Masak Masak Ala Emak

  Linzer cookies In its wildest dreams, a jammy dodger could never aspire to the melting tenderness and celestial lightness of the Linzer cookie. The idea is the same: two biscuits, sandwiched together with jam, a hole or small shape cut out of the top one, so that the jam glints beckoningly through. But the Linzer cookie is the extravagant Austrian Christmas version, the dough rich and short with ground toasted hazelnuts.

  Coconut biscuits These amaretti-style coconut biscuits are a perfect sweet treat – and also free from dairy and gluten. Ingredients 150g/5½oz ground almonds 75g/2¾oz desiccated coconut, plus extra for coating 150g/5½oz caster sugar ¼ tsp salt 100g/3½oz egg whites (see recipe tip) 2 tsp icing sugar, for dusting Recipe tips Method Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper. Mix together the ground almonds, desiccated coconut, sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Spoon the egg whites into the dry ingredients and fold in gently until you have a thick paste. Pour the extra coconut into a shallow dish. Roll out 12 balls from the paste and roll each one in the coconut. Place the balls on the baking tray, approximately 2cm/¾in apart, as they will expand while cooking. Dust lightly with the icing sugar and bake for 18–24 minutes until the coconut starts to b...

  Lemon biscuits These zesty lemon sandwich biscuits will provide a great pick-me-up for any mid-afternoon slump. Ingredients For the biscuits 150g/5½oz salted butter, softened 85g/3oz caster sugar 1 lemon, zest only 1 large free-range egg yolk 280g/10oz plain flour 1 tbsp custard powder or cornflour For the filling 75g/2¾oz unsalted butter, softened 130g/4¾oz icing sugar 4 tbsp lemon curd Method To make the biscuits, use a stand mixer or electric hand-held whisk to cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together for 2–3 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the egg yolk and beat for another minute to combine. Tip in the flour and custard powder. Mix on a low speed until just combined and the mixture starts to clump. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper and cover it with another sheet of baking paper. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle about 3–4 ...

  Biscoff cheesecake Indulgently rich, lightly spiced and not too sweet, this no-bake Biscoff cheesecake is surprisingly easy to make. Leave out the brandy if you prefer.

  Sausage and red pepper hotpot Sausages are a comfort food that the whole family can enjoy and this all-in-one-pan dish is simple yet full of flavour. Serve with a green vegetable for a complete and colourful meal. Ingredients 1 tbsp sunflower oil 8 spicy pork sausages 4 rashers smoked bacon, finely chopped 1 onion, sliced 1 red pepper, seeds removed and cut into large chunks 1 large carrot, peeled and diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 300ml/½ pint chicken stock 400g tin chopped tomatoes 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée 2 fresh thyme sprigs 250g/9oz baby new potatoes, skin on, sliced into thick discs salt and freshly ground black pepper freshly cooked green vegetables, to serve Recipe tips Method Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Add the sausages and fry until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bacon to the pan and fry for a few minutes until cris...

  Chicken bhuna The word ‘bhuna’ means to fry and, in this recipe, it is key to fry the onions and tomatoes really well until the oil begins to leave the sides of the pan. The secret to a really good chicken bhuna is to not add any water as all the flavour comes from the spices and onions. Each serving provides 357 kcal, 39.5g protein, 9g carbohydrates (of which 6.5g sugars), 17.5g fat (of which 3g saturates), 3.5g fibre and 1.2g salt. Ingredients For the marinade 6 garlic cloves, finely grated 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated 2 tsp mild chilli powder (or Kashmiri chilli powder) ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander 2 tbsp Greek-style yoghurt 750g/1lb 10oz chicken thighs, boneless and skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces For the bhuna 100g/3½oz tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 tbsp tomato purée 4 tbsp vegetable oil 3 dried mild red chillies (or dried ...

  Chicken casserole An easy chicken casserole recipe should be in every cook's little black book and this one will go down well with all of the family. Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes, or rice. Each serving provides 425 kcal, 48g protein, 13g carbohydrates (of which 7.5g sugars), 19g fat (of which 5g saturates), 5g fibre and 2.4g salt. Ingredients 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (around 850g/1lb 14oz) 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 4 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into roughly 2cm/¾in slices 150g/5½oz small mushrooms, halved or quartered if larger 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into roughly 1.5cm/⅝in slices 20g/¾oz plain flour (around 2 tbsp) 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 500ml/18fl oz hot chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube) 1 medium leek, trimmed and cut into roughly 1cm/½in slices salt and freshly ground black pepper Recipe tips Method Preheat th...