Taken from Ottolenghi’s award-winning book Simple, here is the perfect sweet treat to make and enjoy over Christmas.

“Anyone from Switzerland will tell you that these should only be made with cinnamon and cloves and only be baked and eaten at Christmas. Having played around with the spice mix, and baked and eaten them happily throughout the year, I would make the case for the rules for this chewy brownie-like (and gluten-free) biscuit to be extended. Swiss-born Cornelia Staeubli, through whom nearly all decisions at Ottolenghi have to pass, would firmly disagree! It’s true, though, that they’re particularly at home when things are festive, so I’ve made them into stars to play the game.
 
Either way, these keep for 5 days in a sealed container. The dough can also be frozen (either when shaped into a ball or cut into cookie shapes) for up to a month. If you bake from frozen, just add another minute or two to the cooking time.”