125g butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour, plus extra to dust
1 tsp each baking powder, cinnamon and mixed spice
Royal Icing
1 egg white
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
juice of ½ lemon
drops of food colouring (optional)
sprinkles (optional), to decorate
Preheat oven to 160°C fan bake and line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
Beat together butter and sugar until creamy, then mix in egg and vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and combine to make a soft dough. Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
Place on a floured bench, cover with baking paper, and roll out thinly. Use cutters to cut into animal shapes, re-rolling leftover dough as you go.
Carefully transfer to prepared oven trays and bake until light golden and set (15 minutes). Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
While the biscuits are baking, make the Royal Icing. Beat egg white until thick and fluffy, then slowly add icing sugar and lemon juice. To test consistency, lift out a small spoonful and drizzle back into the bowl – if the line is still visible after 5 seconds thin the icing a little with more egg white. If it sinks straight away add more icing sugar. Stir in drops of food colouring if desired.
Once biscuits are fully cooled , use a piping bag or plastic bag with a small corner cut off and pipe a line of icing around the edge of the biscuit, a little in from the edge. Then fill in the middle with icing and decorate with sprinkles, if using. Animal Biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.