Snowy Owl Christmas Tree Biscuits

Great British Bake Off 2013 winner Frances Quinn created these edible decorations topped with white and dark chocolate and almond 'feathers'

• Cooking Time Prep 1 hr
  Cook 8 mins - 14 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes about 6 large, 5 medium and 8 small owls (depending on cutter size)

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  590

• Protein

  11g

• Carbs

  55g

• Fat

  36g

• Saturates

  14g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  31g

• Salt

  0.4g

Ingredients

• For the biscuits
• 125g slightly salted butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• For the decoration
• 100g packet of whole blanched almonds
• 100g packet of flaked almonds, toasted
• 126g packet of giant white chocolate buttons
• 20g packet standard-sized white chocolate buttons
• 50g dark chocolate chips
• gold edible glitter (optional)
• icing sugar, for dusting
• fine string, for hanging the biscuits

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cream together the butter and sugar, then gradually beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Sift and stir in the flour and mix to a fairly soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. Cover or wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least two hours.
2. Next roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to around 0.5cm thick. Cut into oval shapes with a cookie cutter or by cutting round a paper template. You can make mini owl biscuits by using a smaller cutter or template.
3. Transfer the biscuits to a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Put different sized biscuits on separate trays. Place the whole almonds into the dough to create the owls' eyebrows and beaks. If creating decorations for the tree, make a hole near the top of the biscuits using the end of a paintbrush. Bake in the oven for 8 -14 minutes, depending on the size of the biscuits, until the edges turn lightly golden in colour. Once out of the oven, leave the biscuits on the baking tray to cool.
4. To decorate, set aside enough white chocolate buttons to create the owls' eyes-use giant or standard-sized buttons depending on the size of the owls-the biggest you can fit are best to give a truly owl-like expression. Melt the remainder in the microwave or in a bowl over barely simmering water.
5. Using a small tipped paintbrush, carefully paint and stick down the decorations. Stick on the white chocolate buttons, then the dark chocolate chips on top to make the eyes. Neatly paint more melted chocolate over each owl's chest, pressing on the flaked almonds. You can layer the almonds with extra white chocolate.
6. If you find some of the almond eyebrows and beaks have come loose or you are planning to hang the owls on the tree, use some of the melted chocolate to stick them in place. Leave to set.
7. Thread pretty string or fine ribbon into Christmas decorations so you can hang them. Dust with icing sugar and gold edible glitter if using.

Categories: All Christmas