Hand painted Easter cookies

Serves:

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups (380g) plain flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup (250g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (220g) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing

• 1 pkt (500g) ready-made white fondant
• 1/ cup (80g) icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp honey (for attaching the fondant)

You will also need:

• food colourings
• small paint brushes
• water

Method

Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter until pale and then add the sugar a little at a time. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until mixed in. Add the flour until it is just incorporated.

Remove from bowl and gently knead on a floured surface for 1 minute and then divide into two discs. Cover the discs in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

When ready to roll the dough, preheat the oven to 190°C (160°C fan-forced). Cover baking trays with baking paper and set aside.

Remove one disc from the fridge and roll out the dough to a thickness of 7mm on a floured board.

Dip cookie cutters in flour and cut shapes. Repeat with second disc. Place all shapes on baking paper and bake for 7-11 minutes until pale golden in colour. Cool on wire racks.

While cooling, roll out fondant on a surface dusted with sifted icing sugar. Use cookie cutters to cut out identical shapes of the prepared cookies in the fondant.

Brush cookies with honey and place fondant cut outs on top of each cookie.

Dilute food colours with a few drops of water and paint the cookies.

Tips:

• Make sure you keep an eye on these in the oven so they don’t brown.
• These cookies need plenty of time to cool before you layer the fondant icing on top.
• This recipe was created by Spoon & Fork Cake and Cookies for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.