Cookie Tags

• butter↗100g g
• caster sugar↗60g g
• plain flour↗160g g

  plus extra for dusting

• ground cinnamon↗1tsp tsp
• ground cardamom↗¼-½ tsp tsp
• egg yolk↗1
• vanilla extract↗1tsp tsp
• powdered sugar↗100g g
• food colouring↗few drops of

  (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the butter, caster sugar, flour and spices in a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and blend again until a dough forms. Store the dough, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

2. 2

   Roll out the dough on a flour‑dusted surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Use cookie cutters of your choice to cut out the tags, ensuring they are large enough to emboss names, about 8‑10 cm wide (we used round and star‑shaped cutters). Transfer the cookies, spacing them adequately, onto a parchment‑lined baking tray and chill for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C with convection/gas 4. Bake for 12‑15 minutes until the edges turn golden. Let cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

4. 4

   Mix the powdered sugar with 2‑3 tsp water to create a very thick, stiff paste. If desired, colour the icing with food colouring. Transfer to a piping bag with a very small round tip and pipe a border around each cookie, then write the names in the centre. Let set for 2‑3 hours.