Martha collison's easter iced gems

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5 and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Step 2

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy, and then sift in the cornflour and plain flour and gently mix until it forms a soft dough, adding 1-2 tsp water if too crumbly. You might have to squeeze the dough together with your hands. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Roll out the dough to a 5mm thickness and use a 2.5cm round cutter to cut out tiny biscuits. I use the base of a metal piping nozzle. Arrange on the baking trays and bake for 8-10 minutes until cooked but not browned. They should hold their shape but remain soft. They will harden as they cool.

Step 4

While the biscuits are cooling, make the topping. Whisk the royal icing sugar and 1 tbsp cold water together using an electric whisk until stiff peaks form, around 7-8 minutes. Add a little more sugar if it looks too wet, or a little more water if it seems too dry. If using, colour with food colouring gel to create a pastel shade.

Step 5

Use a piping bag with a small closed star nozzle to pipe icing onto each biscuit, then stick a chocolate mini egg onto each one. Leave to harden for at least 2 hours before eating. These will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.