During our gaming night last Friday, my friend Gisele invited me to make some decorated biscuits for Easter. After watching tons of videos on the YouTube about it, we were confident enough to give it a go. So yesterday we made a batch of egg-shaped shortbreads and royal icing. It took us roughly 7 hours from start – making the biscuits – to end – decorating all 30 biscuits. Now they’re sitting on my dinning room table for 24h to dry. It’s very easy to make, both biscuits and icing, but it is time-consuming indeed, I admit. So invite a friend and have some fun!

BISCUITS
Slightly adapted from: Bakerella

INGREDIENTS
400g (3 ¹/₃ cups) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
225g (1 cup) salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
200g (1 cup) caster sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180^oC / 350^oF degrees and line baking trays with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat in the egg and extracts mixing until combined. Add the flour mixture one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. After the last addition, the mixture will look thick and soft. Put it in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Now you’re ready to roll. Line rolling surface with wax paper. Dust surface and coat your rolling pin with flour. Roll a portion of the dough on the flour-coated surface to 0.5cm (1/4 inch) thick. Dip an Easter egg cutter in flour and cut as many eggs out of the dough as you can. Remove scraps, knead and repeat. Make sure to reflour the work surface too.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden.

Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

ROYAL ICING
Source: Sweetopia

INGREDIENTS
170ml (3/4 cup) water
5 tbsp meringue powder
1tsp cream of tartar
1kg (2.25lbs) icing (powdered) sugar

METHOD

In a mixer bowl, combine water and meringue powder with a fouet (hand whisk), mixing for 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar and mix by hand for another 30 seconds. Add the sugar and start mixing by hand, so that it doesn’t coat your whole kitchen. Attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with tthe paddle attachment and beat at low speed for 10 minutes.

Now you can add your colours and extracts.

To learn more about icing consistency, please refer to Sweetopia and Montreal Confections

Thanks, Gisele, for the lovely time! Oh, and for making the cookie cutter – she’s so talented! 🙂 These are her cookies: