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Susan Jung

Homemade  biscuits nestled in tissue-paper-lined boxes make lovely gifts. The dough can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen for a couple of weeks; just shape and bake the  biscuits a day or two before they're needed.
Rugelach
500 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
500 grams unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
50 grams icing sugar, sieved
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
500 grams plain flour
For the filling:
About 200 grams strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam
About 150 grams chopped walnuts
About 100 grams chopped bittersweet chocolate
About 80 grams granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Beaten egg, to brush
Warm the jam in a saucepan then puree it in a blender or force it through a sieve. Allow to cool.
Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Beat in the salt and icing sugar then stir in the vanilla extract. Scrape the beater and the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour all at once and stir until evenly incorporated - do not over-mix.
Divide the dough into four pieces. Shape each piece into a rectangle about 1cm thick then wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
Work with one piece of dough at a time. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough until it's about 3mm thick and 12cm to 15cm wide. Spread a very thin layer of jam over the dough, leaving a 5mm  border along the length nearest you. Sprinkle lightly with walnuts, bittersweet chocolate and cinnamon sugar. Starting at the far edge, roll the dough as tightly as possible towards you. When it's rolled to the near edge (the part without the jam), pinch and press to seal the seam. Place the roll, seam-side down, on a baking tray and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Brush the roll with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Trim the uneven edges then cut the roll into 1.5cm pieces. Place the pieces on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, spacing them about 1cm apart. Bake at 180 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, or until pale golden on top.
Kim's gingersnaps
These are my favourite  biscuits - they're delicious, easy to make (the hardest part is chopping the ginger) and stay crisp for ages if stored in an air-tight container. The recipe, which makes a large quantity, was created by one of the pastry chefs at The  Peninsula hotel in New York.
Candied ginger comes in three main varieties. The ginger covered in thick syrup isn't suitable for these  biscuits because it's too moist; you need either crystallised ginger (coated with sugar crystals) or - my preference - plain (uncoated) ginger. To prevent the ginger from sticking to the knife, lightly coat the blade with cooking oil and apply more as needed.
250 grams unsalted butter
250 grams soft brown sugar
15 grams ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda, sieved
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
170 grams molasses (treacle)
290 grams plain flour
120 grams candied ginger, finely chopped
Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, brown sugar, ground ginger, baking soda and salt until light and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and beaters to ensure the ingredients are combined evenly. With the mixer speed on low, add the eggs one at a time, letting each incorporate before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla and treacle then scrape the bowl. Add the flour all at once and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the crystallised ginger by hand, making sure it's combined evenly.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Scoop the dough into a piping bag fitted with a tip that's about 6mm in diameter. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and pipe the dough in 1.5cm circles, leaving about 2cm between each so they have room to spread. Bake at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until the gingersnaps are slightly puffed and starting to brown around the edges. Use a metal spatula to whack each one flat (this ensures that they're very thin and crisp). Continue to bake until brown and firm.
Thumbprints
If the jam bakes for too long, it bubbles up and runs over the edge of the  biscuit. To avoid this, add the jam after the  biscuits are partially baked.
240 grams unsalted butter, slightly softened
200 grams granulated sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
180 grams plain flour
180 grams ground walnuts or pecans
120 grams strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam
Warm the jam in a small pan then puree it in a blender or force it through a sieve. Set aside to cool.
Use an electric mixer to beat the butter with the sugar and salt until it's light and fluffy. Stir in the egg yolks one at a time, letting each incorporate fully before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and nuts and stir until just incorporated - do not over-mix.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Shape the dough into 2cm balls and place them about 2cm apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your thumb to press a deep indentation into the dough. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the  biscuits start to turn pale brown. Remove the pan from the oven, quickly spoon a little jam into each indentation then bake the  biscuits until they are brown and firm.
styling Vivian Herijanto



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