1. Mill the sugar in a Thermomix (30 sec/sp 10) or in a blender on top speed, until finely ground.

2. Mix together sugar, tapioca, almond meal, salt and spices (and zest) in Thermomix (10 sec/sp 6), or process in a food processor.

3. Add butter and molasses (if using) and mix in Thermomix (20 sec/sp 5), or in a food processor, until a smooth dough is formed.

4. If desired, mix through currants (rev/sp 3 in Thermomix).

5. Divide dough into two balls and roll out between sheets of baking paper to about ¾ cm (7mm) thick. Place into the freezer to chill for 20 mins or until firm.

* At this stage, you can freeze the dough to use another day. I like to roll it into two cylinders, wrap tightly in baking paper and freeze, then if I’m in a hurry to make some biscuits I can just slice into circles, place onto lined trays and pop into the oven. OR if you will be making cut-out biscuits, flatten dough into discs, wrap well and freeze until needed.

To make biscuits:

1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Remove dough from freezer and thaw slightly if needed. (If you use coconut oil instead of butter it will take longer to thaw.)
3. Divide dough into two balls and roll out between sheets of baking paper to about ¾ cm (7mm) thick. Cut circles, rectangles, stars, gingerbread men or other shapes out of the dough with cookie cutters. (If dough gets too warm while rolling out the scraps, chill again in the freezer.) Place each biscuit onto a lined tray with a couple of centimetres between each. Decorate with currants and/or pistachios if desired.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and lightly browned. (Timing will depend on your oven, keep an eye on them so they don’t burn, turn trays around as needed!)
5. Cool biscuits on the trays.
6. Store in airtight containers or reusable ziploc bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

To make shortbread in a tray:

1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Remove dough from freezer and thaw slightly if needed. (If you use coconut oil instead of butter it will take longer to thaw.)
3. Press dough into a large rectangular dish (38x26cm) lined with baking paper. (If using half of the dough, use a dish that is small enough so that dough is 1.5 – 2 cm deep.)
4. Press chopped pistachios onto the shortbread if desired.
5. Score into squares or rectangles so that it’s easier to cut once baked.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and firm.
7. Remove from oven and re-score the gingerbread – it will crumble less if this is done while hot.
8. Cool in the dish, then store in fridge or freezer so that it stays firm. (Can serve from fridge/freezer.)