5 ideas with biscuits
Whip up a batch of our basic biscuit dough and royal icing, get baking, then let the kids go wild decorating sweet Easter bikkies.
Basic biscuit dough
Use an electric mixer to beat 125g butter, softened, ½ cup (110g) caster sugar and 1 egg until just combined. Add 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste. Beat until mixture just comes together. Turn onto a floured surface. Gently knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 30 mins to chill. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 3mm thick. Bake using the following recipes.
Royal icing
This icing sets hard, so it’s a great choice for decorating biscuits. To make it, whisk 1 egg white and 1 tsp lemon juice in a bowl. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups (240g) pure icing sugar, stirring after each addition until a thick paste forms. Cover with plastic wrap.
1. Googy-egg biscuits
Make the basic biscuit dough and cut egg shapes from the dough. Place on lined baking trays. Cut a small 1.5cm disc from half the egg shapes. Bake at 180°C, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 15 mins or until light golden. Cool completely. Spread the whole biscuits with a little lemon curd and top with remaining biscuits with holes. Dust biscuits with icing sugar, then spoon a little more lemon curd into the holes to fill to the top.
2. Bunny paw print biscuits
Make the basic biscuit dough and cut egg shapes from dough. Place on lined baking trays. Bake at 180°C, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 15 mins or until light golden. Cool completely. Make 1 portion of royal icing. Spread half the royal icing evenly over the biscuits and set aside to set. Use a little food colouring to tint the remaining royal icing pink. Place in a piping bag fitted with a 5mm plain nozzle. Pipe onto the biscuits to make paw prints. Set aside to set.
3. Speckled egg biscuits
Make the basic biscuit dough and cut egg shapes from dough. Place on lined baking trays. Bake at 180°C, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 15 mins or until light golden. Cool completely. Make 1 portion of royal icing. Use a little food colouring to tint icing blue. Spread evenly over the biscuits. Set. Combine 1 tsp cocoa powder with 2-3 tsp water in a bowl to make a runny paste. Dip a pastry brush into cocoa powder mixture and gently flick over biscuits to create a speckled effect. Set aside to set.
4. Easter chicken biscuits
Make the basic biscuit dough and cut egg shapes from the dough. Place on lined baking trays. Bake at 180°C, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 15 mins or until light golden. Cool completely. Make 1 portion of royal icing. Use a little food colouring to tint half the icing yellow. Spread biscuits with yellow icing. Set. Tint half the remaining icing yellow and place in a piping bag fitted with a 1mm plain nozzle. Pipe wings and feathers on the biscuits. Tint the remaining icing orange. Place in a clean piping bag fitted with a 1mm plain nozzle. Pipe beaks and feet on the biscuits. Use black writing icing to make eyes. Set aside to set.
5. Carrot biscuits
Make the basic biscuit dough and cut carrot shapes from the dough. Place on lined baking trays. Bake at 180°C, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 15 mins or until light golden. Cool completely. Make 1 portion of royal icing. Divide into 2 portions. Use a little food colouring to tint 1 portion orange and 1 portion green. Spread the orange and green icing over the carrot biscuits. Set aside to set. Tint the remaining orange icing a shade darker. Place in a piping bag fitted with a 1mm plain nozzle. Pipe lines over the carrot biscuits. Decorate carrot tops using yellow writing icing. Set aside to set.
