Peanut butter slices

ingredients
100g/4oz crunchy peanut butter
200g/7oz butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
475g/1lb 1oz Demerara sugar
3 eggs
225g/8oz plain flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
175g/6oz icing sugar, sifted

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm/9in
square cake tin.
• Beat together the peanut butter, butter and vanilla essence. When well
blended, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs,
one at a time, then stir in the flour and salt, sifted together, until blended.
• Spread into the cake tin, and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove from
the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tin.
• To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar and 2 teaspoons water.
Drizzle over the mixture in the tin.
• When cold, cut into slices

Almond shortbread

ingredients
150g/5oz plain flour
75g/3oz ground almonds
175g/6oz butter
100g/4oz caster sugar, plus extra
for dusting
a few drops of almond essence
1 egg white, lightly beaten
50g/2oz flaked almonds

• Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3. Lightly grease an
18 x 28cm/7 x 11in shallow baking tin.
• Combine the flour and ground almonds in a bowl. Cut the butter into
small pieces, and rub into the flour and almonds with your fingertips until
the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Stir in the sugar and almond essence, then squeeze the mixture together
to form a dough. Put the dough in the prepared baking tin. Spread to
the edges by pressing it down with a metal spoon.
• Lightly brush the top of the dough with egg white, and sprinkle the flaked
almonds over. Bake for 30–35 minutes until lightly browned. Leave to
cool in the tin, then cut into individual biscuits. Dust with a little extra
sugar just before serving.

Spicy fruit biscuits

ingredients
175g/6oz butter, softened
175g/6oz brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
250g/9oz plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
100g/4oz mincemeat

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line two baking trays
with baking parchment.
• Using a hand-held mixer, cream the butter and sugar together in a small
bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla essence and egg, and beat
until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl and add the sifted flour,
mixed spice, ginger and baking powder.
• Using a knife, mix to a soft dough. Gather together, then divide the
mixture into two portions.
• Roll one portion out into a rectangle about 3mm/1⁄8in thick, and trim the
edges. Repeat with the other dough portion. Chill both until just firm.
• Spread each dough rectangle with mincemeat, then roll up like a Swiss
roll. Cut the rolls into slices about 1cm/1⁄2in thick. Put on the prepared
trays, leaving space between each slice.
• Bake in the oven for 10–15 minutes until golden. Cool on the trays for
3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.