EASTER COOKIES

Makes: 20 Takes: 1hr 10mins (plus chilling and setting)

Cost per cookie: 23p

■ 120g butter, softened

■ 90g caster sugar

■ 50g icing sugar

■ 1 egg, lightly beaten

■ 1tsp vanilla extract

■ 275g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

■ 400g tub ready-made royal icing

■ Yellow, blue, green, orange and pink food colouring

■ 25g dark chocolate, melted

1 Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and the caster and icing sugars together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and fold in. Knead the dough and shape into a disc. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30mins.

2 Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas Mark 3. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

3 Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 5mm thick. Cut out 20 biscuits using 6cm egg- and chickshaped cutters (10 of each). Arrange on trays, leaving space in between, and bake for 10-12mins until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack.

4 Divide the icing into four bowls. Stir to loosen, adding a teaspoon of water, if needed (the mixture should run off a spoon). Tint one portion yellow, one blue and one green. Reserve the remaining.

5 Use a piping bag or spatula to ice the eggs and chicks with the coloured icing, following the picture as a guide. Leave to set for 20mins then spread or pipe a yellow wing on each chick.

6 Split the reserved icing into two bowls. Tint one orange and one pink. Pipe on orange feet and beaks. Use the melted chocolate to pipe eyes. Pipe pink, blue, green and yellow dots onto the egg cookies. Leave to set, then serve.