Iced & spiced biscuits

Iced & spiced biscuits

Bake up a batch of these oh-so-pretty afternoon tea-time treats

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 40-50 biscuits

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 30 mins plus chilling plus setting

Method

  1. Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and a pinch of salt together. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add a tsp of cold water to bring the dough together if you need to. Press into a disc, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the thickness of a £1 coin and, using cookie cutters, stamp out shapes. Lift onto parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden in colour.
  3. When the biscuits have cooled completely, mix up the royal icing with a little water a bit at a time until it is a spreadable consistency. Divide the icing into batches, then add the colours you want. Dip one side of each biscuit into one colour, then pipe on strips of other colours. Drag the point of a knife across the biscuits at right angles to the lines to make a pattern. Allow to set.

Recipe from olive magazine, April 2005.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Beverley

    2008-04-27 18:02:14.313031

    Beverley commented on this recipe

    These biscuits are lovely very easy to make and from husband ,daughter to friends everyone liked them

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  • Binder photo Harissa's Harlot

    2008-09-16 14:53:31.364347

    Harissa's Harlot commented on this recipe

    I can finally sign in again...have been inexplicably rejected for months, and pining...anyway, I want to try this recipe as I fancy knocking up some punchy, spicy biscuits: can anyone give the requisite baking powder and cinnamon quantities please? ta.

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  • Binder photo Harissa's Harlot

    2008-09-16 14:53:31.691382

    Harissa's Harlot commented on this recipe

    I can finally sign in again...have been inexplicably rejected for months, and pining...anyway, I want to try this recipe as I fancy knocking up some punchy, spicy biscuits: can anyone give the requisite baking powder and cinnamon quantities please? ta.

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  • Binder photo TinaTee

    2008-09-17 19:59:05.886878

    TinaTee commented on this recipe

    I had Spanish friends visiting London and invited them for a typical English afternoon tea and these pretty, tasty biscuits were wonderful and I made them well in advance and kept them in an airtight tin. Perfect!

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  • Binder photo TinaTee

    2008-09-17 19:59:11.822705

    TinaTee commented on this recipe

    I had Spanish friends visiting London and invited them for a typical English afternoon tea and these pretty, tasty biscuits were wonderful and I made them well in advance and kept them in an airtight tin. Perfect!

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  • Binder photo Harissa's Harlot

    2008-09-18 01:33:00.817345

    Harissa's Harlot commented on this recipe

    please can someone help with the cinnamon and baking powder quantities that are not online? Please!

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  • Binder photo robyn256

    2008-10-05 17:41:27.904347

    robyn256 commented on this recipe

    Yes, it is a little silly not to include quantities for the cinnamon, and especially for the baking powder - too little or too much will ruin the recipe. Any ideas? Anyone?

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  • Binder photo Nat-df

    2008-12-16 18:46:23.532928

    Nat-df commented on this recipe

    Managed to dig out my Mum's copy of Olive where this recipe appeared....quantities are 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of baking powder.

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  • Binder photo Alison

    2009-10-13 15:49:45.87571

    Alison commented on this recipe

    Ridiculously simple recipe! Only problem I had was that after chilling the dough was a bit sticky but a bit of playing around and adding more flour soon sorted that out. Am going to make another batch now as they didn't last long. :)

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  • Binder photo Tilly

    2009-12-24 12:25:56.83117

    Tilly rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo EastEndLass

    2010-04-07 22:27:34.361174

    EastEndLass rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These were so easy to make, but absolutely gorgeous. to deal with the fact that my other half has a less sweet tooth than me and my daughter, I left the icing off of his share. will be making again soon, but perhaps with a little extra mixed spice and cinnamon.

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  • Binder photo rebecca p

    2011-12-06 16:23:05.089012

    rebecca p rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These are now always in my house! I don't ice them though, and I add a ltitle to make them spicier - I double the amount of cinammon and all spice, and add 1/4 tsp ground pepper and 1/4 tsp garum masala. Gives them a tiny bit more kick. Yum!

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  • Binder photo Lady Becky

    2012-07-03 10:10:19.737958

    Lady Becky commented on this recipe

    These are great and easy to make - I'd add more spices next time though - The flavours were very subtle! x

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  • Binder photo jenna

    2012-12-07 16:00:27.391431

    jenna rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    These are very easy to make and taste lovely. I used the dough to make stain glass window biscuits for the christmas tree.

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  • Binder photo alicer90

    2013-04-22 14:46:48.438361

    alicer90 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    yum!! I substituted the mixed spice for ginger, and made a ginger icing (just added ground ginger to the icing sugar). they are scrummy, think I'll be having another...!

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  • Binder photo alicer90

    2013-04-23 16:47:54.295667

    alicer90 commented on this recipe

    Oh, and I just want to add - they are EXCELLENT dunkers!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 40-50 biscuits

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 30 mins plus chilling plus setting

Ingredients

  • 300g plain flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp mixed spice
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 100g unsalted butter , softened
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 1 large egg , beaten
  • 250g pack royal icing sugar
  • food colourings
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