Shortbread

½ pound butter

¾ cup sugar

½ cup cornflour (cornstarch)

2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar until very smooth and add flour and cornflour (cornstarch). Knead well. Roll into a sausage shape 2 inches thick and slice ½ inch thick slices from the roll. Place on cold greased baking trays. Prick with a fork a couple of times and bake in a moderate oven (350F) for 15 minutes or until just slightly coloured. Depending on your oven this make take less time to cook or a little longer.

Happy baking

Almond Flavoured Biscuits (Cookies)

¾ cup sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 ½ teaspoons almond essence

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups plain white flour

Preheat your oven to 180^oC. Have your un-greased baking tray ready. DO NOT grease the tray.

Cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, essences, salt and beat until well combined. Add flour and mix till well combined.  Roll into balls about the size of a walnut and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Roll in icing sugar as soon as they come out of the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.

Variation: When rolling into balls, make a small hole in the ball and fill with small pieces of chocolate, jam, chopped apricots, dates etc. and then close the hole up to conceal the surprise filling. Bake as above.

Note: These make wonderful Christmas gifts, placed in decorative tins and a Christmas bow tie around it.

Country Style Coconut Biscuits (cookies)

1 cup butter

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup icing sugar

2 eggs, beaten well

4 ½ cup plain white flour

1 cup coconut

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Preheat your oven to 190^oC. Lightly grease your baking trays and set aside.  Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until they are all well combined. Drop teaspoonful’s onto your prepared baking trays leaving a little space between the biscuits just in case they spread out a little. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Cool on baking racks before storing in an airtight container when perfectly cold.

Makes approximately 5 ½ dozen biscuits.