Iced biscuits are one of the most popular recipes to make with children, both because of how straightforward they are and how much fun (and creativity!) can be had when decorating the biscuits afterwards. That's why it's handy to have a good iced biscuit recipe in your repertoire.
This one from the BBC will make 36 delicious biscuits that take no time at all. Why not use Christmas biscuit cutters and use the biscuits as gifts? Simply wrap a few in some cellophane, wrap with a ribbon and you've got a yummy Christmas present.
Alternatively, we don't blame you if you keep them all to yourself...
Ingredients
100g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g caster sugar
1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
275g plain flour
To decorate
400g icing sugar
3-4 tbsp water
2-3 drops food colourings
Edible glitter
Makes 36 biscuits | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook time: 10-30 minutes
Method
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Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
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Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.
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Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined.
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Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough.
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Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm/½in.
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Using biscuit cutters or a glass, cut biscuits out of the dough and carefully place onto the baking tray. To make into Christmas tree decorations, carefully make a hole in the top of the biscuit using a straw.
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Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.
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For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture. Stir in the food colouring.
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Carefully spread the icing onto the biscuits using a knife and sprinkle over the glitter. Set aside until the icing hardens.
Tip!
For reduced sugar biscuits, use 60g/2½oz soft brown muscovado sugar instead of 100g/3½oz caster sugar. Increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons. Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp finely chopped candied peel with the flour. Decorate with halved blanched almonds instead of icing.