Makes about 20

•  350g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 30g cocoa powder (optional)
• 250g butter, softened
• 300g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tubes Smarties (approx)

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, bicarb, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy, then add the egg and beat again.
4. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients to form a fairly stiff dough.
5. Roll the dough into 20 balls and place on greased baking sheets about 3cm apart. (No need to grease if using stoneware)
6. Bake for 15 mins (they will still be very soft)
7. Let cool on the tray for about 3 mins and transfer to a wire tray to cool.

 If you want the cookies to be plain and yellow as in the original recipe, omit the cocoa powder. (I add it in as my daughter likes her cookies “brown”!

They will also keep for up to 5 days in an air tight tin.