Step-by-step

Step-by-step Bring out the bunting

Hone your icing skills with these cute and cheer y shor tbread biscuits

C O O K ’ S T I P

Add colouring to the icing a little at a time – you can add more, but you can’t take it away!

S H O R T B R E A D B U N T I N G B I S C U I T S

Makes 8 * Takes 1 hr plus chilling and cooling Cost per serve 30p

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature 40g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 150g plain four, plus extra for dusting 250g icing sugar 1 large lemon, juiced gel food colourings (we used purple, pink and yellow)

RECIPE ELLA TARN PHOTOGRAPHY ALEX LUCK FOOD STYLING LUCY O’REILLY PROP STYLING JENNY IGGLEDEN * Vegetarian if not using pink or purple food colouring

1 Put the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until well combined, then beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the four and mix to a dough. If it’s too crumbly to roll, add a splash of water, a little at a time, until it comes together (see pic A, right). 2 Line a baking sheet with nonstick baking paper. Lightly dust the dough with four, place in the centre of the sheet and roll out to an 8mm-thick, 22cm-diameter circle. Using the bottom of a 20cm cake tin or plate, cut around to remove the excess dough. Use a sharp knife to mark 8 triangle indentations, but don’t cut all the way through (pic B). Chill for 30 mins. Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C. 3 Lightly prick the dough with a fork and bake for 15-20 mins until very lightly golden. Leave to cool on the baking sheet, then cut triangles using the indentations you made. 4 Put the icing sugar in a mixing bowl and add the lemon juice, 1 tsp at a time, beating with a spoon until smooth. Any shapes made by mixing should disappear within 10 secs, as the icing returns to being glossy (pic C). Divide the mixture into as many bowls as you have colours, then squeeze a little colouring into each. Mix until completely combined (leave some white too, if you like). 5 Fill disposable piping bags with the icing and snip the end of each one (about 3-4mm). Draw a thin outline around the edges of the biscuit with one colour, then leave for 5 mins to set. Pipe to fill with icing. Use a spoon to spread it out to the outline; repeat with the remaining biscuits (pic D). Leave for 10 mins. Draw dots, stripes or your own design (pic E). Leave to set for 2 hrs. Will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Each biscuit contains

Energy Fat Saturates Sugars Salt

1232kJ 292kcal 10g 7g 39g 0g 15% 14% 28% 43% 0%

of the reference intake. See page 81. Carbohydrate 53g Protein 2g Fibre <1g A PREPARING THE DOUGH

The dough doesn’t need to be wet, but it needs to come together enough to roll out. If it’s too crumbly, it won’t roll neatly. Don’t overwork the dough, as this will make the finished biscuits tougher.

C PREPARING THE ICING

The icing needs to be thick enough so that it doesn’t run or lose its shape when piped. Test it on a plate to make sure a drizzle from a spoon won’t go flat. You can also use royal icing sugar, which sets harder with more definition. B MAKING THE INDENTATIONS

Making indentations in the dough before baking makes it much easier to cut into triangles when the biscuits have cooled. Just don’t cut all the way through: about a third to halfway through will do.

D ICING THE BISCUITS

Pipe the outline about 2-3mm from the edge so it doesn’t drop off the side. Let it dry and form a skin then fill by gently pushing the icing into the corners. If there are lumps, gently tap the biscuit on the worktop until they flatten out.

E DECORATING

Use different colours to draw squiggles, stripes or polka dots. Just make sure the icing underneath has formed a skin or the designs will bleed into the background.

SWEET SUCCESS

Fly the British flag on your bake with Silver Spoon Icing Sugar 1kg, £1.70. Proudly supporting British farmers, its sugar beet is grown in the UK and travels on average just 28 miles from field to factory.

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