Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan oven) mark

Step 2

Put the butter, sugar, flour, egg and vanilla bean paste into a food processor and whiz to combine. Take a large sheet of baking parchment and put the dough on top. Press dough with your palm to flatten slightly, then put another sheet on top - this will stop the dough sticking. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to 3mm (1⁄8in) thick, then remove the top sheet of parchment. Using assorted 6.5cm (21⁄2in) cutters, stamp out shapes, leaving a 3mm (1⁄8in) gap between each one. Carefully remove the trimmings around the shapes, then slide the baking parchment and biscuits on to a flat baking sheet. Re-roll the trimmings between two new sheets of baking parchment, then stamp out shapes as before and slide on to another baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 10-12min until pale golden. Cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.