Easter Biscuit Lollies Recipes

EASTER BISCUIT LOLLIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line 2 baking trays with baking parchment. Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a small saucepan. Mix in the vanilla, remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 mins.
• Sieve the flour and bicarb into a bowl. Pour in the butter mixture, add the egg and stir together to form a stiff-ish dough. Pop the dough in the fridge for 10 mins to chill and firm up. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 5mm thick, then use an egg-shaped cutter to stamp out 15 biscuits - re-roll the dough if necessary. Poke a lollipop stick or coffee stirrer up into the bottom of each biscuit, then bake for 12 mins until golden.
• Knead some food colouring into lumps of fondant icing. Roll out on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, then use the cutter to cut out matching egg shapes. Use the icing pens to dot a little icing on each biscuit, then stick on an icing shape.
• Decorate the biscuits with the icing, or pipe on names if you're planning to use them as place names for Easter lunch. Let them dry, then gently wrap in cellophane and tie with ribbons, if you're giving them as gifts.

SEDGEMOOR EASTER BISCUITS

Steps:

• Place currants in small bowl, add brandy and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment.
• Place flours and salt in mixer. Mix briefly on low speed to blend. Dice butter, add to mixer bowl and mix on low speed until blended with flour to make a crumbly mixture. Whisk sugar and spices together and add to mixer. Mix on low. Add egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, currants and brandy, and mix on low just until clumps of dough start to form. Turn dough out on work surface. Knead briefly to smooth.
• Roll out about 3/8-inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch-round cutter, preferably fluted, to cut rounds. Reroll scraps. Place rounds on baking sheet. Bake about 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a rack. Mix confectioners' sugar with milk and remaining vanilla, and brush on warm cookies. When glaze has set, brush on a second coat. Allow to cool completely. If desired, wrap in packages of three and tie with pastel ribbon.

ITALIAN EASTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1/4 cup milk and oil. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the wet mixture. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll the balls out into ropes about 5 inches long. Tie into loose knots and place cookies 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake for 5 minutes on the bottom shelf and 5 minutes on the top shelf of the preheated oven, until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. When cookies are cool, dip them into the icing.
• To make the icing, cream together the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extracts. Beat in 3 tablespoons milk, one tablespoon at a time, then stir in the food coloring if desired.

ITALIAN EASTER COOKIES (BISCOTTI)

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Cream together shortening and white sugar in a bowl until creamy. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing well after each. Add 2 teaspoons anise extract and vanilla extract. Slowly add milk and mix until all ingredients are blended. Slowly add flour mixture, and mix until thick but creamy. Place dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Coat a work surface and hands with flour. Take a quarter-sized piece of dough and roll into a long narrow sausage shape. Form into desired shapes, such as "s" shapes, twists, candy canes, letters, etc. Cookies will puff up when baked, so be sure each cookie is only about the width of a pinky finger. Place cookies on a baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until light golden in color and golden brown on the bottom, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl and add 2 teaspoons anise extract. Mix in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until icing is smooth and creamy and not too drippy. Coat cooled cookies with icing and top with sprinkles.