To celebrate and to embrace the Halloween season I decided to test out another of Biscuteers recipes. This time I took the recipe from their lovely ‘Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuites’ which is full of the most amazing recipes and pictures. It includes decoration ideas for nearly every celebration and special occasion. Take a look below at some of their designs.
Ingredients
200g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
50g muscovado dark brown sugar
100g salted butter, diced 50g black treacle or molasses
Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.
Add butter, Using the tips of your fingers, rub the ingredients together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs or beat using an electric mixer.
When all the butter is evenly mixed in, make a well in the centre and add the treacle and bring it all together.
You will know when it is all mixed in as it will have an even colour all over with not too many streaks of treacle.
Place the dough onto a clean worktop. Divide into two and squash the dough into two even-sized flat discs. Cover and chill until ready to use or roll out immediately.
Place the dough on a sheet of parchment and begin by gently squashing the dough down with a rolling pin or your hands. Cover with a second sheet of parchment and then use the rolling pin to roll out properly. The top sheet of paper may crinkle from time to time, just peel it off and smooth it down gently before starting to roll again.
Preheat the oven to 170c.
Gently roll the dough until it is 5mm thick all over, then transfer the whole sheet of rolled dough still sandwiched between its sheets of parchment to a baking tray and place in the fridge to chill for at least 20 – 30 minutes before cutting.
To use the dough efficiently cut the biscuits out using your halloween cutters as close together as possible. Lift each biscuit onto the parchment covered baking tray and make sure they are not too close together as the dough will spread a little on baking. Any trimmings can be re-rolled a couple of times.
Evenly space the trays in the oven and cook for 14-18 minutes, depending on your oven
When the biscuits are evenly cooked and just beginning to turn a golden colour remove the trays from the oven and transfer the whole sheet of parchment to a cooling rack. Do this carefully as the biscuits will be quite fragile and hot! Cool totally before starting to ice.
Now the fun begins…Icing!! If your not familiar with the terms of line and flood icing take a look at this link. www.biscuiteers.com/blog/blog/recipes/royal-icing-recipe-flood-and-line-techniques
Black Bat
Ice around the outline of the bat with black line icing and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Flood the body with black runny icing. Allow to dry completely. Add 2 eyes with yellow line icing.
Ghoulish Ghost
Outline the body of the ghost in white line icing, then outline the eyes and mouth in orange line icing. Allow to dry for 5 minutes. Flood with white runny icing and allow to completely dry.
Perfect Pumpkins
Outline the pumpkin, eyes and mouth with orange line icing. Allow to dry for 5 minutes. Outline the stalk with green line icing and fill with green flood icing, Allow to dry again for 5 minutes. Fill the pumpkin with orange flood icing and allow to dry completely.
