ICED NICELY COOKIES

INGREDIENTS (Makes 20) For the biscuits:

◆ 200g plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

◆ 175g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

◆ 80g ground almonds

◆ 240g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

◆ 1 large egg yolk

◆ 1tbsp cold water

◆ ½tsp salt

For the icing:

◆ 2 medium egg whites

◆ 1½tsp lemon juice

◆ 225g icing sugar, sifted

◆ Blue food colouring

◆ Green food colouring

Method: 1 For the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 180°C (160° fan), gas 4. Grease and line two large baking trays. Stir together flour and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add ground almonds and stir well. 2 Add butter, egg yolk, water, and salt and mix well with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to come together as a dough. Turn onto a floured sur face and knead briefly until even. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30min. 3 After chilling, roll out dough on a lightly floured sur face to 7mm approx. Cut out shapes with round and heart-shaped cutters. Arrange on trays, spaced apart. Bake for 12-15min until golden and dry to the touch. Remove trays to wire racks to cool. 4 For the icing: Beat together the egg whites and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl until frothy. Add sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing should be of a thick spreadable consistency. 5 Divide icing between two bowls. Colour one bowl with a mixture of blue and green to make a turquoise; add a drop at a time of each. 6 To decorate: Transfer the icings to separate piping bags fitted with thin round nozzles. Pipe the coloured icings onto the biscuits in varying patterns. Decorate with sugar crystals, dragee balls and sugar pearls. Let icing set before serving.