In response to the enthusiastic reception for her Ladies, a Plate, Alexa Johnston has gathered another tempting selection of traditional home-baking recipes.

This collection has many more old favourites, like Sponge Kisses, Melting Moments and Cream Lilies, as well as a few savoury treats. Alexa has also included a chapter on home-made sweets so that readers will be able to stock the sweet stall at the school fair with Hokey Pokey, Ginger Ice and the very best Russian Fudge. Snippets of social history are once again included throughout as Alexa pays tribute to the women who contributed recipes to the hundreds of community cookbooks that were published over the past sixty years.

Like its predecessor, this beautiful book will be essential in every baker's kitchen and a source of continuing pleasure.

Sample Recipe: Hokey Pokey Biscuits (pictured)

For the biscuits
4oz/115g butter
4oz/115g sugar
1tbsp milk
2tsp golden syrup
1tsp baking soda
1/2tsp vanilla essence
1large cup/170g flour

Not quite as toothachingly sweet as the honeycomb toffee they are named after (see page 139 for that recipe), these crisp biscuits do have the slight fizz on the tongue created by baking soda combined with golden syrup. They are light and pleasant and undemanding and with the addition of some chopped chocolate - my sister Fiona's inspired embellishment - they are very hard to resist. I've given the traditional recipe here, but add 3/4 cup of chocolate chips at the end if you wish.

Getting ready
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper or grease them lightly. Bring the butter to room temperature and sift the flour.

Mixing and baking

1. Cream the butter and sugar until soft and light. Put the milk and golden syrup in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Add the baking soda and stir quickly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture froths up pour it onto the butter and sugar and mix well.
2. Add the vanilla followed by the flour (and the chocolate chips if you are using them).
3. Place teaspoonfuls on the trays, allowing room for spreading, and flatten them slightly with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack and store airtight.

Makes about 24.