‘BUNCH OF FLOWERS’ BISCUITS
These delicious flowershaped biscuits make a lovely centrepiece for a floral-themed afternoon tea. Present them in a jug or a vase, with or without some fresh green foliage, such as stems of rosemary, mint, sage or thyme. The biscuit dough contains golden syrup (or honey), which makes it pliable enough for you to insert wooden skewers before baking without the dough crumbling. Decorating the biscuits is a great activity for children, especially when you have brightly coloured icing and plenty of sprinkles and sparkles!
MAKES 36 BISCUITS
85g caster sugar
85g butter, room temperature 85g golden syrup
1 free-range egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract 300g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
Long, thin wooden skewers
FOR THE DECORATION
● Selection of premade coloured icings and sprinkles
1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the sugar, butter, golden syrup, egg yolk and vanilla on low speed for about three minutes until well mixed and no lumps of butter remain. Sift together the flour and baking powder directly into the bowl. Continue to beat until the flour mixture is fully incorporated and a dough forms that clings together and has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Gather up the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk and wrap in cling film. Chill the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
3. Line two baking trays
with nonstick baking paper or silicone mats. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out 6mm thick. Using a 7.5cm round or flowershaped cutter, cut out as many biscuits as possible and transfer them to the prepared trays.
4. Carefully insert a thin wooden skewer into each biscuit to create the ‘stem’ of the flower, pushing it all the way to the centre. Arrange the ‘flowers’ well spaced on the baking trays to allow for the skewers and for slight spreading during baking. Gather the scraps, press together, reroll, cut out more biscuits and add them to the trays. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150°C (Gas mark 2) and bake the biscuits for 15–18 minutes, rotating the trays back to front halfway through baking. Remove from the oven when the biscuits are golden. Leave the biscuits to cool on the trays on wire racks for 10 minutes, then transfer to the racks to cool completely.
6. Once the biscuits have cooled, decorate with the coloured icings and the sprinkles. Let the icing dry and then display in a vase or jug as a pretty edible bouquet.