Jam Almond Crostata

Ingredients

170g marge
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond essence
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup jam
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Method

Whisk the marge, sugar, vanilla and almond essence, then mix in the flour. Set aside 1/2 cup of the dough. Press the rest of the dough into a pie dish.
Spread the jam over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges. Crumble the reserved dough over the jam, then sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top.
Bake at 180 for 45 mins.

Lemon Cookies

Ingredients

170g marge
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsps lemon zest
2 tbsps lemon juice
2 1/2 cups sr flour
4 tsps sugar

Method

Cream the marge and sugar then beat in the eggs, lemon juice and zest. Mix in the flour. Roll the dough into balls, place on lined baking trays and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 180 for 12-15 mins.

Gingersnaps

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/4 cup syrup
2 1/4 cup sr flour
1 1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup sugar

Method

Beat together the brown sugar, syrup, egg and oil. Add the flour and spices. Shape into balls, and roll them in the sugar. Place on lined baking trays and bake at 180 for 8-10 mins. Makes about 3 dozen.

Peanut Butter Oat Cookies

Ingredients

115g marge
125g peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sr flour
1/2 cup oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Method

Cream the marge, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then the flour and oats. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop teaspoonfuls onto lined trays and bake at 180 for 10-12 minutes.

Variation: For regular oat chocolate chip cookies, omit the peanut butter and use 1 cup oats instead of 1/2.

Honey Cinnamon Bars

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 tbsps water

Method

Beat the sugar, oil, honey and egg, then mix in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Spread into a lined baking pan and bake at 180 for 10-15 minutes. Leave to cool.
Mix the ingredients for the glaze, and drizzle over the top. When it's set, cut into bars.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Shortbread

Ingredients

115g marge
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups plain flour
2-4 tbsps water
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup pretzel pieces

Frosting
250g peanut butter
125g icing sugar
30g melted marge

Topping
175g dark chocolate
60g marge

Method

Cream the marge and sugar, then mix in the flour and water. Press into a dish, then press the peanuts and pretzels into the base. Bake at 180 for 20 mins.

Mix together the ingredients for the frosting, spread over the base, and refrigerate until cool.

Melt the chocolate and marge, and pour it over the frosting, then leave to set. Cut into bars.

Peanut Butter Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup each of oats, cranberries, chocolate chips, and peanuts
OR
1 cup each of rice krispies, broken up pretzels, cranberries and peanuts.
190g peanut butter
30g icing sugar
1/4 cup silan
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Mix together the oats, cranberries, chocolate chips and peanuts (or rice krispies, pretzels, etc)
In a saucepan over a low heat, combine the remaining ingredients until smooth. Mix with the dry ingredients.
Roll into balls and place on a lined tray or in a single layer in a container, then store in the fridge to become firm.

Variation: Chocolate Peanut Butter Drops
Dry ingredients as above
190g peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup silan
1/2 cocoa
1/4 cup water

Melt the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat. When combined, mix in the dry ingredients. Drop teaspoonfuls onto lined trays, and leave in the fridge to set.

Cinnamon Sugar Bars

Ingredients

75g marge
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups sr flour

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Method

Whisk together the marge, sugar, oil, eggs, water and vanilla essence until blended. Stir in the flour. Spread the mixture into a lined baking pan. Mix the sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over the batter. Bake at 180 for 20 mins. When cooled slightly, cut into bars.

Cinnamon Balls

Ingredients

500g ground almonds
225g sugar (use half caster and half icing sugar)
4 egg whites
2 tbsps cinnamon
Icing sugar to coat

Method

Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then mix in the remaining ingredients. Form into balls. Bake for 10-12 mins. While they're still warm, roll them in icing sugar to coat.

Pesach Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

140g marge
1 cup sugar
2 tbsps syrup
2 eggs
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup potato flour
3 tsps baking powder
1 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Method

Cream together the marge, sugar and syrup. Mix in the eggs, then the ground almonds, potato flour and baking powder. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop teaspoonfuls onto lined trays, spaced apart. Bake at 190 for 12-15 mins. They will spread so if they stick together just cut them to separate.

Variation: To make them with flour, replace the ground almonds, potato flour and baking powder with 2 cups sr flour, and use 175g marge.

Peanut Butter Biscuits

Ingredients

115g marge
170g brown sugar
125g peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups sr flour (175g)

Method

Cream together the marge and sugar. Mix in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla, then add the flour. Place small balls of the dough on lined trays and flatten slightly with a fork dipped in cold water. Bake at 190 for 15 mins.
Makes about 24.

Variation:
For softer cookies, change the quantities to:
- 1 1/4 cups sr flour (150g)
- 180g peanut butter
- Add chocolate chips
Method as above, but drop teaspoonfuls on a lined tray instead.

Jam Crumble Bars

Ingredients

150g marge
75g sugar
225g plain flour
1/2 cup jam
Flaked almonds

Method

Cream together the marge, flour and sugar until it forms crumbs. Press 3/4 of the mixture into a dish. Heat the jam to thin it, then pour it over the base. Sprinkle over the rest of the crumble mix, and some flaked almonds. Bake at 170 for 25 mins.

Chocolate Covered Shortbread

Ingredients

100g marge
175g plain flour
55g caster sugar
200g dark chocolate chips

Method

Cream together the marge, flour and sugar until it forms crumbs. Press it into a dish and bake at 160 for 25-30 mins.
When it's done, melt the chocoate in a saucepan over low heat. Once the shortbread has cooled, spread the chocolate on top and leave in the fridge until set.

Double Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Ingredients

200g dark chocolate
75g marge
200g light brown sugar
2 eggs
25g ground almonds
150g sr flour
125g chocolate chips

Method

Melt the chocolate over a low heat.
In a separate bowl, cream together the marge and sugar. Mix in the eggs, then the flour and ground almonds, then stir in the melted chocolate. Lastly, add the chocolate chips.
Place spoonfuls on lined trays and bake at 180 for 10 mins.

Oat and Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

100g marge
150g sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
200g oats
110g sr flour
150g cranberries

Method

Cream the marge and sugar. Stir in egg and vanilla, then flour, oats and cranberries.
Form into balls, place on lined trays and bake at 180 for 10-15 mins.

Black-bottom Cookie Bars

Ingredients

175g marge
1 1/4 cups sugar (use a mixture of brown and granulated)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
2 cups plain flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips

Method

Cream together marge and sugar, then mix in eggs, vanilla and flour. Transfer half the mixture into a separate bowl and mix the cocoa and chocolate chips into one half.
Spread the chocolate mix into a greased square dish, and smooth the vanilla mix on top. Bake at 180 for 30 mins then cut into bars.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

225g marge (1 cup)
175g caster sugar
175g brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
375g plain flour (3 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps hot water
335g chocolate chips
[1 1/2 tsps cornflour]

Method

Cream together the marge and sugar, then mix in the eggs and vanilla essence. Dissolve the baking powder in the water and mix into the batter with the flour, followed by the chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls onto lined trays and bake at 180 for 10 mins or until just golden brown.

To reduce the quantity: 160g marge, 250g sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 250g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 225g chocolate chips, 1 1/2 tsps cornflour

Nan Khatai (Indian shortbread)

Ingredients

1 cup sr flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup oil
75g marge
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Cardamom

Method

Mix all the ingredients together. Roll the dough into balls, place on lined trays and flatten slightly.
Bake at 170 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Oznei Haman

Ingredients

200g marge
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 cups sr flour
1/4 cup water (if needed)
Filling: jam, chocolate spread etc

Method

Cream together the marge and sugar. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour to make a dough.

Roll out the dough - adding the water if needed - and using a cookie cutter or a glass cut into large circles. Place a teaspoon of your chosen filling in the middle of each circle, and draw three sides together into the centre to make triangle shapes. Bake at 180 for about 20 mins.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

225g margarine
300g sugar
2 eggs
250g sr flour
60g cocoa
150g chocolate chips

Method

Cream together the margarine and sugar. Beat in the eggs.
Mix in the flour and cocoa. Add the chocolate chips.

Place heaped teaspoonfuls on trays, spaced apart and bake at 180 for 8 minutes.

Make sure they're not too soft when you take them out, but more than 8 minutes and they could go crunchy rather than chewy.