Botanical baking

SERVES 8-10 PREP 20 mins plus cooling and 1 hr macerating COOK 45 mins EASY 200g butter, softened, plus extrafor the tin200g golden caster sugar4 eggs200g self-raising flour1 tsp baking powder2 tbsp m

A slight adjustment from the classics, these are stuffed with pine nuts and sesame seeds for a nutty sweetness that reminds me of the little yellow packets of sesame snaps we had while growing up. If

For a twist on the classic lebkuchen, these chewy cookies are spiced with fragrant cardamom while brown butter gives them a nutty edge. MAKES around 35-40 PREP 35 mins plus 1 hr chilling and 1 hr sett

This is a classic and fairly simple fudge that has made an appearance on our Christmas gift baking list for the past seven years. The ginger works well to cut through the sweetness of the white chocol

Make this savoury tear-and-share bread to serve alongside soup and dips. It also makes an eye-catching side dish for a Christmas gathering. SERVES 8-10 PREP 40 mins plus 2 hrs proving COOK 35 mins MOR

MAKES 16-20 pieces PREP 20 mins plus 3 hrs chilling COOK 8 mins EASY 50g butter, plus extra for the tin400g blonde white chocolate (or use500g regular white chocolate),broken into pieces100g white cho