Vanilla, spiced orange and gingerbread cookies

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3. Place the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a hollow in the centre and pour in the beaten egg, golden syrup and vanilla extract. Mix together well until you have a ball of dough. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick and stamp out the cookies, using your chosen cutters. If you are using a template, cut around the template with a knife for each cookie. Lightly knead and re-roll the trimmings together again to use up all the dough. Place the biscuits on baking sheets. Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes until lightly coloured and firm but not crisp. Leave on the tray for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3. Place butter, sugar, honey, orange zest and juice in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted. Sieve the flour and dry ingredients in a bowl and add the melted ingredients. Mix well until the dough becomes firm. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes Continue as for vanilla cookies. Bake for 10-15 minutes depending of the size of the cookies. Tip: Why not try adding the zest and juice of a lemon for zingy lemon-flavoured cookies Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas Mark 3. Place butter, treacle and sugar into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the butter melted. Cool slightly Sieve the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Pour the melted mixture into the dry ingredients and stir. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk and add to the mixture. Combine to make a dough, adding more milk if necessary. Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes. Continue as for vanilla cookies then bake for 10-15 minutes depending of the size of the cookies. Tip: for gingerbread men, try adding currants for eyes before baking