Festive fruit & spice decoration
Decorating a simple iced cake with herbs, spices, nuts and fruit works to great effect and is especially easy for beginners to try
Kids will love to make these magical Christmas biscuits and hang them with pretty ribbon
Nutrition: per serving
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease 2 large non-stick baking sheets with oil. Whizz the flour, ginger, zest and butter with 1⁄2 tsp salt to fine crumbs in a food processor. Pulse in the sugar and milk, then turn out and knead briefly on a floured surface until smooth. Wrap then chill for about 30 mins.
Flour the work surface again, then roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use 7cm cutters to cut out shapes, then use 4cm cutters to cut out the middles. Re-roll leftover pieces. Make a hole in the top of each biscuit, then carefully lift onto the baking sheets.
Crush the sweets in their wrappers with a rolling pin, then put the pieces into the middles of the biscuits – the sweets should be level with the top of the dough. Bake for 15-20 mins or until the biscuits are golden brown and the middles have melted.
Leave to harden, then transfer to a rack to cool. Thread with ribbon, then dust with icing sugar. Will keep for a month, but best eaten within 3 days.