Fancy Iced Biscuits

Name: Fancy Iced Biscuits
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 1 h 17 min
Yield: Makes 20
Ingredients: 300g plain flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 150g golden caster sugar; zest 3 limes; 150g cold unsalted butter diced; 1 large egg; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 400g royal icing sugar; juice 1-2 lemons (about 75ml), or 2-4 limes; gel food colouring - we used orange, pink and yellow

4.80 (14)

⏱ 77 mins 🍽 Makes 20 ✅ Easy 🏷 Afternoon tea

Master the techniques of piping and flood icing to create beautifully decorated biscuits. These cookies feature a zesty lime shortbread base, topped with a glossy royal icing that sets hard. The process involves creating a firm dough, baking until golden, then carefully outlining and flooding the biscuits with coloured icing for a professional finish. Ideal for a homemade afternoon tea treat.

Ingredients

300g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
150g golden caster sugar
zest 3 limes
150g cold unsalted butter diced
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
400g royal icing sugar
juice 1-2 lemons (about 75ml), or 2-4 limes
gel food colouring - we used orange, pink and yellow

Method

Prepare baking trays with parchment and preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Combine the flour, salt, caster sugar and lime zest in a bowl. Rub in the diced butter until the texture is like fine breadcrumbs.
Whisk the egg with the vanilla bean paste using a fork, then incorporate into the dry mix. Knead to form an even dough and chill until firm. Roll out on a floured surface to 4-5mm thickness, cut into 8cm rounds and place on the trays. Chill for 15 mins, then bake for 15-17 mins until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the icing, place the royal icing sugar in a bowl. Stir in roughly 65ml of lemon or lime juice, beating until thick and glossy. Reserve a quarter of this icing in a piping bag fitted with a No 2 nozzle.
For the flood icing, gradually mix another 10ml of juice into the remaining icing until it reaches a pourable consistency. Separate this icing into bowls and tint with gel food colouring as desired.
Transfer each coloured flood icing into its own piping bag.
Begin decorating by using the thicker icing to pipe an outline or design onto each biscuit. Allow this to set briefly.
Fill the outlined area with the runnier icing. Use a toothpick to guide the icing into an even layer within the piped border. Gently shake the biscuit if needed to achieve a smooth surface.
While the flood icing is still wet, pipe dots with the runnier icing for decoration. Place the biscuits on a tray and put them in an oven at its lowest setting for about 30 mins to harden the icing completely.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories210 kcal

Fat7 g

Saturates4 g

Carbs36 g

Sugars25 g

Fibre1 g

Protein2 g

Sodium40 mg

Recipe details

Skill levelEasy

CategoryAfternoon tea