Easter biscuit lollies

Method

• step 1

  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.

• step 2

  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.

• step 3

  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.

• step 4

  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.