Iced lemon hearts

Makes 30-40, depending on size For the biscuits, you will need:

250g plain flour

½ teaspoon baking powder 100g ground almonds 100g caster sugar 125g butter, softened 1 egg, beaten Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the icing, you will need:

250g icing sugar 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 Line two baking trays with parchment paper, or just line one tray if you’re baking in batches. 2 Sift the plain flour and the baking powder into a bowl, then mix in the ground almonds and the caster sugar, and rub in the softened butter. 3 In another bowl, mix the beaten egg with the finely grated lemon zest and the lemon juice. Pour the egg and lemon mixture into the bowl with the flour, baking powder, ground almonds, sugar and butter mixture, mixing with your hands, or a wooden spoon, until you have a ball of dough. 4 Flatten the dough until it is about 1cm or 2cm thick, then cover it with cling film or parchment paper and put it in the fridge for half an hour (the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours). 5 Preheat the oven to 160°C, 325°F, Gas 3. 6 Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it, with the help of some flour on the worktop and on the dough itself, until it is just ½cm thick. Make sure to slide a palette knife or fish slice under the dough regularly to stop it sticking. 7 Using a heart-shaped cutter, cut the dough into heart shapes, then transfer them on to the prepared baking tray or trays. Bake the biscuits for 12-16 minutes, depending on the thickness of the dough and the heat of your oven, until they are golden and feel slightly firm around the edges. Lift them off the tray, and carefully place them on a wire rack to cool. 8 While the hearts are cooking or cooling, make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add in some, but not all, of the lemon juice. Gradually add a bit more lemon juice, and keep mixing until you have a fairly stiff but pliable mixture. 9 Put a palette knife (or a table knife) in a jug of boiling water, and with the help of the hot, wet knife, spread the icing over the hearts once they’re cool. Keep them in a single layer until the icing sets, then you can store them.