Spiced Easter biscuits recipe

Darkly spiced Easter cookies with beautiful royal flood icing to decorate. These are miniature works of Easter art.

This spiced Easter biscuits recipe makes around 36-48 biscuits, depending on the size of the cookie cutters you are using. It's a good batch size if you want to package the biscuits up to give as Easter gifts. You can either arrange them in layers in boxes, or slide 3-5 into a clear cellophane bag and tie it up with a nice bow. The biscuits have a lovely spicy kick from the mixed spice and cinnamon. Traditionally, this is to symbolise the embalming ointments used on Jesus before the resurrection.

Ingredients

• 100g (3½oz) butter, softened
• 200g (7oz) caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 300g (10½oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground mixed spice

For the icing:

• 1 sachet egg white powder
• 4 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 300g icing sugar
• Icing pens in red, white and green (optional)

Method

1. Beat the butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and mixed spice. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Add 1 tsp cold water to bring the dough together if you need to. Wrap the mixture in baking parchment and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 4mm (¼in) thick and, using cookie cutters, stamp out shapes. Using a palette knife, lift the shapes carefully on to the baking parchment.
4. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until lightly golden in colour. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
5. To ice the biscuits: make up the egg white powder using 30ml (2 tbsp) warm water and lemon juice as directed on the packet. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the blended egg white mixture to make a smooth spreadable icing. Divide the mixture into three. Leave one white and use the food colouring to colour one pink and the other mauve. For each colour, spoon 1-2 tbsp of the icing into a small piping bag fitted with a No2 plain piping nozzle. Pipe a line around the edge of each biscuit, about 1mm from the edge. Then spoon about 1 tsp icing into the centre of each biscuit and spread to fill the outlined area. Leave for 30 minutes to set. Finish decorations with icing pens, if desired.

Top tip for making spiced Easter cookies

Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days – but of course are best when they are served fresh.

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