It is important to use room temperature unsalted butter to make it easier to cream the sugar and butter together.

Royal icing sugar is the easiest to use if you can find it as it only needs water added to your desired consistency. Transfer a small amount of white royal icing into a separate bowl to add your desired food colouring. Adding vanilla extract makes a sweet vanilla flavour biscuit; you can add other flavourings such as almond, lemon, rose or caramel flavouring. Or use a very finely grated citrus peel for a fresh zing. Plain flour Remould the leftover dough and roll again to cut some more, repeat until all biscuit dough is used.There is a low risk of salmonella using egg whites, so it is best to use pasteurised egg whites when making royal icing. The liquid ones are weaker and not best for royal icing as the amount needed will change the texture.

If you can’t find this then you will need the following ingredients to make your own royal icing using pasteurised egg whites. Icing Sugar Don't handle the dough with your hands too much; the warmth from your hands will melt the butter. Chill Cookie Dough before Cutting Gel paste colouring is more potent, so you will not need much. It also doesn't fade as much over time, meaning your icing will look just as bright on the day after you make it as it does when you first decorate the biscuits. To make iced biscuits, which keep their shape during cooking, you need simple ingredients. We will let you know of possible substitutes or modifications below. Butter When it comes to food colourings, they are not all created equally. Some are more potent than others, so you will need less to get the desired effect.

Do not melt the butter as it will change the texture and make the biscuits spread too much during baking, ruining the cookie-cutter shape. Sugar Cream of tartar is an acidic powder used in royal icing to stabilise egg whites and prevent it from crystallising. You can substitute cream of tartar with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Royal Icing Consistency

Of course, you can use piping bags if preferred, in which case I recommend following the icing advice on our Christmas iced biscuit recipe. I highly recommend Wilton icing colours; they come in a wide range of bright and pastel colours and are effortless to use. You only need a few drops to create an intense colour. How to decorate biscuits with Royal Icing Continue to read for more advice and suitable substitutions Or jump straight to the recipe card to start cooking Iced biscuits UK measurements as well as a converter for US measures included. Easter Cookie Ingredients When you're using cookie cutters to shape your biscuits, it's essential to chill the dough first before rolling.If you want to substitute the plain flour with self-raising flour, you will not need to add any baking powder, as it already contains some. Baking Powder The really important part of icing biscuits with royal icing is the consistency of the icing sugar. The best way I can describe the texture is like toothpaste! Let the dough thaw in the fridge overnight before using it. Make ahead ready to go Easter treats when the grandchildren arrive. Tools

This helps with clean cuts and keep the biscuit's shape when you transfer it to a baking sheet to bake it and also helps stop it from spreading during cooking. It's best to work with one colour at a time to prevent the icing from hardening in the bowl while you're decorating. To avoid this cover bowl with plastic wrap after each usage and when moving on to another colour. Decorating tools for icing biscuits vary depending on how simple or detailed you want to make your finished Easter cookie. I like to split the dough into 3 equal-sized balls and place them into plastic wrap or a bag in the fridge to chill. Keep the remaining white icing covered with a moist tea towel over the top to prevent it from going hard.

Baking powder is used with plain flour to help to create a light biscuit texture without puffing too much. Biscuit Dough Texture