Prep 20minBake 15-25 minMakes about 12 large cookies

This great basic cookie recipe (requiring only a bowl and a wooden spoon to mix) can be customised depending on your flavour and texture preferences… Choose from the suggested ingredients to add your twist and to personalise the cookies – the variation options are only limited by your imagination (and a little baking science)!

Ingredients

Base
125g salted butter, melted
110g (½ cup) caster sugar
110g (½ cup, firmly packed) brown sugar
1 egg
185g-225g plain flour (see Baker's Tips)
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients for flavour (choose at least 1)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla essence or extract or vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 orange, lemon or lime, zest finely grated
Sea salt flakes, to taste

Ingredients for texture (choose at least 1)
100g chocolate (dark, milk, white or a combination) – 150g if not using nuts also
100g toasted nuts (macadamias, pecans, salted peanuts, peeled hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts or pistachios), coarsely chopped
150g Smarties or M&M's
100g soft caramels, chopped
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line a large oven tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. Combine the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar in a medium bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth and well combined. Add the egg (and vanilla and/or citrus zest if using) and beat with the wooden spoon until the mixture becomes pale, creamy and thickens slightly (this will take 1-2 minutes).
3. Sift together the flour (see Baker’s Tips) and bicarbonate of soda (and cinnamon if using). Add to the butter mixture and stir until well combined. Add the chocolate, nuts, Smarties, M&M's and/or caramels and stir to combine evenly.
4. Roll 2 level tablespoonfuls (see Baker's Tips) of the cookie dough into balls and place on the lined oven tray about 10cm apart (see Baker's Tips).
   
5. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Lift the baking tray on one side and let it fall back onto the oven rack 3 times (see Baker’s Tips). Sprinkle with coconut or finely chopped nuts if using. Bake for 5 minutes longer then lift the baking tray on one side and let it fall back onto the oven rack 3 times again. Bake for a further 5-15 minutes (see Baker’s Tips).
   
6. Cool the cookies on the trays for 5 minutes or until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
   
   

Prep 15min (+ cooling time)Bake 45-55minMakes about 24

Knowing what is going into your muesli bars is the key to good ones – it makes them so much healthier and tastier.

Ingredients

260g (180ml / ¾ cup) good-quality honey
125ml (½ cup) sunflower oil or light olive oil
250g (2½ cups) rolled oats
30g (1½ cups) puffed millet
45g (½ cup) desiccated coconut
1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
55g (⅓ cup) sweetened dried cranberries
75g (½ cup) currants
80g (½ cup) raw almonds, coarsely chopped (see Baker’s Tips)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 140ºC (120°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a shallow 20 x 30cm (base measurement) slice tin and line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
2. Put the honey and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until well combined and heated through. Set aside.
3. Put the rolled oats, millet, coconut, cinnamon, cranberries, currants and almonds in a large bowl and mix to combine evenly. Add the honey mixture and stir to combine well. Using damp hands, press the mixture firmly into the lined tin. Press the mixture with the back of a spoon to make the surface smooth and even.
4. Bake for 45–55 minutes or until the surface is dark golden brown all over. Cool completely in the tin before cutting into 24 bars with a sharp knife.

Prep 25min (+30min chilling and 30min cooling time)Bake 25minMakes about 40

Sipping on malted milk milkshakes and playing dominos is a vivid childhood memory. These biscuits combine the two and kids will love not only creating them, but also playing with them as they snack — all you need is a glass of milk!

Ingredients

250g butter, softened slightly
110g (½ cup) caster sugar
1 egg yolk
375g (2½ cups) plain flour
60g (½ cup) malted milk powder
Dark or milk Choc Bits (chocolate chips), to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Line two large oven trays with non-stick baking paper.
2. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until smooth and just combined. Add the egg and beat until well combined.
3. Add the flour and malted milk powder to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined evenly and a dough forms.
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly and briefly until it just comes together. Divide the dough into two portion. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out one portion to 5mm thick. Use a large sharp knife and a ruler to cut the dough into 4cm x 8cm rectangles; re-rolling any off cuts as necessary. Use the knife to make a shallow indent across the middle of each biscuit. Place on the lined oven trays, leaving about 2cm between each. Press the Choc Bits into the biscuits to resemble dominos. Repeat with the remaining dough portion and Choc Bits. Place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, swapping the trays around after 10 minutes, or until pale golden and cooked through. Cool on the trays.

Prep 20min (+ cooling time)Bake 25-30minMakes 12

Based on a cake I have made for years as a wedding cake for friends, this recipe is incredibly simple but still has a wonderful celebratory feel. It also makes truly divine individual cakes like these sweet butterfly cakes.

Ingredients

Melted butter, to grease (optional)
200g good-quality white chocolate, chopped
150g unsalted butter, cubed
185ml (¾ cup) water
220g (1 cup) caster sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly whisked
1½ teaspoons natural vanilla extract or essence
225g (1½ cup) plain flour
50g (½ cup) almond meal
1½ teaspoons baking powder
125ml (½ cup) thick (double) cream
165g (½ cup) raspberry or blackberry jam
Icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 12-hole 80ml (⅓ cup) capacity muffin tray with melted butter or line with paper cases.
2. Put the chocolate, butter and water in a medium saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the chocolate and butter have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
3. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and use a balloon whisk to stir until well combined.
4. In a medium bowl, use a clean whisk or fork to whisk together the flour, almond meal and baking powder, combining the ingredients evenly and breaking up any lumps of almond meal. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir with the whisk until just combined.
5. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin holes and lightly tap the tin on the bench top to remove any large air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a cake comes out clean. Leave the cakes to stand in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. When cool, cut a shallow cone-shaped piece out of the top of a cake, leaving about a 1cm border. Cut the piece of cake in half. Spoon a little cream and then some jam into the hole to fill. Arrange the two pieces of cake in the jam to form wings. Repeat with the remaining cakes, cream and jam. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Prep 30minBake 30minMakes 4-6 serves