Step 1

Place the butter, sugar, yolk, vanilla and salt into the stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.

Step 2

Add the flour and fold through until it becomes a soft dough. Take out the bowl and knead together briefly.

Step 3

Roll the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to 6mm thick, then cut out circles using a cookie cutter.

Step 4

Cut a smaller circle (off centre) for the noses on half of them. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Step 5

Place on a lined baking tray and chill for 30 mins. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/Fan 170ºC/356ºF.

Step 6

Space the cookies out on a lined baking tray and bake for 11-13 mins until golden around the edges. (Bake in batches if you need to.)

Step 7

Allow to firm on the tray for a minute or two then transfer to a rack to completely cool.

Step 8

Mix the jam in a small bowl to soften it then pour into a piping bag.

Step 9

Snip the end and pipe jam circles onto each of the biscuits without nose holes. (Don't add too much and don't go too close to the edge.)

Step 10

Carefully push the cookies with the nose holes on top. You don't want it squishing out the sides but you do want a little rounded red nose to pop through the holes.

Step 11

Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in 10 second blasts. When two thirds melted, stir until completely melted. Pour in a piping bag and snip the end then pipe eyes above each red nose.

Step 12

Then pipe the main lines for each antler.

Step 13

Finally, pipe the details on for each antler. (I found it easiest to pipe a 'downward pointing arrow each time.)

Step 14

Allow to set on a rack then store in a metal tin at room temperature and consume within 4-5 days.