Christmast Cookies part II

Ingredients

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 lightly packed cup (165g) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour, sifted
• 3/4 cup (75g) hazelnut meal
• Plain flour, to dust
• Paddle-pop sticks, edible glitter, silver cachous and ribbon, to decorate

• Royal icing

• 500g royal icing mix
• 1-2 drops pink food colouring

Method

1. Beat butter and brown sugar in an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until pale and creamy. On medium speed, add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in the sifted flour and hazelnut meal until mixed through. Form into a ball, enclose in plastic wrap, then chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C. Line 3 large baking sheets with baking paper.
3. Remove the dough from the fridge. Sprinkle surface with flour and knead for 1 minute, then divide into two. Using a rolling pin, roll out one half to about 5mm thick. Using an 11cm dove cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place them about 3cm apart on the baking sheets. Repeat process with the remaining dough using an 8cm-wide star-shaped cutter, then carefully make an incision about 1.5-2cm deep between two points of each star and insert a paddle-pop stick in each. Place in the oven and bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until light golden. Remove from the oven. Using a skewer, immediately make 5mm holes in the doves' wings. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack.
4. For the icing, place the royal icing mix in an electric mixer and, on a low setting, gradually add enough water (about 2 tbs) to form soft peaks. Put 1-11/2 cups of icing in a piping bag (cover remaining icing to stop it drying out). Use to draw an outline around cookies and draw 2 lines on the doves to outline rainbows. Allow icing to set for 2-3 hours.
5. With the electric mixer on a low setting, add enough water to remaining icing mix to reach a pouring consistency, then fill in outlines on cookies with icing using a spoon, taking care not to cover holes. (If holes block, quickly reinsert the skewer to create a hole.) Add colouring to remaining icing mix and fill in 'rainbows' on doves. Immediately decorate with glitter and cachous. Allow cookies to dry completely for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Thread ribbon through holes in the dove wings and wrap ribbon around wands.

Notes

• Edible glitter, cachous and royal icing mix are available from specialty cake decoration shops.