Aniseed biscuits
Crisp, golden finger biscuits flavoured with aniseed, made in the book with a biscuit press (No. 4 disc) to give long ridged strips. Without a press, shape small ovals and mark them with a fork.

Tamagoyaki (卵焼き) is a rolled omelette made in layers, found in breakfast trays and bento boxes all over Japan. Thin sheets of seasoned egg are cooked one at a time and rolled up around each other, giving soft, springy slices with pretty spiral lines. This is the gently sweet home style; a little soy keeps it savoury. A square tamagoyaki pan helps, but a small round frying pan works too. Chef's tip: keep the heat moderate and the pan well oiled between layers. If the egg browns, the heat is too high; a good tamagoyaki is evenly yellow with just a few golden patches.
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Crisp, golden finger biscuits flavoured with aniseed, made in the book with a biscuit press (No. 4 disc) to give long ridged strips. Without a press, shape small ovals and mark them with a fork.
Wholesome oval biscuits made with wholewheat flour, wheat bran, crushed cornflakes and a mix of seeds, then coated in more sesame and linseed. Crunchy and only lightly sweet, with unrefined sugar.
A big batch of crunchy cookies with rolled oats, coconut, chopped almonds and chunks of cooking chocolate. For a change, use cashew nuts instead of almonds.
Rustic, crunchy cookies made with wholewheat flour, porridge oats, brown sugar and fresh coconut, with a gentle aniseed note from fennel seeds. Not too sweet, so they are good with a cup of tea or masala chai, and they keep well in a tin.
Golden butter biscuits flavoured the Indian way with saffron and coarsely ground cardamom, each topped with flaked almonds. Light and crisp, they are lovely for Diwali tins and with tea. For plain biscuits leave out the flavourings, or add 1 tsp vanilla essence instead to make vanilla biscuits.
A big batch of party biscuits: a buttery dough with mixed nuts, chocolate pieces, cherries and coconut, bound with coco-pine juice (mixed coconut and pineapple juice). The dough is shaped into rolls, chilled and sliced thin, so you can bake as many as you need. Leftover coconut milk can be frozen in ice-cube trays and used whenever required.
Pretty slice-and-bake butter biscuits with a chocolate and vanilla chequerboard in the middle, wrapped in a plain border. They take some patience to build, but the dough is simple and the result always impresses on a biscuit plate.
Rich, crunchy biscuits made with equal weights of flour, sugar, butter, cashews and desiccated coconut. Simple to make and very more-ish with tea or coffee.
Crisp brown-sugar biscuit rings sandwiched with an orange butter cream, then half dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with chopped pistachio. They look like they came from a smart bakery and are perfect for gifting.
Soft-centred chocolate cookies with chopped roasted peanuts in the dough and more on top. Yogurt keeps them tender. A favourite with children.
Melt-in-the-mouth biscuits made with semolina and coconut, each pressed into a mix of shredded pistachio and almond. Similar to nankhatai, and very easy: everything goes into one bowl.
Flaky little crescents made from a rich yeasted dough, cut into wedges, spread with cinnamon sugar and rolled up from the wide end. Serve them with coffee or tea; they are best on the day they are baked.
Plain, crisp, old-fashioned biscuits flavoured with custard powder, the kind that fill a big tin. Shape them as thin ovals with a fork, or roll and cut rounds and prick holes in them. For a change, swap the custard powder for 5 tsp ground ginger and 1½ tsp ground cardamom, or use wholemeal wheat flour instead of plain flour.
Short, crumbly crescent biscuits flavoured with instant coffee and ground walnuts, rolled in caster sugar while still warm. Lovely with an after-dinner coffee and at festive times.
Classic crunchy ginger biscuits made with golden syrup and plenty of ground ginger. Good for dunking in tea, and they keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Big, crunchy cookies made with jumbo porridge oats and desiccated coconut, then rolled in more oats and coconut before baking. Wholesome and filling, perfect for lunchboxes.
Soft golden butter cookies, brushed with warm plum jam after baking and dipped in desiccated coconut. Bright, simple and loved by children.
Nankhatai are crumbly Indian shortbread biscuits made with ghee, butter, semolina and a little gram flour, scented with cardamom and nutmeg. Each one gets a yellow dot in the centre. A must for Diwali.
Wholesome, lightly sweet biscuits with wheat bran flakes, wholewheat flour and chopped dates, warmed with nutmeg. A good mid-morning snack.
Crisp, lemony biscuits flecked with passion fruit seeds and glacé ginger, sandwiched with a passion fruit butter cream and dusted with icing sugar. A tangy, tropical treat for tea parties.
Chewy-crisp cookies made with crunchy peanut butter, honey and condensed milk, with rice crisps for crunch and roasted peanuts on top. No creaming needed: everything is melted together.
Buttery cookies with chopped pistachios, crushed rice bubbles, coconut and a hint of chocolate, each topped with more pistachio. Crunchy outside and tender inside.
Crunchy, wholesome biscuits made with crushed Weetabix (wheat biscuit cereal), coconut and mixed nuts, rich with fresh cream and rolled in more cereal and pistachio. If the dough is too firm, add 1–2 tbsp milk.
Chewy brown-sugar cookies loaded with roasted macadamia nuts, white chocolate chunks, oats and coconut. A bakery favourite that is easy to make at home.
Warmly spiced butter biscuits with cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and a kick of freshly ground black pepper, made rich with ground almonds and cream. Dusted with icing sugar, they are perfect at Christmas.
Hearty wholemeal cookies with rolled oats, mixed nuts and coconut. Pressed with a fork and baked until brown, they are a wholesome tea-time biscuit.
Chewy, golden oat bars bound with butter and golden syrup and studded with walnuts, sultanas and chunks of chocolate. They are cut in the tin and keep well in an air-tight container, so they are handy for lunchboxes.
A chocolate pastry base topped with a chewy brown-sugar, coconut and mixed nut layer, then drizzled with dark chocolate and cut into squares. Rich and satisfying with a cup of coffee.
A no-bake chocolate fudge loaf layered with plain biscuits and packed with brazil nuts, ground almonds, apricots, peel and glacé cherries, finished with scribbles of white chocolate. Make it the day before: it needs 8 hours to set. Serve in thin slices.
Crunchy energy bars of oats, rice krispies, bran flakes, pecans, raisins and apricots, baked and then topped with swirled dark and white chocolate. Great for a lunchbox or after sport.
A chewy, buttery flapjack of oats and coconut with a layer of chopped dried apricots in the middle. Press it firmly so the slices hold together, and leave them to cool in the tray before lifting out.
A crisp ginger shortbread base spread with a hot toffee topping of golden syrup, butter, roasted cashews and glacé ginger. Cut into fingers once set.
Crunchy muesli bars of oats, oat bran, coconut and roasted peanuts, held together with honey and crunchy peanut butter. A healthier snack for school or work.
A no-bake white chocolate slice full of crunchy rice crisps, currants, mixed peel and toasted almonds. Children love helping to make it.
A slice version of florentines: a layer of dark chocolate topped with a chewy bake of cornflakes, almonds, glacé cherries and sultanas bound with condensed milk. Cut into small squares; it is rich.
A cinnamon and lemon honey shortbread base, spread with a lemony condensed-milk coconut filling and topped with grated frozen dough and cinnamon sugar. Crisp on top, soft and tangy in the middle.
Chikki is an Indian brittle. This crystal version is made with plain white sugar, melted until clear and golden, with peanuts, almonds, pistachios and sesame seeds, scented with cardamom and saffron. Work quickly: the brittle sets in moments.
A chocolate cornflake base, a layer of peppermint icing (tinted green if you like), and a smooth topping of cooking chocolate. The book uses Scotbloc cooking chocolate; any plain cooking chocolate works.
Quick no-bake squares of crushed digestive or marie biscuits, chopped cashews and almonds, bound with butter, golden syrup and drinking chocolate. Ready in two hours with no oven.
An eggless coffee sponge made with condensed milk, split and soaked in a cocoa, coffee and brandy glaze, then filled and covered with vanilla whipped cream, flaked almonds and grated chocolate. A grand party cake; use brandy essence instead of brandy for an alcohol-free version.
Small, soft eggless vanilla cupcakes in paper cases, topped with sugar sprinkles: just right for little hands and children's parties. The same mixture also bakes as one large basic cake in a 25 cm round tin.
A moist, oil-based carrot cake spiced with cinnamon and full of chopped nuts and mixed peel. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. For a change, use 2 cups drained, chopped tinned pineapple instead of the peel. Contains egg.
A soft eggless cake with chopped banana, passion fruit pulp, cashews and yogurt, lifted with a little cider vinegar. It is served with a passion fruit custard sauce, so it makes a good warm pudding as well as a tea-time cake.
A rich coffee and cocoa ring cake made moist with ground almonds and sour cream, spread with a coffee butter icing and toasted flaked almonds. Contains egg.
An eggless carrot cake made with condensed milk and oil, with chopped cashews, mixed peel and cinnamon. Moist and lightly spiced; serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped fresh cream.
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