Pink Birdie Biscuits

Sieve the flour onto a work surface, make a well in the middle and add the sugar, vanilla extract and egg. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and scatter around the well. Then chop all the ingredients with a knife until they resemble breadcrumbs and quickly work to a dough. (Alternatively rub the butter into the dry ingredients, add the egg and vanilla extract and work to a dough). Form into a ball, wrap in foil or clingfilm and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Butter a baking tray. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface (not too thinly) and cut out chick shapes. Keep dipping the cutter in flour to stop it sticking to the dough. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking tray and bake in a preheated oven (200°C with fan) for about 10 minutes. Cool the biscuits on a cake rack.

Mix the icing sugar with rose water and 1-2 drops of food colouring to make a thick coating icing. Put the icing into a piping bag and carefully ice the chicks leaving a small border of biscuit free around the edges. Sprinkle the fresh icing with pink sugar. Draw a beak and two feet on each biscuit in orange writing icing and add an eye in blue writing icing.