Animal biscuits recipe

For the royal icing

1 Egg white
2 cups Icing sugar, sifted
1/2 Lemon, juice only
1 drop Food colouring, optional, use as much as desired
1 small handful Sprinkles, to decorate, optional

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 160C fanbake and line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Beat together butter and sugar until creamy, then mix in egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and combine to make a soft dough. Leave to rest for 20 minutes.
2. Place on floured bench, cover with baking paper, and roll out thinly. Use cutters to cut into animal shapes, re-rolling leftover dough as you go.
3. Carefully transfer to prepared oven trays and bake until light golden and set (15 minutes). Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
4. While the biscuits are baking, make the Royal Icing. Beat egg white until thick and fluffy, then slowly add icing sugar and lemon juice. To test consistency, lift out a small spoonful and drizzle back into the bowl - if the line is still visible after 5 seconds, thin the icing a little with more egg white. If it sinks straight away add more icing sugar. Stir in drops of food colouring if desired.
5. Once biscuits are fully cooled, use a piping bag or plastic bag with a small corner cut off and pipe a line of icing around the edge of the biscuit, a little in from the edge. Then fill in the middle with icing and decorate with sprinkles, if using. Animal biscuits will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

(Makes 36)

Source: Bite.co.nz