Cream 4oz of butter with 7oz brown sugar; add one beaten egg, 1 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla essence and mix well. Combine with 8oz self-raising flour (or 7oz, plus 1oz cocoa powder, for chocolate cookies), 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp baking powder; mix to a stiff dough with 8oz roughly chopped dark or white (or mixed) chocolate, or 2oz coconut, or 8oz chopped walnuts and 1 tbsp strong black coffee. Spread splodges of the mixture well apart on greased and lined baking trays and bake at Gas mark 2/150°C for 12-15 minutes.

Cream 4oz of butter/soft margarine with 12oz caster sugar (granulated will give a rusk-like texture if you like that sort of thing). Add one beaten egg, followed by 2 heaped teaspoons of ground ginger (more if you prefer a stronger taste) and 9oz self-raising flour (alternatively, one heaped teaspoon of baking powder and 9oz plain [white] flour will do). Mix thoroughly to a dough, and roll into small balls. Spread well apart on greased baking trays and bake at Gas mark 2/150°C for 30 minutes.

Cream 180g of butter/soft margarine with 250g soft brown sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla essence and one beaten egg, and mix again. Finally, add 350g (!) self-raising flour (alternatively, one and a half teaspoons of baking powder and 350g plain flour). Mix thoroughly to a dough, and roll flat into a rectangle on greaseproof paper. Mix 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 2 dessertspoons of white sugar and sprinkle over the dough, then roll into a roulade (like a swiss roll) and refrigerate in a plastic bag or greaseproof paper until firm. Cut into 5mm slices, and bake at Gas mark 4/180°C for 10-15 minutes.

Cream 125g of butter/soft margarine with 6oz caster sugar and 2 teaspoons of orange zest. Mix in one beaten egg. Add 225g self-raising flour (alternatively, a half teaspoon of baking powder and 225g plain flour). Add 2 dessertspoons of orange juice and 6oz of dessicated coconut, mixing well.
Form into balls, flatten the tops, and bake at Gas mark 4/180°C for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Mix 6oz of icing sugar with 2 teaspoons each of water and orange juice and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and add 1 teaspoon each of lemon zest and orange zest. Use this icing to cover the tops of the cakes and finish with some candied peel.

If you don't like the thought of the gooey vanilla cream cheese marbled through these, then you can leave it out, but it's well worth putting in.
Beat together 200g plain low-fat cream cheese, 1/2 tsp vanilla essence and 1 oz caster sugar until smooth. Separately, beat 8oz caster sugar with 2 eggs. Melt 4oz butter and combine with 3 tbsp cocoa powder, and stir into the egg/sugar mixture. Fold in 4oz self-raising flour (and, if you like, 2oz chopped walnuts or pecans).
Pour half the chocolate mixture into a greased, lined, square/rectangular tin. Spread the cream cheese layer on top, then cover with the remaining chocolate mixture and bake for 40-45 minutes at Gas mark 4/180°C. Leave to cool in the tin.
Ice the brownies with 2oz beaten butter, 1 tbsp milk, 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 4oz icing sugar combined until smooth. Cut into fingers or squares.

Whisk 2 eggs and 50g caster sugar in a bowl for around 10 minutes (until the whisk leaves a two-second trail when lifted). Fold in 50g plain flour, then 50g melted white chocolate. Pour into a greased and lined 8in cake tin and bake for 25 minutes (or until springy) at Gas mark 4/180°C. Leave to cool a little before turning onto a cooling rack; when completely cool, return to the cake tin.
Bring 1/2 pint double cream to the boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, and stir in 350g (!) of white chocolate until melted, then add 250 oz natural fromage frais. Pour over the base in the cake tin, and chill until firm. Decorate with large chocolate curls and a dusting of cocoa powder.

These work best if the sugar is dark brown demarara, but are still tasty with paler brown sugar. They freeze well and the sauce chills hard for easy serving!
Mix 4 oz margarine, 4 oz brown sugar, 4 oz self-raising flour (and an optional 1 tsp baking powder), 2 medium eggs, 1 tsp mixed spice and 2oz chopped apple (though chopped stoned dates work well instead) until creamy. Separate mixture into a well-greased six-pan muffin tray and bake for about 20 minutes (until well-risen and golden brown) at Gas mark 4/180°C/160°C fan.
Serve upturned with hot butterscotch sauce: stir 4oz (or 2 well-heaped tbsp) golden syrup, 1 oz margarine, 1 oz brown sugar, the grated rind of 1 orange and a few drops of vanilla essence together under a low heat until combined.

Beat 3oz self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, 4oz sugar, 1 tablespoon of cocoa, 1/8 pint milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter to a smooth batter. Then mix 3oz brown sugar with 1oz cocoa together, and sprinkle over the batter. Pour just under 1/2 pint of hot water carefully over. Bake at Gas mark 4/180°C for 50 minutes. It'll separate out into pudding and chocolate sauce, and is very rich; serve with cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Grate the peel and juice the lemon, and use half the resulting quantity for a pudding which serves two people.
Mix the grated zest with 1/2 oz softened butter and 2 oz caster sugar. Beat in the yolk of one separated egg and the lemon juice. Add 1 oz self-raising flour and 1/6 pint milk and mix well (although it will look curdled). Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and fold into the mixture. Spoon into a greased dish and stand in a tin of water; bake for 40 minutes at Gas mark 5/190°C for 30 (to 40) minutes and serve immediately.

Be sure to buy canned pineapple rings in natural juice. And keep the juice for use later in the recipe when draining the rings.
Grease a dish and line with greaseproof paper. Melt 1oz butter into the tin and sprinkle with 1oz brown sugar (the lighter, softer variety is best). Drain a tin of canned pineapple rings (keeping the juice), and arrange the rings artistically, interspersed with glacé cherries, to cover the bottom of the cake tin (cutting rings to fit where necessary).
Place 2oz soft margarine, 2oz caster sugar, 3oz self-raising flour and half a teaspoonful of baking powder, and an egg in a large bowl. Add a tablespoon of the pineapple juice and beat slowly with an electric mixer/wooden spoon. Spoon the soft mixture carefully into the tin and bake for about 35 minutes on Gas mark 4/180°C, until the sponge is risen and springy. Invert onto a plate to serve; best served with custard.
If the sponge browns too much before the cooking time is completed, cover loosely with tin foil.

Stir-fry 3 sliced spring onions with a small amount of peeled and chopped root ginger. Add two chopped chicken breasts a little at a time until cooked through. Add 2 medium carrots (cut into sticks) and one chopped pepper. Pour in 2 tablespoonfuls of dry sherry, and 4 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, and stir to mix thoroughly. Serve with medium or fine egg noodles.
200g asparagus and 100g peeled and cooked prawns can be used instead of the chicken, carrot and pepper.

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan, and brown 1/2 lb sirloin steak quickly. Add 5 sliced closed-cap mushrooms (or 8 sliced button mushrooms), a small chopped onion, and one crushed clove of garlic if wanted. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until barely tender, then remove the solids from the pan.
Add 2 tablespoons butter and blend 3 tablespoons of flour into 1/2 pint strong beef stock (one oxo cube in 1/2 pint boiling water should do it). Add to pan and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Return meat and mushroom mix to pan, and stir in 1/4 pint sour cream. Heat through and serve on a bed of tagliatelle or other pasta.

Fry 1 clove garlic and 1/2 inch root ginger (both finely chopped) in olive oil for 30s. Add 1-2 turkey or chicken breasts and cook until sealed, add 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 sliced red pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp black pepper and cook until the onion is soft.
Add 1 pint (approx. 1/2 can) coconut milk, 1/4 pint single cream, 2 tbsp tomato puree and an optional 1 tbsp dessicated coconut to the dish, with a further 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chilli powder. Simmer for 15 minutes or until thick, and serve with white and wild rice.

Peel and parboil 1 large and 1 medium baking potatoes. Drain and leave for a few minutes, then slice. Chop 1 onion, and put half in bottom of ovenproof dish. Season with crushed black pepper and mustard. Grate a generous handful of cheddar cheese. Cover with a layer of half the grated cheese, then a layer of half the potatoes. Repeat the layers. Finally lay 4-6 bacon rashers on top to cover the dish, cover with foil, and bake for about 40 mins, Gas mark 5/190°C . Remove foil for the last ten minutes to crisp bacon.

Shred half a small white or red cabbage, season with crushed black pepper and English mustard powder. Arrange bacon rashers and whole frankfurters on top of the cabbage, and cover with foil. Bake for about 30 minutes at Gas mark 5/190°C, removing foil for the last ten minutes.

Fry 250g of extra lean beef mince. Chop and add one medium onion, a chopped deseeded pepper (or one medium carrot, or a handful of frozen peas), and one crushed clove garlic if wanted, to the meat and fry until soft. Add 1 tin plum tomatoes, 1 tin kidney beans (in chilli sauce if available, else drained), 1 green chilli (or 2 tsp hot chilli powder) and 1 tsp cumin. Serve with white and wild rice, or in tortilla with salsa and sour cream.

Immerse 200g bulgar wheat in cold water for 20-30 minutes. Drain into a sieve and squeeze out excess water. Chop 10 spring onions, a small bunch of parsley and 10 mint sprigs, and add to the bulgar wheat with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve with french bread.

Melt 1oz butter in a frying pan. Add most of (but not all!) the butter to 1 heaped tablespoon cornflour/flour in a heatproof measuring jug, and mix thoroughly. Saute two medium-large leeks, cut into rings, in the remaining butter, and place in an ovenproof dish. Heat 1/2 pint milk; before it boils, take off the heat and add to the butter/flour mixture, stirring until all the lumps have gone.
Return sauce to the heat until thickened. Pour over the dish of leeks, and cover with a generous layer of grated cheese. Bake at Gas mark 5/190°C for 20 minutes or until the cheese has browned. Serve with baked potatoes or as as side dish to roast meat (hot or cold), boiled ham, or steamed salmon.