Ingredients

Cookies

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 6 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1  egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• dash salt
• dash baking powder
•  icing sugar, for garnish

Filling

• 1 egg white
• 1 3/4 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 drops to 3 drops peppermint extract

Directions

To Assemble

1. Beat butter until smooth and fluffy. Sift together icing sugar and cocoa powder over butter and beat in. Stir in vanilla, egg yolk and milk. Add flour, salt and baking powder to cocoa mixture and blend until incorporated. Shape dough into disc, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 325° F. On a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut into 1 ½-inch circles and transfer carefully to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies can be lifted easily away from the parchment. Allow to cool on baking sheet.
3. For filling, put egg white in a bowl and beat in icing sugar, a few tablespoonfuls at a time, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough onto a surface dusted with icing sugar. Knead in remaining icing sugar and peppermint extract, until dough is no longer sticky.
4. To fill cookies, roll a teaspoon of dough into a ball and flatten a little. Sandwich between 2 cookies and press together to push icing to edges. Continue until all cookies have been filled.
5. Cookies can be glazed with chocolate to finish or dusted with icing sugar.
6. Yield: Approximately 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 125g/4½oz butter

• 500g/1lb 2oz dark brown sugar

• 120ml/4fl oz milk

• 250g/9oz crunchy peanut butter

• 1 vanilla pod, seeds only

• 300g/10½oz icing sugar  

Preparation method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.

2. Stir in the brown sugar and milk, and bring to the boil for 2-3 minutes, without stirring.

3. Remove from the heat, and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla seeds.

4. Place the icing sugar in a large bowl, and pour the hot butter and sugar mixture on top. Using a wooden spoon, beat the mixture until smooth.

5. Pour into a 20cm/8in square baking tray, and set aside to cool slightly, then place in the fridge to chill completely.

6. Cut the fudge into squares with a sharp knife, turn out of the tin and store in an airtight container.