How to make...Thin mints.

• Ingredients

  
  

  • For the cookies:

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

  • 1/3 cup milk (any kind)

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 3/4 tsp peppermint extract

  • For the dark chocolate coating:

  • 10 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (I used Hershey's Special Dark)

  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature

  
  

  

  
  

  Procedures

  1. 1
     In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt.
  2. 2
     In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look slightly curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
  3. 3
     Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 to 2 hours (I did mine overnight), until dough is very firm.
  4. 4
     Preheat oven to 375°F.
  5. 5
     For the most authentic texture, slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick (they will not be as crisp if they are thicker, but they're still delicious) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread very much, so you don't have to leave too much space around each one.
  6. 6
     Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
  7. 7
     Prepare the coating. While the original recipe suggested preparing it in the microwave, I did mine on the stovetop by combining the chocolate on butter in a medium saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently until the mixture was melty and fully combined. The texture will be thicker than a chocolate syrup, but not so thick that cookies can't easily be dipped and removed. You can put the chocolate mixture back on heat as needed to keep the coating smooth and easy to dip your cookies into.
  8. 8
     Note: Per the recipe I adapted, this can also be done in the microwave: in a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter. Melt on high power in the microwave, stirring every 45 to 60 seconds, until chocolate is smooth. Chocolate should have a consistency somewhere between chocolate syrup and fudge for a thin coating. (Note: Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.)
  9. 9
     Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.

How to make...Chelsea Buns.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lb (675g) Flour

• 8 oz (200g) Butter

• 1 1/2 oz (30g) Yeast

• 8 oz (200g) Castor Sugar

• 5 Eggs, beaten

• Grated Rind from 1 Lemon

• 3/4 pint (400ml) Buttermilk or Sour Milk

METHOD

1. Warm the milk in a saucepan. 

2. Work the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar together until they are liquid, then add the heated milk.

3. Sift the flour and salt into a basin, rub half the butter lightly into the flour and add half the sugar and grated lemon rind. 

4. Add the beaten eggs to the milk and yeast, make a well in the centre of the flour, then mix well in. 

5. Beat the mixture thoroughly with a wooden spoon, cover the basin with a cloth, and place in a warm place to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough has risen to twice it's size.

5. Remove to a floured board, and roll out like a strip of pastry to about 1/4 of an inch thick. 

6. Spread all over with the remainder of the butter and half of the remaining sugar, fold in three and roll out thinly again.

7. Dust with the remainder of the sugar and cut the strip in half, roll each strip up like a Swiss Roll. 

8. Cut the rolls into pieces about 1 1/4 inches thick, and put these on a greased tin about one inch apart.

9. Stand the pieces in the tin with the cut side uppermost, so that the coil shows. 

10. Put the tin in a warm place for about 25 minutes, or until each bun is almost as large again.

11. Sprinkle with more sugar and bake in a quick oven (375F / 190C / Mark 5) for about 25 minutes.

How to make...Ginger biscuits

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz (225g) Flour

• 4 oz (100g) Golden Syrup

• A Knob of Butter

• 4 oz (100g) Demerara Sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger

• 10 Drops of Lemon Essence

• 1/4 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

METHOD

1. Rub the butter into the flour; add the sugar, ginger and lemon essence. 

2. Then mix in the golden syrup, and lastly the soda. 

3. Roll out, cut into biscuits and bake in a moderate oven (190C, 375F, Mark 5) for about 15 minutes until crisp.

How to make...Flapjacks.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oz (100g) Coarse Porridge Oats
• 2 oz (50g) Butter
• 3 oz (75g) Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Treacle or Golden Syrup

METHOD

1. Melt the butter and treacle in a saucepan, add the sugar and oats and stir together over a gentle heat for a few moments. 

2. Turn into a buttered baking tin and bake until a nice brown in a moderate oven, which should take from 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Let the mixture cool in the tin, then turn it out and cut it into suitable fingers

How to make...Shortbread.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz (175g) Plain Flour

• 5 oz (150g) Butter

• 2 oz (50g) Ground Rice

• 2-3 oz (50g-75g) Castor Sugar

METHOD

1. Sieve the flour with the rice and sugar, rub in the butter, which must be softened, and knead to a dough, adding no liquid whatsoever. 

2. Shape into two cakes an inch thick (2.5mm) and prick their tops with a fork.

3. Leave them to mellow for about an hour, then bake in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes.

How to make...Coconut cones.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Egg Whites

• 6 oz (175g) Desiccated Coconut

• 10 oz (275g) Castor Sugar

• Greaseproof Paper

METHOD

1. Whisk the whites of the eggs stiffly, then add the sugar and coconut. 

2. Put the greaseproof paper on a baking sheet and pile up the mixture in the shape of cones. 

3. Bake in a cool oven until they get a very pale fawn colour and leave to cool. 

How to make...Macaroons

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oz (100g) Ground Almonds
• 1 oz (25g) Rice Flour
• 8 oz (225g) Castor Sugar
• 3 Small Egg Whites
• Vanilla Essence
• Blanched Almonds, split into halves

METHOD

1. Beat the egg whites very lightly and add the rest of the ingredients to them except the almonds, mixing to a stiff paste.

2. Put small walnut sized balls of this on a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tin, leaving room for expanding. 

3. Brush each with cold water and place a blanched almond half on top of each one.

4. Bake in a moderate oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

5. Put your favourite spread in the middle and stick two together!