Shortbread

Ingredients

• 125g Salted butter (softened)
• 80g Icing sugar
• 1 Free range egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 170g Plain flour
• 50g Granulated white sugar

Method 

Place the butter and icing sugar into a mixing bowl and beat together.

Stir in the egg yolk (keep the white) and vanilla until it loosens the mixture and it becomes light and fluffy.

Finally, stir in the flour to form a dough.

Transfer the shortbread to a lightly floured work surface and roll into a sausage shape.

Brush the outside of the shortbread with the remaining egg white and sprinkle over the white sugar to create a sweet and crunchy crust around the biscuit.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4

Place the shortbread into the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up, then cut into 1cm slices and place on a non-stick baking tray.

Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Viennese Whirls

Ingredients

• 200g Butter softened
• 50g Icing sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 200g Plain flour
• 2 tsp Cornflour
• 1/2 tsp Baking powder

Method 

Mix together the butter and icing sugar for 5 minutes using an electric hand mixer.

Add the vanilla and stir together.

Sift in the flour, cornflour and baking powder.

Mix together and transfer into a piping bag.

While the mixture is soft, pipe it out onto a non-stick baking tray.

Place the biscuits into the fridge for 30 minutes before baking in a preheated oven 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 for 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 100g White sugar
• 165g Brown sugar
• 115g Butter
• 1 Free range egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 160g Plain flour
• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 125g 70% dark chocolate
• 1 tsp salt

Method 

Whisk together both sugars and the butter until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix.

Stir in the flour, bicarb and chunks of chocolate until you have soft cookie dough.

Roll the cookies into 12 portions and place them on a large baking tray and place in the fridge(1 hour) or freezer if you want them for another day.

Bake in a preheated oven 180C/160C fan/gas 4 for 12 minutes for soft 15 minutes for a crunchy crisp cookie.

Gingerbread

Ingredients

• 350g Plain flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp Ground ginger
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 125g Salted butter
• 180g Brown sugar
• 1 Free range egg
• 4 tbsp Golden syrup

Method 

Sieve the flour, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon into a mixing bowl.

Add the butter and rub together to make a crumble using your hands.

Stir the sugar into the crumble mixture.

In a separate bowl beat the egg and golden syrup together for 2 minutes, then pour into the crumble mix.

Turn the dough out and knead together until it forms a ball of dough.

Place the mixture in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4

Roll the gingerbread out on a lightly floured work surface approximately 1/2cm thick.

Cut out the biscuits and place them on a non-stick baking tray.

Bake 12-15 minutes