This recipe makes a deliciously dense and chewy American-style cookie. Don’t worry if they seem very mushy and soft as you take them out of the oven – they will firm up as they cool

You can’t beat a good crumble, and this mix of peach, apricot and orange makes a change from the usual apple. The almonds add a lovely crunch to the topping, but if you don’t like them you can always use a plain crumble mix instead

Once you've mastered this recipe, you'll have the basic knowledge to make a huge variety of recipes: the trick of creaming the fat and sugar together really well until they have become pale and fluffy is how you incorporate air into the mix, and what makes the cake light and delicious rather than heavy and dense