STEM GINGER AND DARK CHOCOLATE BISCUITS • Preparation time: 20 minutes

• Cooking time: 35 minutes

• Serves: 28 biscuits

Ingredients

• 350g plain flour

• 2 tsp ground ginger

• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 150g unsalted butter, cubed

• 150g golden syrup

• 150g soft brown sugar

• 50g stem ginger, (around 3 knobs) drained and finely chopped

• 100g dark chocolate

How to prepare

1. Preheat oven to 160Cfan/180C/350F/GM4

2. Sieve the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips

until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs (or process briefly in food processor).

3. In a small saucepan, heat syrup and sugar until dissolved and runny, add stem ginger and then pour

over the dry ingredients.

4. Stir with a wooden spoon to bring the mixture together to a soft dough.

5. Break off walnut size pieces (30g), roll between your palms and place on the baking sheet. Bake for

18 minutes until golden.

6. Remove from the oven, using a palette knife or spatula, and place the biscuits onto wire rack to cool

completely.

7. When the biscuits are completely cold, prepare a baking sheet with parchment, melt the chocolate in

a small bowl then dip the biscuits half way into the chocolate. Place the dipped biscuits on the

baking parchment and then place the tray briefly in the fridge to set the chocolate.

Pear and ginger cake • Preparation time: 30 mins

• Cooking time: 1 hour

• Serves: 20 pieces

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter

• 250g dark muscovado or molasses sugar

• 250g golden syrup

• 250g black treacle

• 375ml milk

• 3 large eggs, beaten

• 400g self-raising flour

• 1 1/2 bicarbonate of soda

• 2 tablespoon ground ginger

• 1 and half teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• 4 knobs stem ginger in syrup, finely chopped

• 2 small pears, cored, quartered and quarters sliced in 3

How to prepare

1. Preheat the oven to 160CFan/180C Electric/350F/GM4.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

3. Place the butter, sugar, golden syrup, black treacle and milk in a saucepan over a low heat and stir until the

butter has melted. Take off the heat and leave until warm, then add the eggs and whisk well until combined.

4. Pour the butter/sugar mixture over the dry ingredients, add chopped ginger and mix well.

5. Pour the batter into the tin, scatter over pear segments and bake for around 50-60 minutes or until a skewer

comes out clean from the ginger cake.

6. Cool in the tin for 30 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack and cool completely.

7. Wrap in greaseproof paper and place in an airtight container for a day before cutting into squares (it will be

easier to cut if left for a day).

LEMON AND HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD ▪ Preparation time: 30 minutes

▪ Cooking time: 30 minutes

▪ Serves: 30 pieces

▪ Ingredients ▪ 200g plain flour

▪ 100g semolina

▪ 200g salted butter at room temperature

▪ 100g icing sugar

▪ finely grated zest of one lemon

▪ 100g chopped roasted hazelnuts

▪ Caster sugar for dredging

▪ How to prepare

▪ Preheat oven to 150C Fan/170C/325F/GM3.

▪ Cream the butter, lemon zest and icing sugar until pale and fluffy.

▪ Gently mix in the flour, semolina and finally hazelnuts.

▪ Bring together, form into a flat disc and then roll out between two sheets of baking parchment to around 5mm

thick. Place on the baking sheet and put in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

▪ Cut into 5cm squares, reuse trimmings, place squares on the baking sheet 1cm apart and bake for 25 minutes

until pale gold.

▪ Remove from oven and immediately lightly dust with caster sugar.

▪ Cool on a wire rack. Best eaten within 2-3 days or can be frozen

COCONUT MACAROONS WITH CHIA SEED JAM •

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PISTACHIO AND LEMON FRIENDS • Preparation time: 20 minutes

• Cooking time: 15 minutes

• Serves: 30 cakes

Ingredients

• 150g butter diced

• 150g icing sugar

• 80g pistachios

• 60g plain flour

• 1 large egg and 3 egg whites

• 2 tbs clear honey

• Finely grated zest of one large lemon

How to prepare

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/180C/350F/GM4

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan until foaming and nutty in colour, remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Put the pistachios, flour and icing sugar in a food processor and process until powdery.

4. Transfer the nuts to a bowl and pour over the butter, mix well with a wooden spoon.

5. Add a whole egg and the egg whites, lemon zest and honey and mix again to a smooth batter.

6. Either pipe or spoon the mixture into the mini muffin tin, stopping at 2mm before top. There will be mixture

left over.

7. Bake for 15 minutes until risen and golden brown. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

These coconut macaroons are

free of gluten, dairy and refined

sugar, making them a perfect

mid-morning or afternoon

snack!

CHOCOLATE AND POMEGRANATE LAYER CAKE

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling time

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 1 cake

Ingredients For the cake:

200g plain flour

70g cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

120ml sunflower oil (any unflavoured oil will do)

340g caster sugar

2 medium Waitrose British Blacktail Free Range Eggs

200ml pomegranate juice

For the ganache:

200g butter

280g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), chopped

2 tbsp golden syrup

250ml double cream

110g pack pomegranate seeds, to decorate (find in the chiller)

How to prepare

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line the bases

of 3 x 20cm tins with baking parchment.

2. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking

powder and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together

the oil, sugar and eggs until smooth.

3. Add the pomegranate juice and the flour mixture to the oil, sugar

and egg mixture. Pour in half the juice, and then add half the flour, then

the remaining juice and the remaining flour. Make sure you mix well

after each addition to avoid any lumps.

4. Divide the mixture between the 3 tins and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the

cakes are springy to touch and, when inserted, a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for

10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. For the ganache, place the butter, chocolate and golden syrup into a heatproof bowl over a pan of

boiling water. Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth – about 7-8 minutes. Pour in the double

cream and mix until combined, then place into the fridge and chill until cool but not set – about 35-

40 minutes. Use an electric hand whisk to whip the ganache until it turns from dark to pale brown –

about 2-3 minutes.

The sweet yet tart pomegranate

matches up with dark chocolate

beautifully. Adding juice to the

sponge keeps it moist as well as

enhancing the pomegranate flavour.

Ingredients • 225g/8oz butter, softened • 225g/8oz caster sugar • 4 large eggs • 225g/8oz self raising flour, sifted • zest and juice 1 lemon • 100ml/4floz elderflower cordial • 30ml/ 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180C/ Fan160C/Gas Mark 4. Grease a (20cm) round, deep loose-based

tin and base line with baking parchment. 2. Place the butter sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl. Use an electric whisk to beat the butter

and sugar together untl they are pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, whisking well between additions and adding 2 tbsp of the flour with the last egg - this will prevent curdling.

3. Sift over the remaining flour, then gently fold in with a metal spoon along with 2 tbsp hot water. Spoon into the prepared tin, level the surface and bake for 45-50mins or until it is shrinking away from the sides of the tin. A fine skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 mins.

4. Squeeze the lemon juice, then sieve to remove the bits, stir in the cordial. Use the fine skewer to prick the cake all over, pour over the syrup then sprinkle over the sugar - it should sink in but leave a crunchy crust. Leave to cool completely, before removing the cake from the tin. Serve in wedges.

Gluten-free coconut cookies - great for anyone with a wheat allergy.

Ingredients

• 60g (2oz) butter, softened • 125g (4oz) caster sugar • 1 large egg, beaten • 75g (2½ oz) desiccated coconut • 150g (5oz) gluten-free plain flour • 8 glacé cherries, halved • Baking sheet(s) lined with non-stick liner or baking parchment

Method

1. Set the oven to gas mark 4 or 180°C. Tip the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat them together until smooth. Add the beaten egg. Reserve 2 rounded tablespoons of coconut and add the rest to the creamed mixture and then the flour. Mix all the ingredients together to give a smooth, firmish dough.

2. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll each piece into a ball and then roll them in the reserved coconut. Flatten the balls to about 4-5cm (1½-2in) in diameter and place them on the lined baking sheet(s). Press half a glacé cherry on top of each biscuit.

3. Bake the biscuits in the centre of the oven for 15-18 mins, or until they are a light-golden colour. 4. Remove the baking sheet(s) from the oven and leave the biscuits to cool for a few minutes, and then slide

them on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storage and freezing tips: The biscuits may be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They can also be

packed in a freezer container and frozen for up to 1 month. Allow the biscuits to defrost, and then warm them

through in a hot oven to refresh them before serving.

Millionaire's shortbread

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Nutritional information per portion

• Calories 447(kcal) • Fat 23.0g • Saturates 14.0g • Sugars 35.0g • Salt 0.5g