Sugar Cookie Wreaths

Crisp and buttery, these will hold their shape during baking. Ideal for getting creative with icing.

Hands-on time 1hr, plus chilling, cooling and setting. Cooking time about 15min.

Makes about 36

FOR THE COOKIES

 150g unsalted butter, softened  150g golden caster sugar

 1tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

 2 medium eggs

 350g plain flour, plus extra to dust FOR THE ROSE AND PISTACHIO ICING, OPTIONAL

 200g icing sugar

 75g slivered pistachios, roughly chopped, see GH TIP

 25g crystallised rose petal pieces FOR THE FEATHERED ICING, OPTIONAL

 300g icing sugar

 Pink food colouring gel or paste

For the cookies, in a large bowl using a handheld electric whisk, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and beat until just combined. Tip on to a work surface and shape into a disc. Wrap and chill for at least 1hr (up to 24hr) to firm up.

2 Line 3 large baking sheets with baking parchment. Dust a work surface with flour, split the dough in ½ and roll out to 3mm thick. Stamp out circles using a 7cm round fluted cutter. Transfer circles to the lined sheets, spacing slightly apart. Repeat process with trimmings and remaining dough.

3 Using a 2-2.5cm-round fluted or plain cutter, stamp out the centres of the larger rounds. Re-roll trimmings as before and stamp out more cookies, if you like. You should have about 36. Chill again for 20min, to firm up.

4 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Bake the cookies for 12-14min, or until the edges are lightly golden. Leave to cool completely on the sheets.

5 If making the rose and pistachio icing, sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl and mix in enough water to make a thick, but pourable consistency (about 40ml). Working 1 cookie at a time, dip the top into the icing, gently shake off excess, smooth with a palette knife and place on a wire rack (icing up). Sprinkle over some pistachios and crystallised rose petal pieces. Repeat with remaining cookies. Leave to set at room temperature before serving.

6 If making the feathered icing, sift 200g icing sugar into a medium bowl and mix in enough water to make a thick, but pourable consistency (about 40ml) and enough food colouring to reach your desired shade of pink. In a medium bowl, sift the remaining 100g icing sugar and mix with enough water to make a drizzling consistency (about 25ml).

7 Working 1 cookie at a time, dip the top into the pink icing, gently shake off excess, smooth with a palette knife and place on a wire rack (icing up). Repeat with a few more cookies. Before the pink icing sets, using a tsp, drizzle horizontal lines of the white icing across the iced cookies. Using a cocktail stick, drag the white icing in vertical lines across the cookies to give a feathered effect.

8 Repeat icing with remaining cookies. Leave to set at room temperature before serving.

PER COOKIE (Rose/pistachio) 123cals, 2g protein, 5g fat (2g saturates),

18g carbs (10g total sugars), 0g fibre. (Feathered) 121cals, 1g protein,

4g fat (2g saturates), 20g carbs (13g total sugars), 0g fibre

TO STORE Once set, keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The biscuits will soften over time.