Ingredients:​

• 250g cholesterol spread (we use Benecol Light)
  200g unrefined soft brown sugar
  1 egg
  2 tablespoons treacle (Pop a bit of olive oil onto the spoon so the treacle slides off)
  1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  300g plain flour (might need more if the dough is still very sticky and wet)
  ½ teaspoon baking powder
  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  1½ teaspoons ground ginger
  ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
  ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (optional)

Method:

• Heat the oven to 180 fan.

• In a big bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.

• Whisk in the treacle, egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. 

• In a separate bowl, sift the flour and mix in the baking powder and spices.

• Add the dry mix to the creamed butter and sugar in stages, and working it together to form a dough. 

• Cut it half, wrap and refrigerate for a half hour.

• Sprinkle the workstop with flour and rol the dough out untl about 5mm thick. Use Christmassy cutters to make shapes and lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Alternatively, cut them into squares.

• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch them or they'll catch as they're very thin. 

• This make lovely thin, snappy biscuits. If you want to embellish them more, make a water icing with icing sugar and a little bit of water and decorate.

• These make lovely presents. My sister, Fiona, makes my dad a huge batch every Christmas. He only wants the ones baked by her, he doesn't think my mum's are as good!