225 g butter or margarine, well softened
50 g icing sugar, sifted
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
200 g flour
150 g cornflour
5 tsp ground mixed spice
50g cherries, finely chopped
15 ml milk
15 ml lemon juice
quartered cherries to decorate
icing sugar, for dredging

Directions:

1. Cream the butter with the icing sugar and the lemon rind until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flours and spice. Add the chopped cherries, milk and lemon juice and mix together. The mixture should be stiff.

2. Spoon half of the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch star nozzle. Pipe 2 inch rings on to baking trays, spacing well apart. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Decorate with quartered cherries.

3. Bake at 190C / 375F for about 15-20 minutes until light golden. Leave on the trays for about 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Dredge with icing sugar if wished.

115 g hazelnuts, toasted and skinnes
115 g butter
50 g soft light brown sugar
25 g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
175 g flour
lemon curd
icing sugar, for dredging

Directions:

1. Grind the nuts to a fine powder.

2. Beat the butter until soft, then add the sugars a little at a time and beat until very soft, pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and 1 ml (15 tbs) water. Gradually work in the flour and nuts until the mixture forms a pliable dough. Knead well. Wrap and chill for 15-20 minutes.

3. Roll out the dough until about 1/8 inch think. Stamp out rounds using a 5cm plain cutter. Prick lightly with a fork and place on greased baking trays. Bake at 180C / 350F for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.

4. Cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Serve plain, or sandwich with lemon curd. Dredge with icing sugar.

50 g butter
50 g sugar
1 tbs syrup
50 g flour
5 tsp ground ginger
5 tsp brandy
1/2 finely grated rind of lemon
150 ml double cream

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Directions:

1. Gently melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Sift the flour and ginger together, then stir them into the melted butter mixture with the brandy and lemon rind.

2. Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture on to baking trays lined with non-stick baking parchment, leaving 4inches between them. Bake 180C / 350F for 7 minutes until cooked.

3. Quickly remove from the baking trays. Roll each one around the buttered handle of a wooden spoon. Leave on handles until set, then gently twist to remove. Cool on a wire rack.

4. If the biscuits set before they have been shaped, return them to the oven for a few minutes to soften.

5. Just before serving, whip the cream until it just holds its shape. Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe cream into each of the brandy snaps. Serve them immediately.

115 g butter or margarine, softened
75 g sugar
1 egg
150g flour
5 tsp baking powder
5 tsp salt
5 tsp vanilla flavouring
5 tsp ground cinnamon
75 g rolled oats

Directions:

1. Beat together all the ingredients.

2. Spoon large teaspoonfuls of the mixture on two greased baking trays, leaving room to spread. Bake 190C / 375F for about 15 minutes until golden around the edges. Cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

115 g butter or margarine, softened
150 g sugar
1 egg
150g flour
5 tsp baking powder
5 tsp salt
115 g crunchy peanut butter
175 g raisins

Directions:

1. Beat together all the ingredients except the raisins.

2. Spoon large teaspoonfuls of the mixture on two greased baking trays, leaving room to spread. Bake 190C / 375F for about 15 minutes until golden around the edges. Cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

40 g plain chocolate
50 g butter
115 g sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 x 5ml vanilla flavouring
50 g flour
5 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoon baking powder
175 g walnut, chopped

Directions:

1. Break up the chocolate and melt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cool slightly.

2. Cream the butte with the sugar and chocolate until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla flavouring . Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder and fold into the butter mixture with the walnuts.

3. Drop heaped teaspoonfuls, spaced well apart, on to greased baking trays lined with non-stick baking parchment. Bake at 180C / 350F for 10 minutes. Remove from the parchment paper and cool on wire rack.

115 g butter or margarine
25 g icing sugar
115 g flour
5 tsp baking powder
few drops of vanilla flavouring
50 g plain chocolate

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Beat well, adding the vanilla flavouring.

2. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a medium star nozzle. Pipe into finger shapes, about 8cm (3 in) long, on to two greased baking trays, spacing them well apart.

3. Bake at 190C / 375F for 15-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

4. Break up the chocolate and melt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Dip the ends of  each finger in the melted chocolate. Leave to set.

Variation:

Beat 25g melted chocolate, slightly cooled into the creamed butter

225 g flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground mixed spice
75 g fine oatmeal
75 g sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175 g black treacle
50 g butter

Directions:

1. Put the flour, ginger, spice, oatmeal, sugar and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl and mix together. Melt the treacle amd butter in a small saucepan. Pour it on the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth dough.

2. Roll the dough out until about 0.6cm (1/4 in) thick. Prick with a fork and stamp out rounds using a 6cm (2 1/2 in) plain cutter. Place on greased baking trays and bake at 160C / 325F for 20-25 minutes until firm to the touch. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

275g (10 oz) flour
6 x 15ml ground almonds
2 x 5ml ground cinnamon
115g (40z) sugar
225g butter
egg yolk, to glaze
flaked almonds
icing sugar and drinking chocolate, for dredging

Directions:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the almonds. cinnamon and sugar and mix together. Work in the butter with your fingertips.

2. Roll out on a surface dusted with icing sugar until about 1cm (1/2 in) thick. Cut out heart or flower shapes with small pastry cutters. Brush with egg yolk and springkle with a few almonds, then place on lightly greased baking sheets.

3. Bake at 160C / 325F for about 40 minutes until firm and pale golden. Cool on a wire rack. Dredge a few biscuits with sifted icing sugar and a few drinking chocolate powder.

8-10 green cardamom pods
50 g butter
50 g sugar
2 egg whites
50 g plain flour, sifted

Directions:

1. Split open the cardamom pods and crush the black seeds to a fine powder.

2. Beat the butter until soft, then add the sugar and cardamom and mix well. Gradually add the egg whites to the mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition. lightly fold in the flour.

3. Spoonthe mixture into a piping bag with a 0.6cm (1/4 in) plain nozzle. Pipe the mixture into 8cm (3 in) lenghts on to  greased baking trays, dusted with flour.

4. Bake at 220C / 425F for about 5 minutes until golden and tinged with brown at the edges. Cool on a wire rack