It's the thoughtful gifts that count the most at Christmas time: handmade cookies, home-style pastries and simple, heartfelt baking.

Photographer Julia Stix and food stylist Eva Fischer, who both hail from Austria, have compiled a sweet and simple collection of festive recipes to celebrate the season of advent.

Here, they share three treats that let you add a personal touch to your gift-giving.

Cranberry shortbread

INGREDIENTS

• ⅔ cup (100g) dried cranberries
• 2 cups (300g) plain flour
• 200g chilled salted butter
• 100g white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Finely chop the cranberries. Sift the flour into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, cranberries and vanilla. Press the dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
3. Roll out the dough until 3mm thick. Cut circles from the dough using a round cookie cutter. Transfer the cookies to the trays and bake for about 15 minutes or until just starting to brown. Carefully remove the cookies from the trays and leave to cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Tip Knead the dough as little as possible to keep this delicious, buttery shortbread light and short.

Makes about 40

Gingersnap cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 280g plain flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• 225g butter, at room temperature
• 100g raw sugar
• 100g brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup (80ml) molasses or dark, thick honey

METHOD

1. Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the butter and sugars in another large bowl until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and mix well. Add the flour mixture and gently combine to make a smooth, very soft dough. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or until firm.
2. Preheat the oven to 160 fan-forced (180C conventional). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
3. Roll the dough into balls, about 2.5cm diameter. Place the balls on the trays, leaving at least 5cm between them. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from the oven, leaving the cookies on the trays to firm up a little, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Makes about 50

Panettone

INGREDIENTS

• 50g butter, plus a little extra for the tin
• 300ml milk, plus 1 tbsp milk for brushing
• 3 cups (450g) plain flour
• 80g white sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 20g fresh yeast
• 1 orange
• 100g white chocolate
• ⅓ cup (50g) candied orange peel
• ⅓ cup (50g) candied lemon peel
• ¼ cup (30g) unsalted pistachios
• 1 egg yolk
• icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD

1. Heat the butter and milk in a small saucepan to melt the butter. Leave to cool. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt and combine thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Crumble the yeast into the well and add 3 tbsp of the milk mixture. Cover and set aside for about 15 minutes. Add the remaining milk mixture and knead to form a smooth dough. Cover again and leave to rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place.
2. Wash the orange under hot water, pat dry and finely grate the zest. Coarsely chop the white chocolate, candied orange and lemon peel and pistachios. Combine the mixture with the orange zest. Vigorously knead the dough, incorporating the pistachio mixture.
3. Grease a panettone tin (or a small kugelhopf tin). Transfer the dough to the tin, cover and leave to rise for about 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Bake the panettone on the middle rack for about 30 minutes. Whisk the egg yolk into the extra milk and brush it over the cake. Continue to bake the panettone for another 15 minutes on the lowest rack. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Dust generously with icing sugar to serve.

Serves 4

This is an edited extract from Festive by Julia Stix and Eva Fischer, Murdoch Books. Photography by Julia Stix. Buy now