Ingredients

Method

• 185 g butter
• 200 g caster sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 free-range egg
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• 300 g flour
• Fresh berries, to garnish
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, then add the egg and egg yolk and mix.

Sift in the flour and fold through the mixture. Bring the dough together gently, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper to 3 mm in thickness.

On a sheet of baking paper, draw a circle 25 cm in diameter and place on a baking tray.

Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out seven large stars and arrange along the edges of the circle. Use the next smallest cookie cutter to cut holes in the larger stars. Place these cutouts randomly on the bigger stars to form a wreath. Cut out 14 medium sized stars and incorporate into the wreath.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until crisp and golden. Allow to cool, garnish with berries and dust with icing sugar.

Cook’s note: This recipe was inspired by one Abigail saw in Donna Hay magazine. You can use any shape cookie cutter. Make a savoury wreath by halving the sugar and adding 150 g grated Cheddar to the dough.