Starters/Snacks Desserts Orange Crown Biscuits

Method

1. Tip the flour into a bowl, add the sugar, butter and orange zest and mix together.

2. Using the tips of your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture, until it looks like breadcrumbs.

3. Make a well in the centre of the bowl and crack the egg into it. Add the vanilla then whisk the egg with a fork until broken up, then gradually pull in the rest of the mix to form a soft mixture.

4. Knead lightly on a floured work surface to form a smooth dough. Press out to about 2cm thick, wrap in cling film then place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

5. 5. Preheat the oven to 180C, fan 160C, gas mark 4.

6. Unwrap the dough and roll to about 5mm thick then stamp into crowns, or other shapes if you like.

7. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until just light golden brown. Allow to cool on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool totally. 8. While the biscuits chill, make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the orange juice and whisk until thick and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag (if you have a small piping nozzle, place it in the bag before the icing, if not snip a very small amount off the end of the bag.)

8. Pipe a fine line around the edge of the biscuits, then fill the centre with icing so that the biscuit is covered. Repeat with all the biscuits.

9. Allow to set slightly before decorating with the sweets.

10. Leave for at least 1 hour to set fully before storing/eating!