Biscuit or cookie

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

If you don’t have a piping bag and icing tube, you can use a small strong plastic bag instead. Spoon the icing into a corner of the bag, twist the bag to close it. Snip the corner from the bag, then use it to pipe the icing. Note

sicilian creams are best assembled close to serving. Any liqueur can be used to flavour these biscuits, e.g. Galliano, Grand Marnier, Cointreau or Amaretto. 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

You need 10 ice-block sticks. If the choc orange balls don’t stick to the cookies, secure them with a little melted chocolate. Note

Checkerboard cookies look and taste wonderful. These biscuits make a perfect gift. Stack the cookies, then wrap securely in cellophane to keep airtight. They will keep fresh for a week or two. Note

These cookies can be topped with nuts before baking or, once cooked, iced then dipped into various sprinkles, or simply dusted lightly with sifted icing sugar. To flavour the dough, beat your choice of essence or extract with the butter and sugar mixture, or beat in a teaspoon or two of finely grated citrus rind. […]

Place the unused vanilla bean in a jar of caster sugar to make your own vanilla sugar. Note

Dried lavender is available from gourmet food stores and cake decorating stores. Note

Take the traditional Anzac Day biscuit recipe, and add in crunchy Australian macadamia nuts and you'll have yourself a delicious sweet treat for any time of the year.

You will have a lot of royal icing left over, use it for making snow on the trees, if you like. Note

Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Note