Valentine’s Day Biscuits

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

2. Sieve the flour into a bowl. Rub in the butter, add the caster sugar and mix well. Beat the egg. Mix the dry ingredients to a stiff dough with the beaten egg.

3. Turn out onto a floured board and roll out to a scant 5mm (1/4 inch) thickness. Cut the biscuits with the cutter of your choice. Transfer to a baking sheet.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes depending on thickness. Cool on a wire rack.

5. When cold, decorate as desired.

6. For the royal icing: Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl just until they begin to froth; then add the sieved icing sugar by the tablespoonful, beating well between each addition. If you are making the icing in an electric mixer, use the lowest speed. When all the icing sugar has been incorporated, add the lemon juice. Beat until the icing reaches stiff peaks; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth until you are ready to use the icing.

7. The texture of the icing is important. Fill some slightly stiffer icing into a piping bag with a fine writing nozzle, pipe a message on each biscuit or for a fancier finish, pipe an outline on the edge of each biscuit. Then pipe some softer icing inside the lines to fill the centre (you’ll need a slightly larger nozzle). Allow to set, then pipe the message on top in chosen coloured icing – ‘Love You’; ‘Sorry’; ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Oops’.......