BRANDY SNAPS

These thin, golden, gingery, sweet, crunchy retro biscuits are wonderful to shape into cigar tubes, baskets or discs. When we make ice cream at the height of summer we serve it in a brandy snap cup — yum!

Makes 50

225 g (8 oz) icing sugar mixture

90 g (3¼ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

5 g (¹/₈ oz) ground ginger

90 g (3¼ oz) golden syrup or treacle

90 g (3¼ oz) unsalted butter

Sift the icing sugar, flour and ginger into a bowl.

Put the golden syrup and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until melted and combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until set.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Using 10 g (¼ oz/2 teaspoons) for each one, roll the mixture into balls. Place on the baking tray and press to form discs about 3 cm (1¼ inches) in diameter, ensuring there is plenty of space between them, as they will spread out to about 9 cm (3½ inches) during baking.

Bake for 10 minutes.

To create cigar tubes, wrap the still-warm biscuits around the handle of a wooden spoon. A basket can be created by draping over the base of a glass.

The brandy snaps are best enjoyed the day they are baked. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.