Valentine Treats Love is all around

INGREDIENTS (Makes 18-20)

For the shortbread biscuits:

◆ 125g butter

◆ 60g caster sugar

◆ 175g plain flour, plus extra

for sprinkling

◆ 7.5cm wide heart cutter

For the decoration:

◆ Coloured ready-to-roll fondant

icing (pastel pink, red)

◆ Ready-to-pipe white icing

or writing icing

◆ Biscuit letter stamps (from

Hobbycraft or Lakeland)

◆ 1-2 baking sheets 1 Preheat the oven to 190°C/ 180°C Fan/Gas 5. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gently mix in the flour until smooth and lightly press into a ball. Roll the paste out between two sheets of non-stick parchment until about the thickness of a £1 coin or a little thicker. 2

Peel off the top layer of paper and use this to line the baking sheet. Using a 7.5cm heart cutter, stamp out 18-20 hearts, re-rolling the trimmings. Using a palette knife, lift the biscuits onto the lined baking sheet, spacing well apart. Chill in the fridge for 20min. 3

Bake in the oven for 15-20min and until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool on the tray for 5min then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 4

Thinly roll the fondant out between 2 sheets of baking parchment. Using a slightly smaller heart cutter than you used for the biscuit, carefully stamp out the same number of hearts as there are biscuits. 5 Pipe 3 small dots of piping/ writing icing onto each heart and place a fondant heart on top, gently pressing to fix. 6 Choose your letters and make up short words to stamp into the fondant, like LOVE, LOVE YOU, KISS KISS, BE MINE, HUGS, XOXO, etc. Position it carefully before gently pressing into the fondant. Leave to dr y out for an hour or two before eating.