Dotty shortbread hearts recipe

These buttery shortbread biscuits are very easy to make so why not get the kids to help you? They are so pretty to serve for a girly party or for Valentine's Day. Use round pastry cutters for afternoon tea shortbread, alphabet cutters to make a message or number cutters for a special age. Try using animal or flower-shaped biscuit cutters too and decorate in different colours. You can pipe them with royal icing or roll out coloured sugar paste in any colour you like to make lots of different designs. Let your imagination run wild and have fun making lots of creative treats - place them in cellophane bags to give as gifts.

Ingredients

• 150g plain flour
• 100g butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 150g royal icing sugar
• red food colouring
• You will need a heart shaped cutter about 7-8 cm across at the widest part

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160fan/gas 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Place the flour and butter in a bowl and rub together with your hands until it makes crumbs. Add the sugar and start squeezing the mixture together until it all binds to a dough.
2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut into 9 heart shapes. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 mins until just golden brown.
3. Allow to cool on the baking tray for 10 mins then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Mix the royal icng sugar with water as directed on the packet. Place half in a small bowl and colour with red food colouring. Place the icings in small piping bags and snip the end. Pipe dots randomly all over the biscuits and leave to set for 1-2 hours then store in a cake tin.