Brandy snaps recipe

This gorgeous brandy snap recipe first appeared in Woman's Weekly back in October 1955, making them a real classic. They're deliciously crunchy with a good snap and a mellow flavour from ground ginger and a little lemon zest. In this brandy snap recipe we show you how to roll them to create the classic cigar shapes but you can mould them any way you fancy while they're still warm - we think they're lovely when they're made into little baskets too. Use a ramekin to get the shape. Once they've cooled and set hard you can fill them however you fancy. Try the classic cream filling our knock up a thick custard for something a little bit different. To finish them off you can dunk the ends in melted chocolate and a few chopped nuts to add flavour and texture - delicious! These are perfect for making ahead of time, too, as they'll keep in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

Ingredients

• 125g (4oz) butter
• 90g (3oz) caster sugar
• 4 level tbs golden syrup
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon rind (from half a lemon)
• 90g (3oz) plain flour
• 2 level tsp ground ginger

1 baking sheet, lined with Teflon

Large wooden spoon

Method

1. Set the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas mark 2. Put butter, sugar, syrup and lemon rind into a small pan over a low heat until sugar melts.
2. Sift in the flour and ginger and mix well. Put teaspoonfuls of mixture on to the baking sheet, not more than 6 at a time. Make in batches. Bake for 10 mins.
3. Leave them for about half a min on the baking sheet, then lift them off the Teflon with a palette knife, while they are still warm. Roll them, one at a time, around the handle of a wooden spoon. Slip each one off when it’s curled and continue with the rest of the biscuits. If they’ve become too cold on the tray and start to crack, put them back in the oven for a second or two to get the flexibility back, and try rolling them again. Serve as they are, or filled with cream.