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    Lemon and caraway butter biscuits

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    Lemon and caraway butter biscuits

    Icing names on these pretty biscuits means they can double up as place cards for a party table or edible gift tags if wrapped in food-safe cellophane bags. Personalise them further by tweaking the flavours – try a little lavender or rosewater in place of the lemon zest or caraway.

    • Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus chilling
    • Cooking time: 20 minutes
    • Total time: 45 minutes, plus chilling

    Makes: 20-30

    Ingredients

    200g salted butter
    100g golden caster sugar
    1 large egg
    300g plain flour
    4 lemons, zest of all, 2-3 tbsp juice
    ½ tsp caraway seeds
    200g royal icing sugar 

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C, gas mark 3; line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Beat the butter and caster sugar together with electric beaters until creamy, then add the egg and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour, zest and caraway seeds; mix gently until you have a ball of dough. Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or until firm. 

    2. Take ¼ of the dough (keeping the rest chilled) and roll out on a floured surface to 0.5cm thick. Cut out shapes and place on the lined tray. If you’re using them as gift tags, cut out a small circle (the end of a piping nozzle works well) to thread a food-safe ribbon through. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are light brown. Cool on a wire rack. Once the biscuits are cool, mix the lemon juice and icing sugar together; transfer to a piping bag. Cut a very small hole in the bag, then ice the biscuits. Allow to harden completely before wrapping or serving; store in an airtight tin for up to 2 weeks. 

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    This recipe first appeared in Waitrose & Partners Food, November 2019 issue. Download the Waitrose & Partners Food app for the full issue

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