‘Mummy’ Biscuits for Halloween

Halloween Biscuits 27about 16, depending on your cutter size.

  • 200g unsalted butter, softened
  • 200g caster sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 350g plain flour
  • 50g cocoa powder

Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until light in colour and fluffy. Then slowly add the beaten egg, beating together until extremely well combined. Add the pinch of salt.

Sift the plain flour and cocoa powder together. Add to the butter and sugar and mix until combined. Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

Once it has chilled, knead on a lightly flour-dusted surface until it is smooth and free from cracks. Roll out to a thickness of 4mm. Using a ‘Gingerbread’ Man cutter, cut out your biscuits and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill again.

Preheat the oven to 175ºC/Gas Mark 3/325ºF.

Bake for 12 minutes. (Aga: top set of runners in the Baking Oven, reversing the tray halfway.) Leave to cool on the tray for 30 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

When completely cold, you can decorate.

Make up 250g of royal icing sugar as per packet instructions. First pipe the eyes. Then pipe small black dots. Starting with the left leg pipe loose bandages, moving up, across and down the right leg. Pipe up the body and finish with the arms.

Eat.