Raisin Hazelnut Crunchies

First of all, put the butter, sugar and syrup into a small saucepan, place it on the gentlest heat possible and let it all dissolve, which will take 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the nuts into small chunks. When the butter mixture has dissolved, take it off the heat. Then, in a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and salt and the porridge oats and half the raisins and nuts, then give this a quick mix before pouring in the butter mixture. Now, using a wooden spoon, stir and mix everything together, then switch from the spoon to your hands to bring everything together to form a dough. If it seems a bit dry, add a few drops of cold water.

Now take half the dough and divide it into 9 lumps the size of a walnut and roll them into rounds using the flat of your hand. Place them on a worktop and press gently to flatten them out into rounds 2½ inches (6 cm) in diameter, then scatter half the remaining raisins and nuts on top of the biscuits pressing them down lightly. Once you have filled one tray (give them enough room to spread out during baking), bake them in the oven for 15 minutes while you prepare the second tray. When they're all cooked, leave them to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire tray to finish cooling. You could store the biscuits in a sealed container, but I doubt you'll have any left!

To make Cherry and Almond Crunchies
Use 2 oz (50g) of dried sour cherries and 1.5 oz (40g) of flaked almonds instead of the raisings and hazelnuts

To make Apricot and Pecan Crunchies
Use 2 oz (50 g) of ready-to-eat dried apricots and 1.5 oz (40g) of pecans

To make Chocolate Almond Crunchies
Use 2 oz (50 g) of dark continental chocolate and 1.5 oz (40 g) whole unblanced almonds