CITRUS SUGAR COOKIES

Preparation time 25 mins Cooking time 30 mins Makes at least 48

1 / cups unsalted bu er, so ened

1 cup caster sugar

2 tsp finely grated orange zest / tsp baking powder

1 free-range egg

1 Tbsp orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

/ tsp fine sea-salt flakes

3 / cups plain flour Egg-shaped cookie cu ers (small cookies 5cm; large cookies 9cm) plus 3.5cm flower cookie cu er

ROYAL ICING 2 free-range egg whites 2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups pure icing sugar, si ed Gel paste food colouring

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional). Line 3 oven trays with baking paper. STEP 2 In a large bowl, beat bu er with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, zest and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, juice, vanilla and salt until combined. Beat in flour. Divide dough into 2-3 portions. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough, 1 portion at a time, to 3-6mm thick.

STEP 3 Dip cookie cu ers in plain flour to stop sticking, then cut out desired sizes. Put cutouts 2.5cm apart on prepared trays. Bake small eggs and flowers for 10-12 minutes and large eggs for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are firm but not brown (you'll need to do a few batches). Let cool fully on a wire rack before decorating.

STEP 4 To make royal icing, whisk egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually add icing sugar, stirring a er each addition, until smooth, adding more icing sugar if necessary to make a thick paste. Tint as desired with food colouring.

STEP 5 To ice cookies, put 1 cup royal icing in a bowl and add 3-4 teaspoons warm water a li le at a time, until icing falls in ribbons from a spoon – ribbons should disappear into icing surface in the bowl in 10-15 seconds. Dip cookies face down in icing, then put icing up on a wire rack to set (about 6 hours).

STEP 6 To use icing for outline piping, transfer about 1 cup royal icing to a piping bag fi ed with a small round decorating tip (No. 2 or 3). Decorate cookies as desired.