Shortbread hearts recipe

Step 1

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Stir in flour and rice flour. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth.

Step 2

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Use a 6cm heart-shaped pastry cutter to cut hearts from the dough, rerolling the excess. Place on the lined trays. Bake, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 10 mins or until light golden. Set aside on the trays to cool completely.

Step 3

To make the royal icing, whisk egg white and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Gradually add icing sugar, stirring well after each addition until smooth, adding more icing sugar if necessary to make a thick paste. Divide into 3 portions. Use food colouring to tint the portions light, medium and dark pink. Transfer half of 1 portion to a piping bag fitted with a 1mm plain nozzle. Pipe around edges of one-third of the biscuits. Set aside to set. Repeat, in batches, with the remaining icing portions and biscuits.

Step 4

Add a little extra egg white and lemon juice to each remaining icing portion to make a runny paste. Spoon a little runny icing into the centre of the biscuits and use the back of the spoon to spread to the border. Sprinkle some of the biscuits with 100’s & 1000’s. Set aside to set.