Run out of ideas for Christmas presents What’s worse, run out of money? If there’s butter in your fridge and flour and sugar in your pantry, don’t panic!

From such humble ingredients, you can make a whole range of delicious Christmas biscuits. All you need is a few hours, a little patience, and some pleasant music playing in the background to cook to. If the kids are old enough to be helpful, get them into the kitchen with you – a good way of occupying them and making them feel part of the preparations. Wrapped in cellophane, home-made biscuits make attractive and delicious gifts. Even better, they show you care in the most personal way because you made them yourself.

If you really want to impress (and spend a little more), shop around for attractive boxes and/or tine to package them – many newsagencies now carry a range of these. Tuck some coloured tissue paper inside and pile in the biscuits. You might put in an assortment – or fill them with just one variety.

In northern European countries, the baking of biscuits throughout the Advent period (the four weeks leading up to Christmas) dates back many centuries. In Scandinavia, at least seven different types are stashed away, one for each of the fourteen days of Christmas (they begin counting on Christmas Eve and end on Epiphany).

Even if you don’t want to give away your home-baked goodies away as gifts, they’ll come in handy for entertaining purposes over this festive period. Some (the ‘S’ biscuits, for example) can be tied to your tree – gingerbread men and women are also good for this.

 

Or you could make a most unusual tree just out of biscuits: start with a cake stand or other footed stand. Cut stiff craft paper circles of decreasing diameter, putting the largest circle on the stand and circling it with biscuits. Place a ramekin or a small bowl in the centre; continue adding cardboards circles, bowls and biscuits to make a five-tiered tree. A plate or cakeboard beneath each circle will give added support. Set your biscuit tree on a table near the front door so friends and guests can pluck one of the melt-in-the mouth biscuits when they come to visit.

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