Chocolate and ginger oat biscuits

Less than 30 mins preparation time

30 mins to 1 hour cooking time

Makes 12 biscuits

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz unsalted butter
• 200g/7oz soft brown sugar
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 50g/1¾oz golden syrup
• 8 tbsp water
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 500g/1lb 2oz rolled oats
• 6 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 50g/1¾oz stem ginger, chopped
• 115g/4oz good quality dark chocolate

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, then beat in the golden syrup and the water.
2. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients and the stem ginger until well combined. Roll the mixture into small balls with your hands and place them onto a greased baking tray, leaving room for them to spread. Flatten the biscuits slightly then bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove the biscuits from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Dip the biscuits in the melted chocolate and place on a cooling rack until the chocolate has set.

Salted caramel millionaire’s shortbread

Less than 30 mins preparation time

1 to 2 hours cooking time

Makes 9 squares

Ingredients

For the shortbread

• 175g/6oz unsalted butter
• 75g/2½ oz caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped out
• 225g/8oz plain flour

For the caramel

• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 1 x 397g/14oz can condensed milk
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp sea salt

For the topping

• 350g/12oz milk chocolate

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm/8in square cake tin.
2. Rub the butter, sugar, vanilla seeds and flour together in a bowl to make rough dough. Press the dough into the cake tin and prick all over with a fork.
3. Bake the dough in the oven for five minutes, then reduce the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and bake for a further 35 minutes. Once cooked, allow to cool in the tin.
4. Meanwhile for the caramel, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil for 10 minutes
5. Pour the caramel mixture over the shortbread. Chill in the fridge until the caramel has cooled and hardened slightly.
6. For the topping, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, pour the chocolate over the caramel. Chill in the fridge again until the chocolate has set, then cut into 9 squares.

Stained glass window biscuits

Less than 30 mins preparation time

10 to 30 mins cooking time

Makes 25

Ingredients

For the biscuits

• 350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 175g/6oz soft brown sugar
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• packet wrapped fruit-flavoured boiled sweets in different colours

To decorate

• tube ready-made white icing (available in the baking sections of most supermarkets) (optional)
• narrow ribbon

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. For the biscuits, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger together in a bowl.
3. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar.
   
   Technique: Rubbing in
   Watch technique0:46 mins
4. In another bowl, beat together the egg and golden syrup, then pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix to make a smooth dough, kneading lightly with your hands.
   
   Technique: Kneading bread
   Watch technique2:35 mins
5. Crush the sweets in their wrappers using a rolling pin.
6. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface to about 0.5cm/¼in thick, then cut into shapes using a selection of Christmas-themed cookie cutters. Transfer the biscuits to baking sheets lined with baking paper.
7. Cut out shapes in the centre of each biscuit, making sure you leave a good edge all around the biscuit. Completely fill the hole in each biscuit with crushed boiled sweets.
8. Make a hole at the top of each biscuit using a drinking straw so that you will be able to thread a ribbon through it later. Bake the biscuits in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden-brown.
9. Remove the biscuits from the oven. While they're still warm, check that the holes are still there - if not, push a straw through again. Do not remove the biscuits from the baking tray until they have cooled because the boiled sweets need to harden. Once the sweets have hardened, gently lift the biscuits onto a wire rack with a palette knife to finish cooling.
10. If you like, you can decorate the biscuits with piped white icing. Thread ribbons through the holes in the biscuits to make loops for hanging from the tree.

 

Quick pineapple sponge pudding with flambéed pineapple

Less than 30 mins preparation time

Less than 10 mins cooking time

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the pineapple sponge

• 175g/6oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 175g/6oz self-raising flour
• 3 free-range eggs
• 125g/4½oz pineapple, finely chopped

For the flambéed pineapple

• 50g/2oz raisins
• 110ml/4floz dark rum
• 50g/2oz butter
• 4 pineapple slices, with core removed
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preparation method

1. For the pineapple sponge, grease four small ramekins with butter.
2. Drizzle the golden syrup into the bottom of the ramekins.
3. Blend the butter, sugar, flour and eggs in a food processor until smooth. Add the pineapple and blend again until smooth.
4. Divide the mixture among the ramekins. Cover with cling film (make sure the cling film doesn’t touch the pudding mixture) and microwave on high for 2½ minutes, or until the puddings are risen and cooked through. Remove from the microwave and set aside to cool for one minute.
5. Meanwhile for the flambéed pineapple, soak the raisins in the rum in a small bowl.
6. Heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming and fry the pineapple rings for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on each side.
7. Add the rum and raisin mixture and slowly tilt the pan towards the gas flame, or light it with a match. Let the flames flare up then die down. (Caution: keep your face and hair away from the flames. Do not leave unattended.)
8. Add the sugar and continue to cook until the sugar melts and becomes caramel.
9. To serve, place each pineapple ring to one side of each serving plate and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Turn the sponges out alongside. Spoon over the rum and raisin sauce.

Quick syrup and lemon sponge pudding

 

Less than 30 mins preparation time

Less than 10 mins cooking time

Serves 16

Ingredients

• 350g/12oz butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 200g/7oz golden syrup
• 125g/4½oz caster sugar
• 2 lemons, zest only
• 6 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
• 350g/12oz self-raising flour

To serve

• 75g/3oz golden syrup
• 1 litre/2 pints custard

Preparation method

1. Generously butter the inside of two 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basins.
2. Spoon 100g/3½oz of the golden syrup into the base of the pudding basins and set aside.
3. Beat the remaining 100g/3½oz golden syrup, butter, sugar and lemon zest together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in half the eggs followed by half the flour and when well combined, add the remaining eggs and flour. The mixture should be at a just dropping consistency. (Add a splash of milk if the mixture is very thick.)
5. Spoon the mixture into the pudding basins until three-quarters full, then smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
6. Loosely cover with clingfilm (allow room for the clingfilm to inflate as the mixture rises) and place in the microwave for five minutes. (Cook one pudding at a time.)
7. The pudding is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to stand for five minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edge of the pudding to loosen the sides, carefully invert onto a deep plate and remove the basin.
8. To serve, spoon the extra syrup over the pudding, cut into generous wedges and serve with custard.