Pink & white iced gems

Makes 20 40g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 135g caster sugar 60g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 2 egg whites 1 tsp cream of tartar 3 drops pink food colouring 4cm fluted circular cutter

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and grease a flat baking tin. In a large bowl, cream together the butter with 15g of the sugar, using the back of a spoon, for 1-2 mins until fluffy. Stir in the flour, then knead with one hand to bring the mixture together into a ball of dough.

Dust a clean work surface with flour, then roll out the dough to approximately an 18cm-sided square. With the cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Bring together the dough offcuts and roll out again to produce 20 biscuits. Place the discs on the prepared tin, 1cm apart. Bake for 10 mins until golden. Allow to cool on the tin. Turn the oven to 100°C/gas mark ¼.

In the meantime, add the egg whites to a stand mixer and whisk for 1-2 mins until they are fluffy, white and do not slip around in the bowl. Put the whisk on slow and add the remaining caster sugar gradually. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the cream of tartar, turn the whisk to high and whisk for 10-12 mins until the mixture is very stiff. Remove half of the mixture and fill a fluted nozzle icing bag with it. Pipe half of the biscuits with the white meringue in small swirls. Add the pink food colouring to the remaining meringue in the mixer, then whisk briefly until just combined. Transfer the pink meringue into a clean piping bag with a fluted nozzle and pipe the remaining biscuits.

Bake the gems for 1 min, then turn the oven off, leaving the biscuits in the oven to dry out for at least

4 hrs. Transfer to a plate and serve.