Sticky Stick biscuits

• salted butter↗200g g
• golden caster sugar↗200g g
• large egg↗1
• vanilla bean paste↗1 tsp
• plain flour↗375g g
• biscuit sticks↗

  (about 20)

• milk chocolate↗200g g
• white ready-to-roll icing↗50g g
• each of black, red and green ready-to-roll icing25g g
• a ruler
• lolly sticks

  soaked in water (16-20)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and prepare two lined baking trays. Beat the butter and sugar together until combined then beat in the egg and vanilla. Add all of the flour and mix into a soft dough. If the dough is very soft, chill for 15 mins before shaping. You can freeze the cookie dough for a later date, but defrost thoroughly before baking.

2. 2

   Roll the dough into log shapes about 1.5cm-2cm in diameter, then cut into pieces 15cm long (using the ruler to measure).

3. 3

   Insert a soaked lolly stick into each biscuit as well as a piece of biscuit stick for an arm on each side. Place on the baking trays evenly spread apart.

4. 4

   Bake for 15-20 min until golden brown, but do check after 15 mins as all ovens vary. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

5. 5

   Break the milk chocolate into pieces and melt in a bowl set over gently simmering water, or in short bursts in the microwave. Once the biscuits are cool, use a pastry brush to gently paint the chocolate all over the back of each stick, going a little around the sides and on the back of the biscuit sticks.

6. 6

   Once set, flip the sticks over and paint the fronts, then leave for 30 mins to completely set.

7. 7

   Mould little pieces of the icing to create his leafy coif, goggle eyes and mouth. Stick them on using a little of the leftover melted chocolate.