Biscuit or cookie

We used plain oval biscuits, spread with royal icing. Prepare decorations before spreading with icing, as the icing begins to set as soon as it is spread onto the biscuits. These biscuits are best eaten on the day they are iced. Note

You cannot beat one of these classic Italian cookies served alongside a cup of coffee.

These crunchy Italian biscuits are irresistible with a cup of strong espresso.

We used a mixture of peanuts, cashews, almond kernels and walnuts. Note

Hipster meets old-school Italian in this chai latte biscotti, and the results are in. They're delicious! Whip them up for an afternoon tea gathering with friends, or wrap them for a thoughtful gift.

These divine little bite-sized chocolate hazelnut cakes are the perfect size for such a rich, indulgent recipe.

These beautifully coloured and delicate pistachio and orange blossom macrons are an absolute feast for the eyes. Arrange them in a large glass bowl or on a cupcake stand for maximum Wow! factor.

These light and fluffy cookies are so lifelike they look as though they have fallen straight off the tree. They are exceptionally lovely served with a bowl of vanilla-bean ice-cream. If the dough doesn’t spread to fill inside the cutters, use a skewer to push the dough into the points of the cutters. The leaves […]

Black sugar is available from health food stores; brown sugar can be used as a substitute. Note

Dipped in melted chocolate, these crunchy biscuits taste excellent with a cup of hot coffee.

These moreish cookies go perfectly with a cold glass of milk.

These sweet butterfly cookies are easier to make than they look and the kids will love them.

The versatile, delicately flavoured almond is the star of the show with these Amaretti biscuits.

A piping bag — available from cookware shops — is a really handy thing to have. They are easy to use, much easier than you’d expect, and make the dividing up of a mixture into trays quick and efficient. Buy a few different sizes and shapes of tubes — you’ll be surprised how often you’ll […]

Colourful, chocolatey and utterly moorish, these tasty spotty cookies are perfect for a bake stall or school fete.

These zesty, twice-baked biscotti make the perfect tea time treat.

Recipe can be made up to 1 week in advance. White chocolate and white chocolate melts are suitable to microwave. Note

Plain biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Sandwiched biscuits will keep, refrigerated, in an airtight container for up to 1 week. These bite-size biscuits hail from Piedmont in Italy, a region famed for the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts. Ground nuts lose their flavour quickly so, for a more […]

As delicious as these lemon coconut macarons will be once finished, for a better flavour and a more chewy texture seal them in a container and refrigerate them overnight. It is a most cruel exercise in self restraint, but worth it.

These delicious savoury biscuits make the perfect canapé or snack.

Crisps can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Note

Ahh, biscotti. It's really a biscuit for grown ups. We've given it a little facelift here, and added some coffee flavour and toasted hazelnuts; hide from the kids and enjoy with your afternoon cuppa.

Petit madeleines, such a big reputation for such a little cake. You too can make like you're in Paris, musing on times past with a pot of tea and a delicate madeleine.

Give your traditional shortbread recipe a more robust and festive flavour by trying these brown sugar and spice shortbread sticks. They would also make a thoughtful gift.

Who can resist the decadent combination of hazelnut, chocolate and raspberry?

These pretty teacups and teapots are versatile little biscuits. They'd be perfect to serve at a kitchen tea, but would also be great at a little girl's first tea party, or as a delicious gift to take to a house-warming party.

The beauty of the macaron lies in its versatility; they can be enhanced with all manner of exotic flavours and be equally delicious. Try these lemon and basil beauties for a grown up version of this most delicious sweet treat.

Other dried fruit may be used in place of glace cherries if liked. Note

These wafer-thin biscuits are perfect with a cup of hot chocolate or strong espresso.

These little fibre-packed cookies are the perfect treat to add to a school lunch box or for an afternoon treat.

These apple-shaped biscuits taste great just as they are, unfilled. But, for something special, the custard cream filling gives these biscuits the wow factor.

So popular is this delectable French biscuit, that it has its own day on which it is celebrated. March 20 is unofficially 'Macaron Day', and participating bakeries offer customers free samples. With this recipe, you can make your own!

This delightful recipe combines all the great flavours of baklava into delicious cute sized cookies.

The perfect balance of sweet, salty and crunchy, these delicious caramel peanut hearts are the perfect weekend snack, or gift for loved ones.

If you can’t find dried pineapple you can use the same amount of finely chopped dried apricot instead. Note

The kids will love these delightful teddy bear biscuits. You can experiment with different coloured smarties to have a variety of coloured noses, if you like.

These crunchy Italian treats are perfect with hot espresso coffee.

Drizzled in sweet toffee, these almond and cranberry wreath biscuits make wonderful Christmas gifts.

The addition of pecans to these brown sugar biscuits adds a sophisticated flavour and texture. They're dead easy to make; the kids could do it with minimal supervision.

With a cinnamon-spiked plum and prune filling, these almond crescents are the perfect sweet treat with tea or coffee.

Let your creative juices run wild; use any lollies you like in the ice-cream, if they are large, roughly chop them. Make this a rocky road ice-cream sandwich by adding chopped turkish delight, dark choc chips, peanuts and coconut.

Combining two of our favourite things, chocolate and hazelnuts, these incredible cookies are filled with an irresistibly creamy centre.

Macaroons will keep in an airtight container for about a week. Note

8cm x 25cm x 7cm (3¼-inch x 10-inch x 2¾-inch) bar cake pan deep 25cm (10-inch) round cake pan 45cm (18-inch) square cake board. Be careful when cutting the jubes as they tend to stick to the knife. To avoid this, dip the knife in hot water and dry it before cutting. Note

You can substitute the fig and ginger jam for any jam of your choice. These biscuits are best served on the day they are made. Store unfilled biscuits in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Note

Completed cookies can be made up to 4 weeks ahead; store at room temperature in an airtight container. Note

Crispy on the outside, these chocolate lace cookies are chewy on the inside. Just what you need when it's time to sit down with a cup of tea.

Mature cheddar makes for a stronger flavour, you can up the intensity by choosing a sharper cheese.

Equipment 2 large oven trays 6.5cm (2¾-inch) heart-shaped cutter small piping bag fitted with small plain tube Sprinkling lollies into heart shapes Joining boxes with royal icing The tea lights should only be left alight for a short time or the heat will melt the windows. Note

We used a store-bought lemon curd in this recipe. Biscuits can be made a day ahead; they are best filled on the day of serving. Note

Spoil the chocoholics with these triple-chocolate and hazelnut cookies.

If you can’t find wattleseeds, substitute with ground coffee. Note

Give your traditional shortbread a twist with this chocolate pistachio shortbread recipe from the Women's Weekly! Delicious as an afternoon tea treat, or wrapped in cellophane for homemade Christmas food gift.

Tart, sweet and fragrant oranges make these buttery shortbread triangles especially delectable. If you like, try substituting the lemon rind for the orange rind and add ⅓ cup (45g) coarsely chopped dried cranberries to the dough.

These heavenly cinnamon and sour cherry macarons are definitely for the grownups. In order to get the pretty 'feet' effect along the bottom of each macaron, make sure you leave them to dry out completely before baking.

These chewy gluten-free cookies are divine served with a cup of hot coffee or tea.

These adorable wedding cake cookies make great party favours for guests, or as a sweet treat for a wedding shower.

If you love a bit of confectionary nostalgia, you'll adore our choc-mallow wheels recipe.

egg-free gluten-free wheat-free Florentines can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Note

Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Note

The hardest thing about this chocolate peanut cookie recipe is stopping yourself eating all the chocolate covered peanuts that are destined for the bowl.

One of the classic flavour combinations, sweet mild pear and fiery ginger make for a delicious biscuit.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Note

What a delightful way to enjoy the flavour of eggnog. These macarons are the perfect, light accompaniment to Christmas dinner, and would make a unique and thoughtful gift for your host.

Studded with chopped up Chokito bars, these chewy chocolate caramel cookies are perfect for afternoon tea-time treats.

Check the cookies a few minutes before the end of baking time if they feel a little soft, but firm, give one cookie a gentle push with the side of your thumb. A cooked cookie will slide easily on the tray. The cookies will become crisp on cooling. Note

When it comes to sweet treats the French always get it right and this delicate delight is no exception. Somewhere between a meringue and a biscuit, this melt in the mouth tropical macaron is simply délicieux!

These crunchy Italian biscuits go wonderfully with hot espresso coffee.

For pure crunchy peanut-buttery bliss you can't go past these cookies. If you like, replace the chocolate melts with chopped dark (semi-sweet) chocolate.

Fun envelope cookies for special occasions like weddings and engagement parties.

Enjoy these sweet little cranberry and coconut treats with a cup of tea or coffee and good conversation.

Embossed cookie cutters come with assorted messages and are available from cake decorating and kitchen shops, and most larger department stores. Or, you can stamp a message with individual letters into the cookie dough. You need a 7.5cm (3-inch) round fluted cutter, a 7.5cm (3-inch) embossed cookie cutter and a piping bag fitted with a […]

Use a 150ml cocktail glass; garnish a straw. Note