Parma Violet Iced Biscuits

Instructions

Servings 15 / Prep time 25 mins, plus drying time / Cook time 12 mins

Biscuits

1. Mix together the flours in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cut the butter into small chunks and add to the bowl.
3. Rub the butter into the mixture using your fingertips until you have a breadcrumb consistency.
4. Stir in the sugar.
5. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix together and form a ball of dough. If the mixture is too dry, add 1-2 tsp of milk.
6. Place the dough onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper and roll out using a rolling pin. You want the dough to have a thickness of between 5mm and 7mm.
7. Put the sheet of rolled out dough in the fridge to chill for at least 30 mins.
8. Once chilled, cut the dough using a round cookie cutter. We used a 7cm/2.75 inch cutter.
9. Place the cut dough onto a baking tray lined with either a silicone mat or non-stick baking paper, leaving a gap between each.
10. Put the baking tray in a preheated oven at 160°C fan and bake for 12-15 mins.
11. Remove from the oven and leave the biscuits on the tray for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Icing

1. Pour the royal icing sugar into a shallow bowl and make a well in the centre.
2. Add 1 tbsp warm water to the well, along with the violet flavouring and stir, gradually incorporating the royal icing sugar.
3. When the icing gets too thick to stir, add another tsp of warm water and keep repeating these steps until the icing runs off the spoon in ribbons and forms a pattern on top of the bowl of icing. When you jiggle the bowl, the pattern should disappear.
4. Add a few drops of purple food colouring to the icing and swirl it around using a cocktail stick or sharp knife.
5. Dunk the top of a biscuit into the icing, lightly pushing it down.
6. Lift and hold upside down to allow any excess icing to run off.
7. Tap the biscuit on your work surface and pop any air bubbles using a cocktail stick (or similar).
8. Repeat for the rest of the biscuits, swirling the icing in between each. Add more food colouring if necessary.
9. Either dry the biscuits over night at room temperature or place them on a baking tray and pop them into the oven at its lowest temperature for approx. 30 mins.
10. To further decorate, dip a small food safe paint brush into some gold edible paint, then flick the brush to splatter the paint across each biscuit.
11. Enjoy!