“Toasted butter and malty muscovado sugar makes these softly spiced humps the sweetest cookie in the jar. A scoop of rye flour brings an earthy flavour and a slight heft to the chew. If you want to skip the sugar syrup coating, a thin icing sugar glaze or dark chocolate dip are equally delicious options.”
“Apart from apples and cinnamon, there is no better combination than these buttery, hazelnutty cookies paired with a red fruit jam filling. You can make the wreath as a pretty table cookie centrepiece, or just turn all the dough into filled cookies.”
“I was the Goose to Dad’s Maverick when he made our family Christmas cake every year. I shadowed him as he carefully chose the best dried fruits, soaking them all in a special port he had earmarked. I stood mesmerised and fascinated as the Kenwood mixer beat butter, brown sugar and citrus zest. The final mixing was done in our scrupulously cleaned kitchen sink, as it was the biggest ‘bowl’ we could find. Once it was ready, it was our tradition to eat a slice of the heavily buttered fruit cake on Christmas morning. Cake for breakfast!
I’ve always believed that Christmas gives me carte blanche to bust open packets of dried fruit, sugar and spices. And block after block of butter! Our Australian Christmases are summery hot, so I always chill the dry ingredients as well as the butter, so cookie-making is less sticky and stressful. And prep ahead: some ‘mise en bake’ can be done ahead of time – doughs rolled and frozen, fruit mince made months before. Some things like gingerbread actually get better if baked a week or more before. Keep that oven free for all the roasted savoury goodness on Christmas Day!”
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SACHERTORTE WITH APRICOT COMPOTE
SERVES 6-10
Begin this recipe a day ahead.
¼ cup (60ml) apricot liqueur or kirsch
60g apricot jam
30g dark (70%) chocolate
Dutch cocoa, to dust
CHOCOLATE SPONGE
160g dark (70%) chocolate, chopped
20g Dutch cocoa powder
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
6 large eggs, at room temperature
180g raw caster sugar
90g biscuit, pastry and cake flour
40g cornflour
APRICOT FILLING
410g can apricots in juice
Large strips of peel and
