Ingredients

Method

• 140 g butter, chilled and cubed
• 150 g icing sugar
• 2 free-range eggs, separated
• 1 T vanilla paste
• 1 t almond essence
• 200 g flour
• ½ t salt
For the icing:
• 150 g icing sugar, sifted
• 100 g preserved ginger, blended until chunky
• 1 lemon, juiced

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Using an electric mixer at a medium-high speed, cream the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla paste and almond essence and mix until combined.

2. Fold in the flour and salt, then mix until a dough forms. Wrap in clingwrap and chill for 30 minutes.

3. Roll out the dough on a clean surface to a thickness of 1 cm, then cut into wreaths using a large dinner plate to trace the outer circle and a smaller plate or bowl to trace the inner circle. Bake on a lined baking tray for 15–25 minutes, the edges should be slightly brown.

4. While the cookies are baking, make the icing. Whisk the icing sugar into the ginger, then adjust the consistency with the lemon juice. Once the wreaths have cooled, serve them whole topped with the icing.

Cook's note: Serve the extra-large biscuit wreath with coffee and raspberries and let everyone break off pieces.

Find more biscuit recipes here.

Photographs: Jan Ras
Food Assistant: Bianca Strydom