Pastel Lace - Sugar Biscuits

Fashion and food have always been my two most favourite topics; I could honestly talk for hours about what Valentino put on the AW runway or how to make the best chocolate brownie, what Anna Wintour did with last seasons Vogue cover or where the best coffee shop is in London. For a long time I couldn't decide how to combine both passions, until I realized that the bakes I was laboriously decorating were actually inspired by outfits that I wear, which really plays with my blog name, Fashionable Food. 

Lace. If I had to reorganize my wardrobe into different texture categories, I can confidently say 3/4 would be lace. Burberry's spring summer collection was home to lots... and lots of lace, which obviously I am extremely excited about. Wanting to pair that trend with a typical spring pastel colour, found in Valentino's native couture spring collection which focused on pastel colours like light pink and took inspiration from that to pair the dress with a gorgeous vintage Topshop coat. 

Dress: here. Shoes: here. Coat: vintage, alternative here 

On to the beautiful lace biscuit recipe: 

Ingredients: 

Biscuits - 

100g butter or margarine / soft

100g caster sugar

1 beaten egg

275g plain flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

Greaseproof paper

Circular biscuit cutters 

Icing - 

1.5 oz warm water
1.25 tablespoons meringue powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
225g icing sugar (powdered sugar for the Americans reading)
piping bag

pink/red food colouring

Recipe - 

1. Preheat your oven 190C/375F/Gas 5 

2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly with margarine/butter to prevent sticking

3. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until smooth

4. Stir in the beaten egg and vanilla until combined

5. Sift in the flour and stir until incorporated in a ball - you may need more or less mixture depending on how wet it is. 

6. Roll on to a floured surface until the dough is 1/2cm thick and cut out circles

7. Place on a baking tray for around 8-10 minutes until golden brown 

8. Place on a cooling rack until cool 

9. On to the icing. whisk together the meringue powder with water for 30 seconds

10. Add the cream of tartar and whisk for another 30 seconds 

11. Sieve in the icing sugar and whisk for 10 minutes 

12. Place a quarter of the mixture into a piping bag with a thin nozzle 

13. Add red/pink food colouring to the remanding mixture along with a tablespoon of water, this will make it easier to spread on to the biscuits

14. Cover the cool biscuits with the baby pink icing and allow to set

15. Once set you can now pipe whatever lace inspired design you want to with the white icing prepared earlier. Be creative, I used henna patterns as inspiration. 

There you have it, a delicate lace inspired sugar biscuit recipe with royal icing! Enjoy xx