Switch up the flavour combination to suit your mood, or the contents of your pantry.

Everyone needs a good staple biscuit recipe and I think this one is a winner. Packed with nutrient-dense oats, hazelnuts and coconut, it has texture and flavour with the addition of the figs, and the ginger lends a lovely earthy, slightly spicy undertone. If they didn’t sound good enough already, the smooth, dark chocolate rounds them off perfectly. I make these for school lunches and while the flavour combination below is the current favourite, they do change to suit what is in the pantry. Last week it was almond, apricot and dark chocolate. If you’re a white chocolate fan, use this instead of the dark chocolate and pair with dried strawberries and vanilla. Make them your own!

FIG, HAZELNUT & GINGER BISCUITS

Makes about 24 biscuits

• 100g butter, cubed, softened
• 85g rapadura sugar (an unrefined cane sugar; use brown or white if you don’t have it)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1 egg
• 75g flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 100g (1 cup) oats
• 50g (½ cup) desiccated coconut
• 100g figs, chopped
• 50g hazelnuts, chopped
• 50g dark chocolate, chopped (I used Green & Black’s 85%)

Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a baking tray with baking paper.

In a food processor, cream the butter and sugar before adding the vanilla and egg and processing again until the egg is well incorporated into the butter mixture.

Add the flour, baking powder, ginger, oats and coconut and pulse until combined. Lastly add the figs, hazelnuts and chocolate and pulse again until evenly distributed through the mixture.  

Using clean hands, roll into small balls, flatten with your fingers then bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool before storing in an airtight container.