Iced lemon hearts

Makes 30-40, depending on size

For the biscuits, you will need:

● 1 egg, beaten

● The finely grated zest of 1 small lemon

● 2 tablespoons lemon juice

● 250g plain flour

● ½ teaspoon baking powder

● 100g ground almonds

● 100g caster sugar

● 125g butter, softened

For the icing, you will need:

● 250g icing sugar

● 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

To bake, you will need:

● A heart-shaped cookie cutter

1 Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper, or just line one tray if you’re baking in batches.

2 Sift the flour and the baking powder into a bowl, then mix in the ground almonds and the caster sugar.

3 Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

4 Mix the beaten egg with the finely grated lemon zest and the lemon juice. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until you have a ball of dough.

5 Flatten the dough into a round about 1 or 2cm thick, then cover and place in the fridge for half an hour (the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours).

6 Preheat the oven to 160C (140 fan), 325F, Gas 3.

7 Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it with the help of some flour on the work top and on the dough itself until it’s 5mm thick, making sure to slide a palette knife or fish slice under the dough regularly, to stop it sticking.

8 Using a cutter, cut the dough into heart shapes (or any other shape), then transfer on to the prepared baking tray or trays. Bake for 12-16 minutes, depending on the thickness of the dough and the heat of your oven, until the biscuits are golden and feeling slightly firm around the edges. Lift off the tray and carefully place on a wire rack to cool.

9 While the hearts are cooking, or cooling, you can make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add in some, but not all, of the lemon juice. Add a bit more gradually and keep mixing until you have a fairly stiff but pliable mixture.

10 Place a palette knife (or a table knife if you don’t have a palette 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 almost cool. Keep in a single layer for the icing to set before storing them away. ●