Biscuit or cookie

Drizzled with melted white chocolate, these delightful cookies are perfect for a special occasion.

You can use any colour you like to tint the dough, choose a matching lolly, or coloured sugar, to coat the pinwheel edges. Note

When it comes to cuisine the French got a lot right, especially the macaron. This humble sweet is deservedly famous for its chewy texture and delicious array of flavour options. Try this raspberry and cinnamon version, you'll love it.

This dough is quite soft. If it becomes difficult to handle, roll it out, then refrigerate again until firm. Note

Macarons can be challenging to make, but the results are worth it. Weigh your ingredients very carefully and sift the almond meal thoroughly, and these peppermint French macarons will be très bon!

Sandwiched with brandy butter cream, these stacked hazelnut and orange spice cookies make a stunning Christmas treat.

Get the kids busy in the kitchen with these delicious coconut, lime and pineapple cookies.

Finished with a drizzle of melted chocolate, these nutty meringue sticks are excellent served with coffee.

Edible gift tag cookies are an adorable way to personalise your presents this Christmas - but perhaps wait until Christmas Day to attach them to your gifts.

Piping the dough in this way results in a delightfully curly result that looks dainty on the plate. Plus, there's the added element of citrusy surprise when you bite into the shortbread.

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

Chewy, rich and gorgeously lush, these fudgy chocolate, cherry and coconut cookies are perfect served with a strong cup of coffee.

You can use pretty much any combination of nuts and glacé fruits for the florentines as long you substitute weight for weight. Note

Give your regular yo-yos a citrusy, nutty twist with these orange and hazelnut flavoured morsels. Perfect to enjoy with your morning or afternoon cuppa with friends.

These crispbreads with cheesy carrot and sultana filling make a great sandwich substitute for a healthy lunchbox.

Light, zesty and crumbly, these beautiful shortbread biscuits are beautiful enjoyed with a cup of tea or given as gifts to loved ones.

The very best thing to serve with cheese, these oat biscuits are earthy, crumbly and just the right side of sweet. If you like, you can replace 60gm of the flour with unprocessed bran.

Now an established classic in the honour roll of great cookie recipes, these white chocolate and macadamia cookies are crisp on the edges and deliciously chewy inside. The perfect mid-afternoon indulgence.

These chewy almond macaroons are made in the traditional Italian style and are absolutely delicious served with hot espresso coffee.

Sweet, golden and crumbly, these beautiful lemon zest polenta biscuits are brilliant enjoyed with a mug of coffee or tea for a morning or afternoon treat.

This crisp, biscotti-style chocolate almond bread makes a satisfying snap when you bite into it. Unless, of course, it's thoroughly dunked in your coffee first.

Stuffed full of peanuts and peanut butter, these gluten-free peanut cookies are nutty, chewy and a little bit addictive.

Light, crumbly kisses are utterly divine sandwiched together with Vienna cream. These classic little biscuits are make a scrumptious afternoon treat. The hardest thing is trying not to eat them all at once.

Choc-chip cookies are always a crowd pleaser and these mega choc-chip cookies will be hugely popular. Generously sized, crisp around the edges and chewy in the middle. Perfect.

Sweet, golden and crunchy, these beautiful coffee snaps are brilliant enjoyed with a hot cuppa for afternoon or morning tea.

Put the kettle on and enjoy a sweet, golden passionfruit butter biscuit with your cup of coffee as a relaxing morning tea.

These fragrant sugar and spice shortbreads, infused with all the fragrances of the festive season, make fabulous end of year and edible Christmas gifts. Package in a pretty tin or box, and finish with a fancy label and pretty ribbon.

The dough can be shaped into a log, wrapped tightly in plastic and frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator and slice into 1cm rounds, place on an oven tray and bake as above. Note

You can also make this pastry using a food processor: Process flour, icing sugar and butter until crumbly. With motor operating, add egg yolk and enough of the water to make ingredients come together. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead gently until smooth. To segment the orange, use a small sharp knife to cut the […]

Speculaas are a Dutch Christmas biscuit traditionally made in wooden moulds. If you have them, dust with cornflour or flour; press dough mixture into moulds then draw a knife across the surface to scrape off excess. Turn mould over and slap hard to loosen biscuits onto oven trays. Dust mould with flour between each biscuit. […]

Christmas cutters are available from all good kitchenware shops or cake decorating shops. Note

If you like, create stencils by cutting out 20 shapes or letters from baking paper. Position the stencils on the slice and dust with sifted cocoa powder. Carefully remove stencils. Cut the slice into squares using a hot dry knife. Note

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

You will need approximately 1 cup (120g) pecans to make enough ground pecans for this recipe. Note

Bring out this tree with the coffee, suggesting to your guests that they snap off bits of the branches. Or, for an impressive gift, wrap the whole tree in cellophane and deliver it on the day. Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture along all the crosses to make branches. Note

Give the traditional gingerbread people an Aussie spin with these adorable gingerbread biscuits dressed in their togs!

Gingerbread can be made up to a week ahead, store in an airtight container. The house can be assembled 5 days ahead, keep covered in a cool dry place. In hot humid weather, the toffee should be made on the day of serving. Note

This recipe makes a lot of little one-bite shortbreads. If you like, make 50 shortbreads and freeze the remaining log, wrapped in baking paper then plastic wrap, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before slicing and baking. You will need to halve the butter cream frosting if only baking 50 shortbreads. […]

EQUIPMENT Oven trays 6cm heart cutter paper piping bag 30cm square or round cake board The gingerbread house can be assembled 3 days ahead. Bake gingerbread a day before it’s required and store in an airtight container. Secure the roof panels to the birdhouse with royal icing; hold in place until set. Secure the walls […]

Fill macaroons just before serving. If the marmalade is too chunky or thick to spread, warm it, strain it, and leave it to cool before using. Note

Celebrate Chinese New Year with a special message for your friends and family. Cut 12 paper strips measuring 1.5cm x 8cm (¾-inch x 3¼-inch); write a message on each strip. Do this before starting to make the cookies. If the cookie cools and hardens too quickly before you have time to shape it, return it, […]

Simple mocha cookies bring to joy of chocolate and coffee from pantry to plate in under 30 minutes.

Silver leaf, available from cake decorating stores, is delicate and fiddly to handle but worth the effort. Note

Keeping time: 4 days. Note

You need a 7cm (2¾-inch) and a 5cm (2-inch) starshaped cutter. It’s best to use food colouring pastes rather than liquids. Roll, cut and bake one portion of dough at a time. While those biscuits are cooking , roll and cut the next batch, ready for the oven. Note

Sugar flowers of many shapes, sizes and colours can be bought from most supermarkets and cake decorating shops. Note

For this recipe you need 1 large pomegranate (375g). Note

White icing is also known as fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes). It is available in packets from the supermarket and cake decorating shops. Note

Rugelach, while they can be eaten throughout the year, are a Hanukkah tradition. The dough is usually made with cream cheese, and the fillings can include fruits, nuts, jams and chocolate. Sprinkle the dough lightly with ground cinnamon for extra spice. Note

White ready-made fondant (it’s the traditional icing used on wedding cakes), silver luster and cachous can be found at specialty baking and cake-decorating stores. Note

You can use any flavoured jam you have on hand. Note

You need to buy 2 packets of lattice biscuits for this recipe. The slice will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Note

Early season imperial mandarins have a lovely aromatic rind, however, as they have a loose skin, a microplane grater is the best tool to use. You could substitute lemon or orange rind. Note

You need a 6cm (2-inch) flower-shaped cookie cutter. Don’t use boiled lollies for the centres as they will melt during cooking. You can vary the lollies used, but gelatine-based ones (jelly babies and the like) are probably best. Note

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

Mocha vanilla twists are a cute and fun biscuit to both make and eat!