Christmas Tree Crystals with Icing

• butter↗125g g

  softened

• golden sugar↗75g g
• egg yolk↗1

  (use the white for the glaze below)

• vanilla extract↗4 tsp tsp
• plain flour↗175-200g g
• egg whites↗2
• white wine vinegar↗1 tsp tsp
• granulated sugar↗140g g
• green food colouring↗
• red, white and green round sprinkles

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and a pinch of salt, and beat. Add the flour (you can mix by hand or with a wooden spoon if the mass thickens), then knead several times in the bowl until a dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes until firm.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C/160 °C with convection/gas 4. Roll out a quarter of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper or on a flour‑dusted surface to a thickness of 5 mm. Use a 4 cm diameter cutter to cut out circles (you should get about 25‑30 pieces). Transfer them to a parchment‑lined tray and bake for 10‑12 minutes until lightly golden and dry; they will continue to bake after the topping is applied. You may need to bake them in batches.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric mixer until foamy and the volume doubles. Or use a stand mixer. Add the vinegar and, while mixing, add the sugar 1 tsp at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until you obtain stiff meringue. Add a few drops of green food colouring until the colour is uniform. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a wide star tip.

4. 4

   Lower the oven temperature to 120 °C/100 °C with convection/gas ½. Place all the biscuits on a tray and pipe a tall meringue tree over each biscuit with the pastry bag (hold the bag vertically over the biscuit). Sprinkle with the sprinkles and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the oven, open the door and let cool for 1‑2 hours until the meringue is dry.