Christmas shortbreads

Method

• 1
  Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flours. Stir until well combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Divide dough into 2. Shape into discs.
• 2
  Roll 1 dough disc between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Using a 4.5cm round fluted cutter, cut rounds from dough. Re-roll scraps. Repeat to make a total of 20 rounds. Place rounds on prepared baking trays, 2cm apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until just golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• 3
  Meanwhile, roll remaining dough disc between 2 sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick. Using a 5cm carrot cutter, cut carrots from dough. Re-roll scraps. Repeat to make a total of 20 carrots.
• 4
  Place carrots on baking trays, 2cm apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until just golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• 5
  Place a 40cm long piece of baking paper on a flat surface. Place melted chocolate in a mug. Dip shortbread into chocolate to coat half. Allow excess chocolate to drain. Place on baking paper. Sprinkle chocolate with 5 almonds and 5 cachous. Repeat with remaining shortbread rounds, melted chocolate, almonds and cachous.
• 6
  Place egg white in a bowl. Lightly whisk until frothy. Gradually add icing sugar, whisking until smooth. Transfer 1/4 of icing into a separate bowl and tint green with food colouring. Tint remaining icing orange using red and yellow food colourings. Spoon green icing into a snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner. Pipe green icing onto tops of carrot biscuits to form stalks. Sprinkle with green sprinkles. Spoon orange icing into another snap-lock bag. Snip off 1 corner. Pipe icing onto base of carrots. Sprinkle with orange sprinkles. Set aside to set. Serve.