Mad Hatter Cookies

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, before adding the egg and vanilla extract.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and beat together until the mix forms a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge to chill for approximately an hour.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan, gas mark 3) and prepare two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Remove the biscuit dough from the fridge and roll out to a thickness of 0.5-1cm, then cut out your Mad Hatter shapes using a cookie cutter or alternatively cut out a cardboard template, place on top of the dough and slice around the outside with a small sharp knife.

Carefully lift the biscuits onto the baking trays and bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes or until the biscuits are baked throughout and golden.

Once baked, leave to cool on a wire cooling rack, whilst you prepare the sugar paste icing.

Roll out the sugar paste icing to 0.5cm thickness and cut to the same shape as your biscuits. Once the biscuits are cooled, gently brush them with apricot jam and secure the sugar paste on top. If possible, wait 24 hours before painting your biscuits to dry out the sugar paste icing as this gives a better finish.

When you are ready to paint, pour out small amount of each colour and using a clean paintbrush, blend together the paints to reach the desired colours. Follow our simple how to video for tips on how to paint this biscuit design.

Leave the biscuits to dry before serving to avoid smudging your paintwork.