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Bake these animal cookies as part of an Easter-themed afternoon tea, complete with mini eggs and cups of tea.

  • 185g plain flour
  • 1 ½tsp ground ginger
  • ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 50g butter
    at room temperature
  • 85g soft light brown sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2tbsp golden syrup

For the decoration

  • mini Smarties
  • sugar flowers
  • hundreds and thousands
  • sugar strands
  • icing pen
  • royal icing
    or white and pink icing

    Method

    • step 1

      Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line or grease two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

    • step 2

      Sift the flour, ginger and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and add to the bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.

    • step 3

      Stir the sugar into the mixture, then add the egg yolk and golden syrup and mix everything together using a wooden spoon.

    • step 4

      Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour and knead the dough until it is smooth. Cut the dough in half.

    • step 5

      Sprinkle the work surface with a little more flour and roll out the dough, starting at the centre and rolling evenly outwards. Repeat with the second ball of dough.

    • step 6

      Cut into shapes using animal cookie cutters. Re-roll the trimmings and use all the dough.

    • step 7

      Place the shapes on the lined or greased baking sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate the biscuits once they are cool.

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