Bake these pretty vanilla and chocolate biscuits for Easter and get the kids to help decorate them. It’s a fun project for the school holidays and they taste great too
Prep:45 mins
Serves 50 – 60
For the vanilla cookies200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting120g caster sugar½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped out or ½ tsp vanilla paste125g butter, cut into cubes1 egg
STEP 1For the vanilla cookie dough, sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla and butter. Using an electric whisk or stand mixer, beat everything for 5 mins, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can also do this in a food processor. Crack in the egg and beat again until it comes together into a dough. Bringtogether into a disc and set aside in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hr.STEP 2For the chocolate cookies, sift the flour and cocoa powder into the same bowl and stir in the sugar, vanilla and butter. Beat using the electric whisk or stand mixer, for 5 mins, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can also do this in a food processor. Crack in the egg and beat again. Bring together into a disc and set aside in the fridge to rest for at least 1 hr.STEP 3Line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out both doughs until 5mm thick. Using 4-6cm sized Easter cutters, stamp out the biscuits and arrange on the baking trays well spaced apart, then chill for at least 30 mins. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake for 8-10 mins until golden. Leave to cool completely on the tray.STEP 4To make the glaze, sift the icing sugar into a stand mixer bowl. Pour in the egg whites and 2 tbsp cold water. Using a paddle attachment, beat for 10 mins on the lowest setting until firm and thickened. Divide between three bowls and stir a different colouring paste into each one. Take 3 tbsp of each colour and pour into three piping bags. These will be used for outline and decoration. Loosen the rest of the icing with 1-2 tsp of water in a each bowl, stirring until smooth. If you draw a spoon through to the base of the bowl, the icing should merge again after 4 seconds.STEP 5Pipe each cookie with an outline, then once set (after about 30 mins), spoon the liquid icing into the middle and carefully spread out using the back of a teaspoon. Leave to set for 2 hrs. Decorate with further icing on top, such as lines or flowers and leave to set for 30 mins.
