Choc Cashew Cookies

A vintage silver stand holds a generous offering of these delicious cookies. The English Burleigh ware teapot is another from my grandmother's vast collection.

Notes

There is something delicious about the flavour combination of salty cashews with creamy white chocolate and a slightly bitter dark chocolate. Combine that with a chewy brown sugar cookie and you have a delightful little treat!

Ingredients – makes 24

90g butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup roughly chopped cashews

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line two baking trays. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugars until thick and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Sift in the flour and baking powder then beat til combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and cashews. Using your hands shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30min.

Using clean, slightly damp hands, shape 4cm round balls and place on the prepared trays spacing 6cm apart. Press the balls to flatten them slightly then bake for 15min rotating the position of the trays after 8min. Remove from the oven and cool for 5min then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Triple Choc Cookies

I am coveting my Aunt's gorgeous 1950's Shelley 'Regal' trio. A beautiful green colour and a Shelley? My favourite combo!

Notes

This recipe is a based on a traditional cookie recipe made with brown sugar to get that chewy goodness and then I have added three versions of my favourite ingredient, chocolate, to make it extra special. Stack them in a teacup and who can possibly resist!

Ingredients – makes 24

100g butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
2/3 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
50g dark cooking chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and line two baking trays. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until thick and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder and beat until combine. Stir in the chocolate chips. Dollop 24 tablespoon sized rounds onto the prepared trays, leaving 5-6cm between each dollop for the cookie to spread when cooking. Flatten slightly with the back of the spoon and bake for approx 15min, rotating the position of the trays after 8min.

Remove from the oven and cool for 5min then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water. Place the cooled cookies on a sheet of baking paper, drizzle with the melted chocolate and leave to set before serving.

Pink Butter Biscuits

Perfectly Pink! A pair of Waterford 'Lismore Essence' crystal champagne flutes accompanies a pink spotted Robert Gordon Australia teapot. The Pink Butter Biscuits perch on an upturned Wedgwood 'Polka Dot' teacup whilst another Wedgwood teacup, 'Butterfly' holds two antique enamel teaspoons, all sitting on an antique linen napkin.

Notes

The October social calendar is bursting with events like morning teas, afternoon and high teas as Australians gather to raise funds for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So gather your friends, think pink, get baking and donate generously for this worthy cause.

Ingredients – makes 3 dozen

175g butter at room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 3/4 cup self-raising flour
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Ingredients – icing

1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
rose food colouring

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line two baking trays. In a large bowl beat the butter and sifted icing sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla and egg yolk. Sift in the flour and salt and stir with a metal spoon till combine. Dough will be quite sticky. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the bench then gently shape the dough into a log approx 5-6cm thick and 30cm long. Wrap tightly in the plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and using a sharp knife slice into 8mm thick pieces. Place on the prepared trays spacing 1cm apart. Bake for 10min then rotate the trays on the oven and bake for a further 5-10min until pale and dry. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 5min then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, sift the sugar into a small bowl, getting rid of any lumps. Add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and beat hard with a metal spoon. Add the other 1 tbsp of juice, beat till smooth and of a good consistency. Divide the icing into two separate, even amounts. Dip the end of a wooden skewer into the colouring, add to one of the icing and beat in. Keep doing this until you are happy with the colour. Repeat for the 2nd icing colour making it slightly darker than the first. Spread the biscuits on one side with the lighter icing, put aside to set then finish by spreading the darker icing on the other side. Can be stored in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Californian Citrus Cookies

This vintage flour tin was a wonderful find from my favourite emporium, Bacashes.

Notes

Greetings from Sunny San Francisco! The Art of Afternoon Tea is currently livin’ it up in beautiful California, indulging in amazing food and treats like these delicious citrus cookies. Melt in the mouth goodness all the way from The Golden State!

Ingredients – makes 15 large cookies

120g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tbsp grated orange rind
1 egg
2 cups self-raising flour
3 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp extra milk for brushing

Ingredients – buttercream

1 1/2 cups icing sugar
100g butter, softened
2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat oven to 160C. Grease and line 3 baking trays. In a large bowl beat the butter, sugar and rinds until thick and creamy. Beat in the egg. Sift in the flours then add the milk and stir to combine. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for 20min. Remove from the fridge and knead lightly in the bowl then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to approx 8mm thick. Using either a 5cm biscuit cutter or the end of a glass, cut rounds repeating the process until all the dough is used, approximately 30 rounds. Place rounds on the prepared trays spacing 5cm apart. Brush with milk and prick with a fork. Cook for 10-15min until lightly golden. You may need to rotate the trays in your oven for even cooking. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

In a medium sized bowl beat the butter and sugar for 5min until thick and creamy. Add the juice and beat for approx 3min. Place a dollop of buttercream on the underside of half of the cookies. Sandwich with the remaining cookies ready to serve.

Cheese and Sesame Biscuits

Perched on a vintage hand embroidered doilie

Notes

Another Peel family favourite recipe! This little savory biscuit is a delicious accompaniment to a glass of Champagne to kick-start your High Tea party!

Ingredients – makes approx 48

1 1/2 cups strong mature cheese – grated
1/2 cup parmesan – finely grated
165g softened butter
1 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
80g sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line two baking trays. Combine the cheeses in a large bowl then add the butter and flour and mix quickly. Add the pepper and mix till of a dough like consistency. Pour the sesame seeds into a small bowl. Scoop out teaspoon sized amounts of the batter and using your fingers roll into a ball then roll through the sesame seeds. Place on the prepared trays spacing 4cm apart and cook for approx 10min then remove the trays from the oven. These biscuits have the tendency to spread so, using a knife, gently push the biscuits back into a round shape and then return the trays to the oven, alternating their position and bake for another 5-10min until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and again reshape the biscuits into circles and leave to cool on the trays for 5min. Gently loosen the biscuits, leave to cool for a further 5min then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Donna Hay’s Jam Drops

Donna Hay milk green glass cake stand. Perched on top is an Art Deco Royal Doulton “Windsor” coffee cup sitting on a vintage cotton napkin.

Notes

I recently discovered Donna Hay’s simply beautiful General Store in Woollahra. Upon visiting I saw and fell in love with this gorgeous milk green glass cake stand. Quivering with excitement I picked up the smallest of the three (promising myself I would return and treat myself to the other two) and made my way to the register. There I discovered cute postcard giveaways with some of Donna’s recipes. The jam drops caught my eye and an idea began to form..

Illustrated Jam Drops on the cover of the next Donna Hay magazine..

Whaddya say, Donna Hay?!

Ingredients – makes approx 60

180g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Donna Hay strawberry jam available at the General Store

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line 3 baking trays. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well to combine. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix to form a dough. Roll 2 teaspoons of the mixture at a time into balls. Place on the prepared trays leaving room for the biscuits to spread and flatten slightly. Using your finger press a hole halfway into each ball, fill this with jam. Bake for 10-12min until slightly golden. You may need to rotate your trays in the oven. Remove from the oven and add a little more jam to each biscuit whilst still warm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Boo Boo’s Shortbread

A lovely present, Wedgwood 2009 teacup set "Deco Bloom"

Notes

Treat your Mum or someone special this Mother’s Day, Sunday 8th May, with a plateful of these delicious, melt in the mouth treats. ‘Boo Boo’s Shortbread’ has been handed down through the Peel family for five generations and now they have generously passed it on to me for the readers of The Art of Afternoon Tea to enjoy. The perfect treat to share with your Mum as you catch up over a cup of tea.

Ingredients – makes 45

230g softened butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup cornflour
1 1/2 cups plain flour
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180C and thoroughly grease two large baking trays. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift the flours and add to the mixture along with the salt, mix well. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly. Halve the mixture and make two rolls approx 5cm in diameter. Wrap each roll in cling wrap, place on a tray and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm. Remove from the fridge, discard the cling wrap and using a sharp, thin bladed knife, cut the rolls into 1cm thick slices. Place onto the prepared trays and bake for approx 10-15min until they slightly change colour. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Anzac Biscuits

I came across this 1930′s Art Deco biscuit tin in Adelaide a few years ago. Although only packaging at the time of manufacture, I find it fascinating that it has grown over the years to become a collectable work of art.

Notes

In celebration and remembrance of Anzac Day on April 25^th I want to share with you Robyn’s recipe for Anzac biscuits, one of the best I have ever come across. The debate of crunchy vs chewy I believe is settled here, with this recipe being the perfect combination of the two. Crunchy outside, chewy inside. Pass the tin please.

Ingredients – makes approx 30

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
¾ cup caster sugar
¾ cup coconut
125g softened butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp boiling water

Preheat oven to 170C. Grease three baking trays. In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar and coconut.

Melt the butter with the golden syrup. Mix the bicarb with the water and add to the butter mixture. Stir butter mixture into the dry ingredients until well combine.

Roll tablespoon sized amounts of the mixture into balls place onto the prepared trays, flatten slightly and bake for 16-18min alternating the position of trays after 10min. Remove from oven, loosen the biscuits and transfer to wire racks to cool.

Brazil Nut Biscuits

An over-sized Robert Gordon Australia teacup makes for a charming display stand.

Notes

As winter approaches my thoughts turn towards roaring fires, cosy reading nooks and comfort treats. This weekend I look forward to curling up with a good book, a cup of tea and a stack of Brazil Nut biscuits. Yum.

Ingredients

185g butter
1 egg
¼ cup milk
1 cup caster sugar
½ cup cocoa
1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup crushed Brazil nuts
1 tsp vanilla essence
icing sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line two baking trays. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until thick and pale. Beat in the egg. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Sift the cocoa and flour and fold into the mixture. Fold in the nuts. Using a teaspoon place 3cm rounds onto the prepared trays, should make approx 36 biscuits. Bake for approx 15-20min. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.