Ingredients
250 g cold unsalted butter, chopped
½ cup pure icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
1 free-range egg, room temperature
3 cups plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
To decorate
600 g packet ready-to-roll white icing
2 Tbsp liquid glucose
art paint brush
liquid red food colouring, to decorate
liquid green food colouring, to decorate
ribbon, to decorate
Method
- Grease three oven trays and line with baking paper.
- Place butter, sugar and paste in a food processor. Process, scraping down side of bowl until combined. Add egg. Process until combined. Add our and baking powder. Pulse, scraping down side of bowl once, until a soft dough forms.
- Turn on floured bench. Knead until smooth. Divide in half. Shape into discs.
- Roll out each disc between two sheets of baking paper to about 1⁄2cm thick.Using an 81⁄2cm round cutter, cut out 10 rounds from each disc, re-rolling dough until it is used. Place 2cm apart on prepared oven trays.
- Using the broad end of a chopstick, press a hole in the top of each round, 1cm from the edge.
- Cook two trays in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden. Remove from oven. Cool on trays completely. Repeat with remaining tray.
- To decorate, knead icing on a clean bench until smooth. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Heat glucose until runny.
- Working with one biscuit at a time, brush top lightly with glucose. Using same round cutter, cut out a round of icing. Lift and press onto biscuit. Make a hole in fondant using same chopstick.
- Paint designs and names onto fondant using paint brush and food colouring. Stand at room temperature until colouring is dry and icing is firm.
