The principle here is the same as for classic shortbread – you need to work all the ingredients together to make a dough paste. The combination of dark chocolate and one of Fortnum’s finest ground coffees gives these little round biscuits a unique rich flavour.

These caramelized biscuits are rich, fruited and studded with nuts, while the rice flour gives them bite. After baking, one side is bathed in a layer of dark chocolate which complements the sweet toffee flavor perfectly. They are best enjoyed on the day they are made.

Rice flour is the secret ingredient here - it gives the shortbread a wonderful crisp texture. Take care not to overwork the dough, otherwise the butter will become greasy and give an oily finish to the biscuit.

The combination of the two sugars makes these delicious biscuits crisp on the outside with a slightly chewy middle. The macadamia nuts add a rich flavour and texture and the ginger brings an exotic bite.

These delicate biscuits, laced with rosewater and studded with crystallised rose petals, are as fragrant as a summer’s day.

We have added a pinch of ginger to the recipe for these biscuits; the flavour is very subtle but it is just enough to take the edge off their sweetness.

These bite-sized treats filled with sweet jam have a lovely crumbly texture due to the addition of ground almonds and hazelnuts.

Sour cranberries and zingy lemon combine in these sweet fruity scones to make a match made in heaven. A sprinkling of cinnamon gives them a pleasing warmth. The scones are best enjoyed freshly baked, preferably straight out of the oven, split and served spread with a little butter, but they can be stored for up to a day in an airtight container.

A spike of English mustard brings out the sweet punchy flavour of Montgomery Cheddar. Serve the scones warm from the oven, spread with a little butter and filled with cress and extra grated cheese. They are best enjoyed freshly baked, but can be stored for up to a day in an airtight container.

These quick-to-make treats date from the 1500s and are originally from Scotland; oats were their mane ingredient and they were round and flat and cooked on a griddle rather than in the oven. Scones became a feature of afternoon tea when, in the early nineteenth century, Anna the Duchess of Bedford chose them as part of the ensemble of sweet treats she requested for her afternoon snack (see page 36). In this recipe buttermilk provides the lovely flavour and light texture. You can leave out the sugar if you prefer a savoury scone and add a pinch of salt with the flour instead. These scones are best enjoyed on the day they are baked, warm, straight out of the oven and served with clotted cream and jam, but can be stored for up to a day in an airtight container.