Chokladsnittar + Kolakakor

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.

Method:

Chocolate biscuits (makes 24):

In a bowl, cream together the butter, caster/ granulated sugar and vanilla sugar. Add the syrup and mix. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together, then mix into the wet mixture. Bring the mixture together with your hands to form an even dough – it should not be sticky. Split the dough into two lumps. Roll out each lump into a 6 x 35 cm/21/2 x 14 in. rectangle, directly on the prepared baking sheets.

Sprinkle the pearl sugar or chopped almonds down the middle of the dough, then bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until almost baked through. As soon as you remove them from the oven, use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut each piece into 12 even-sized strips. Leave to cool on a wire rack to harden up - and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Toffee biscuits (makes 36)

In a bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the syrup, followed by the vanilla sugar, baking powder and flour. Mix with your hands until you have an even dough.

Cut the dough into three equal pieces. Roll out to the size of 6 x 35 cm/2/2 x 14 in. directly on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle the salt over the top of the dough, if using.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes.

As soon as you remove the biscuits from the oven, use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut each rectangle into 12 pieces.

Leave to cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container for up to a week.