Sugar cookies      

Ingredients       

200g Butter, soft    

200g Castor sugar       

1 Egg, lightly whisked        

3 Cups Cake flour            

1 tsp Vanilla essence            

Royal icing          

2 egg whites          

350g Icing sugar           

Juice from half a lemon

Method:             

Preheat the oven to 200C.          

Line a baking tray with baking paper.     

Place the soft butter and castor sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.    

Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and castor sugar.             

Add the egg, cake flour and vanilla essence and mix until a smooth cookie dough forms.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.       

On a lightly floured working surface roll out the cookie dough until the desired thickness.             

Cut into desired shapes and place on baking trays lined with baking paper.           

Leave enough room between the biscuits for them to spread while baking.           

Place the trays with cookies back in the fridge for 30 minutes.    

Bake the cookies for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown.           

Turn out onto wire racks to cool.              

To make the royal icing place the egg whites, icing sugar and lemon juice in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.        

Start mixing at a low speed and slowly increase the speed as the royal icing gets smoother.          

If the mixture is too dry, add another egg white.

Whisk until the mixutre reaches soft peak, transfer to a piping bag.          

Garnish the sugar cookies as desired.     

If you want the royal icing to be thinner add 1 tsp of water.         

Allow the royal icing to dry.        

Store in an airtight container.    

Try these simple star-shaped biscuits with a glass of Leopard's Leap Sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir!