Austrian Croissants / Monica's Breakfast Bread (Godkipferl)

I made these for brunch today and they were delicious!  They're lovely with a hot mug of chocolate or coffee, a great way to treat yourself on a cold day.

Makes 6

Ingredients:-
- 1kg strong white plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1tsp salt
- 2 x 7g sachets of fast-action dried yeast
- 500ml milk, lukewarm
- 15g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
- 125ml vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk, beaten

How to:-
1.  Tip the flour into a mixing bowl with the salt and yeast.  Pour the lukewarm milk into a separate bowl and mix with the sugar and oil, then beat in the 2 large eggs.
2. Pour the milk mixture over the flour mix to form a soft dough with your hands.  Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes until smooth.  Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave for 15 minutes.  Dust 2 non-stick baking sheets with flour.
3. Knock back the dough and divide into 6 pieces.  Take a piece of dough and cut it into 3.  Roll or stretch each of the 3 pieces into sausage shapes about 20-25cm long.  Pinch the 3 together at one end, then plait the strands and pinch together at the other end.  Repeat with the remaining 5 pieces of dough.
4. Shape each plait into a crescent shape, place them on the floured baking sheets and leave to rest for 5 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas Mark 4.
5. Brush the crescents with the beaten egg yolk and dredge them with caster sugar, then bake for 25 minutes until they are well risen and golden.  Take them out of the oven and check that the crescents are cooked by tapping the base - it should sound hollow.  Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.

[Recipe: The Hairy Bikers' Big Book Of Baking by Si King and Dave Myers]

Parmesan & Oregano Star Biscuits

These thin biscuits with a hint of cheese and herbs are usually associated with xmas, but I tend to make them all year round.  Parmesan Stars make great little gifts or are simply a nice treat for yourself.   You can also swap the parmesan for any flavoursome hard cheese like gruyere or make a mixed batch.  They can be kept in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Makes 26

Ingredients:-
- 125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100g unsalted butter, diced
- 1/4tsp mild chilli powder
- 100g parmesan, finely grated
- 1 tbsp milk
- a few pinches of dried oregano to decorate

How to:-
1. Put the flour, butter and chilli powder in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the cheese and pulse again to bring the dough together.
2. Shape into a flat disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for around 1 hour until it feels firm.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4.  Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof baking paper and set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to around a 5mm thickness.  Use a 5-6cm star-shaped cutter to stamp out the biscuits, then re-roll the trimmings to stamp out more.
5. Put the stars on the baking sheets, brush with milk and sprinkle with dried oregano.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden.  Leave to cool.

[Recipe from a 2010 edition of Marks & Spencer Christmas Food]

Norwegian Cardamom and Lemon Stamped Cookies

I decided to try out something different to satisfy my sweet tooth, and made these Norwegian Cardamom and Lemon Cookies.  I had no idea what to expect from this combination of flavours, but  they're really good!

Makes 24

Ingredients:-
- 225g butter, softened
- 150g caster sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 250g plain flour
- 100g ground almonds
- 3tsp  ground cardamom or
1 heaped tsp cardamom seeds, ground in a pestle and mortar

How to:-
1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F / Gas Mark 5.  Line 2 large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
2. Using a mixer or an electric hand whisk, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the flour, almonds and cardamom until the mixture comes together to form a stiff dough.
3. Divide into 24 equal sized balls and place 12 on each baking tray, leaving enough space in between to allow for spreading.  Press each cookie with a cookie stamp or the bottom of a glass to flatten.
4. Bake 1 tray at a time for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are a pale golden brown.  Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack.  Store in an airtight tin and eat within 7 days.

[Recipe: The Hairy Bikers' Big Book Of Baking by Si King and Dave Myers]