These crisp cookies are made twice as delicious with both freshly roasted ground coffee beans and strong aromatic brewed coffee in the mixture. They are great for perking you up when you need a morale boost in the middle of the afternoon.

Ingredients: (Makes about 30)

• 25 g/1 oz espresso-roasted coffee beans
• 115 g/4 oz/1 cup blanched almonds
• 200 g/7 oz/scant 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• 7.5 ml/1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1.5 ml/¼ teaspoon salt
• 75 g/3 oz/6 tablespoons unsalted (sweet) butter, cubed
• 150 g/5 oz/¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 25-30 ml/1½-2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee
• 5 ml/1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for dusting

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Put the espresso coffee beans in a single layer on one side of a large baking sheet and the almonds on the other. Roast for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Process the coffee beans in a food processor or blender until fairly finely ground. Tip out into a bowl and set aside. Add the almonds to the food processor or blender and process until finely ground, but not oily.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub in the butter, then stir in the caster sugar, ground coffee and almonds. Add the beaten eggs and just enough brewed coffee to make a fairly firm dough.

Lightly knead for a few seconds until smooth and then shape into two rolls about 7.5 cm/3 inches in diameter. Place on a greased baking sheet and dust with cinnamon. Bake for 20 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, cut the rolls into 4 cm/1½ inches slices on the diagonal. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet, return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.