1. 
   
   • Toast the ground almonds:  Line a 30X40cm baking sheet with baking parchment, spread the ground almonds on to it and put in oven to colour slightly.  Remove, stir with a fork and repeat the process 3 times.
   • In a large bowl, mix the ground almonds, sugar and melted butter.  Add the orange-flower water and form the mixture into a ball.  Refrigerate for an hour (it will harden and become easier to handle).
   • Prepare the pastry:  in a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, butter and orange-flower water to make a soft dough.  Cover and put in a cool place to harden.
   • When the pastry is hard, form into a long sausage, then cut into 25 pieces, which you then form into balls with your hands. 
     {mosimage}{mosimage}On your worktop, roll out the balls of pastry as thinly as possible.  Take 20gr of the almond mixture and form into a thin roll, place this onto the pastry and fold over the edges to create a crescent shape (see photo).  Place on a baking tray and repeat the process with the remaining pastry to give you 25 crescents.
   
   
   1. Cook in an oven pre-heated to 180° for 12mins taking care not to allow the pastry to colour.
   2. When cool dredge the biscuits with icing sugar.
   
   
   

Keep in an airtight tin.

1. 
   
   • Prepare the dates:  soften the dates in a pan with 4 tbsp water for 5 minutes stirring every so often.  Set aside
     
   • Prepare the dough:  in a large bowl beat the softened butter, sugar and the grated orange rind till pale.
   • Fold in the flour and baking powder, then add the milk and form into a ball.
   • Pre-heat oven to 180°.
   • Take ½ the dough and roll out on a sheet of baking parchment to 3mm thick.  If the dough is too soft, let in it stiffen in the fridge for 15 minutes.  Using a pastry-cutter or wheel, cut the dough into rounds 6cm in diameter.  Place a teaspoon of the date mixture on one side of the circle, then fold over to form a half moon.  Seal the edge with your fingers.  Repeat till all the dough has been used up.  This should make 24 pastries.
   • Brush with milk, sprinkle with Demerara sugar and cook for approx 15 minutes till just golden.
   
   

These pastries will keep for 2 days in a sealed tin.

Preparation 20mins
Cooking time 30mins.

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mk 5).  Sieve the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.  Stir in the sugar, walnuts and apricots? Add the beaten eggs and knead the mixture together to form a dough.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and form each one into a log about 24cm in length.  Space them well apart on a non-stick (or lined) baking tray and bake for about 25mins or so till firm and golden.
• Remove from the oven; cool the logs slightly and cut into 1cm thick slices on a slight diagonal.  Lay them flat in a single layer on the baking tray and return to the oven for 5mins on each side, until golden.  Cool on a wire rack.

• In a large bowl or in your mixer, beat together the softened butter, margarine and sugar till the mixture is light and airy.
  
• Add the egg and blend till smooth
• Add remaining ingredients and blend till the mixture forms a smooth firm ball.
• Pre-eat oven to 180°..
  
• Take ½ the dough and roll out between two sheets of baking parchment to a thickness of 5mm.
  
• Using the cutter, cut out 30 biscuits. Reform the remaining pieces into a ball and roll out.  Cut out as many biscuits as you can and repeat the process till no dough remains.  Lay the biscuits on a lined baking-sheet, sprinkle with brown sugar and cook in the centre of the oven for 20mins.
  
• Repeat the process with the remaining ½ of the dough.  You will need 3 baking-

You can keep these biscuits in a sealed tin for up to a month.Alternatively, you could flavour them with ground cinnamon instead of aniseed.