theme of wishing we were somewhere warmer is Provence: Recipes from the French Mediterranean. Provence also happens to be where the majority of the fruit and veg for France is grown; and it’s this, combined with the area’s unique identity, position and history that has resulted in a cuisine full of heart, balance and soul, a cuisine that showcases its peoples’ reverence for the produce, the changing seasons and the land.

The Long and Short of Pasta by Giancarlo Caldesi and Katie Caldesi

Baby, it’s cold outside…let’s carbo-load. And also let’s pretend we’re in Italy, where it’s a lot warmer at the moment. With the Caldesis’ The Long and Short of Pasta, you can do just that. It showcases the best Italian pastas from across the country, bringing to life the heart and soul of Italy and Italian cooking. Enjoy dishes such as a Roman potato gnocchi in a tomato sauce, spaghetti with sardine and wild fennel sauce from Sicily and scialatielli with a porcini and pancetta sauce from the Amalfi Coast.