Iced Easter biscuits

Adding a little condensed milk to the batter helps the biscuits keep their shape and adds crunch.

Hands-on time: 25min, plus chilling, cooling and setting Cooking time: About 12min Makes about 25

75g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease 100g caster sugar 40g condensed milk 1 medium egg Finely grated zest of 1/2 an orange or lemon 1/2tsp baking powder

200g plain flour, plus extra to dust

TO DECORATE

Icing sugar Food colouring pastes

1 Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan)/ mark 4. Put the softened butter, sugar and condensed milk into a large bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Next, beat in the egg and orange or lemon zest, followed by the baking powder, flour and a pinch of salt – bring together with your hands. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30min.

2 Lightly grease two large baking sheets with butter. Next, lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough until it’s 5mm thick. Stamp out Easter shapes with cookie cutters – re-rolling trimmings as necessary.

3 Arrange the cookies on the prepared trays (they won’t spread much). If you later want to thread a ribbon through the baked cookie, then make a 5mm hole in the top of each biscuit with a skewer. Chill for 15min.

4 Bake the cookies for 10-12min until lightly golden. Loosen biscuits with a spatula, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5 When the cookies are cool, make the icing. Sift icing sugar into a bowl and add just enough water to make a thick, spreadable icing. Divide icing among different bowls and colour as needed. Pipe or spread over the biscuits and leave to set. If you like, thread ribbons through the biscuits and hang on to Easter branches.

TO STORE

Un-iced biscuits should stay crisp in an airtight container for up to five days. Iced biscuits might soften after a few days.