I have a friend who never eats sweet things ? with one exception: brandy snaps. In fact, it would be fair to say that he is addicted to these tasty crunchies and when he dines out at a restaurant he gets seriously peeved if they don't have brandy snaps on the menu.

I must confess I love them too, with or without brandy. And this is an important point, because many readers do not use alcohol for various reasons and I am often asked what substitute one could use for liquor.

In the case of this brandy snaps recipe, you need no substitute; it is as good with brandy as it is without it.

What you serve with the brandy snaps is also up to you. I like ice cream or thick, chilled cream, but they are just as nice on their own. The choice is yours.

Children of all ages love brandy snaps and as a treat for the older ones you can serve these sweet delights with a little glass of "soetes" as a perfect ending to a lovely meal on a cold winter?s night.

This is how simple they are to make:
• 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
• 15ml finely ground fresh ginger
• 80g butter
• 55g castor sugar
• 55g sifted cake flour
• 45ml golden syrup

In a medium sized pan heat the butter, castor sugar and golden syrup until sugar has melted.
Remove from heat and stir in the flour, brandy and ground ginger and mix well.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on to greased baking sheets (allow space for them to spread).
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 7-10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and shape them as you like.
Place on wire rack to cool.