Bourbon Balls Ingredients:

2 cups milk coffee cookie crumbs

2 cups ground nuts (your choice of hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans)

2 cups sifted icing sugar

1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder

1/2 cup whisky or bourbon

3 Tbsp white corn syrup

Method:

1. Combine all dry ingredients.

2. In separate cup combine whisky and corn syrup.

3. Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

4. Form small balls, and roll in extra powdered sugar. Chill.

Melting Moments

Ingredients:

250g unsalted butter

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 cup corn starch

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Cream butter, then blend in other ingredients thoroughly and shape into balls.

2. Flatten with a thumb and chill overnight.

3. Bake at 140 C for 20-30 minutes. Cool.

4. Mix icing sugar with a few drops of color and a teaspoon of milk or more. Stir very well until it's almost solid, and dribble a blob into the thumbprint of each one.

Toll House Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

3/4 cup castor (superfine) sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp water

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 1/4 cup flour

350g choc chips

1 cup chopped nuts

Method:

1. Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla, water and eggs.

2. Sift dry ingredients and add to bowl. Mix in chips and nuts.

3. Make teaspoon-sized balls and drop onto cookie sheet, flatten with a fork.

Bake at 190 C for 10-12 minutes.

Almond Shorts

Ingredients:

250 g ground almonds

250 g butter

1 cup sifted icing sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. Blend all ingredients well.

2. Roll into thick sausages and chill overnight.

3. Slice into cookies and bake at 140 C for about 20 minutes.

4. When cool, sprinkle with icing sugar.

Chinese Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 Tbsp almond extract

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

400g whole almonds, cut in two

Method:

1. Cream butter, sugar and flavoring. Add sifted dry ingredients.

2. Mix well and roll into sausages. Chill overnight.

3. Slice into small rounds, brush with egg white and place an almond half on each. Bake 140 C for about 15-20 minutes.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Ingredients:

250 g butter

1/2 cup icing sugar

2 cups flour plus a bit extra

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp powdered cinnamon

Pecan halves

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients except pecan halves and blend thoroughly into a soft dough, which will come away from the edges of the mixing bowl.

2. Pinch off spoonfuls of dough and hide a pecan half inside. Bake at 140 C for 15-20 minutes or more. Cool and dust with icing sugar.

(China Daily 12/23/2012 page14)