Chocolate rabbits

MAKES 24

PREP + COOK TIME 40 MIN

60g butter, softened

1 egg

¼ cup (55g) caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (150g) plain flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

24 mixed white and pink marshmallows

300g milk chocolate or dark chocolate melts

ROYAL ICING

1 ½ cups (240g) icing sugar

1 egg white

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice Green food colouring

Small icing flowers

1 Beat butter, egg, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Stir in sifted flour and cocoa. Wrap dough in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line two oven trays with baking paper.

3 Roll dough between sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Using a 4.5cm round cutter, cut 24 rounds of dough, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Place rounds on trays, leaving room for dough to spread. Bake for 10 minutes.

4 Remove trays from oven. Immediately place one marshmallow on top of each hot cookie. Return trays to oven for 1 minute. Cool cookies on trays.

5 Melt chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Place cookies on a wire rack over a baking paper-lined tray. Spoon chocolate over biscuits to completely cover marshmallows. Stand at room temperature until chocolate sets.

6 To make the royal icing, sift icing sugar through a very fine sieve. Lightly beat egg white in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Add icing sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until icing reaches firm peaks. Beat in lemon juice and a few drops of food colouring with a wooden spoon. Cover tightly with cling film until ready to use (see notes, opposite).

7 Place royal icing in a disposable piping bag or resealable bag. Snip the corner to make a small opening. Pipe a rabbit face on each biscuit and use icing flowers for eyes.