Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• softened
• plus extra for greasing
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 100g/3½oz soft dark brown sugar
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 200g/7oz plain flour
• plus extra for dusting
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 100g/3½oz dried sour cherries
• soaked in water
• 2 tbsp cherry brandy
• 40g/1½oz flaked almonds
• 75g/2½oz roasted hazelnuts
• chopped
• 100g/3½oz white chocolate
• broken into small pieces
• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate
• broken into small pieces

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Place the butter and the caster sugar into a bowl and beat together until light and creamy. Add the sunflower oil and brown sugar and fold through to combine. Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix well.
• In a separate bowl
• mix together the flour
• salt and baking powder.
• Add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well to form a dough. Fold in the drained cherries
• brandy
• almonds
• hazelnuts and the white and dark chocolate pieces. .
• On a floured work surface
• carefully roll out the dough to 1cm/½in thick. Using the cookie cutter of your choice
• cut out 8–16 cookies (depending on the size of the cutter).
• Place the cookies onto a greased baking tray (not too close together as they will spread). Place into the oven to bake for 15 minutes
• or until golden-brown and cooked through.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the trays for 8–10 minutes
• then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.