Spiced hearts

Method

• 1
  Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar, mixed spice and ginger in a bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, custard powder and milk. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a well-floured surface and bring together. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to rest.
• 2
  Preheat oven to 160ºC. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Cut dough in half. Roll out 1 portion on a floured surface until 4mm thick. Use a 6cm heart-shaped cutter to cut hearts from dough, re-rolling when necessary. Place on prepared trays.
• 3
  Bake, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until golden underneath. Set aside on trays to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
• 4
  Whisk the egg white in a bowl until foamy. Stir in icing sugar. Add lemon juice. Stir until a smooth paste forms. Divide in half. Stir colouring into 1 half.
• 5
  Place the icing in piping bags fitted with 2mm nozzles. Pipe pink and white dots around the edge of each biscuit. Draw a skewer through the dots to create a feathered effect. Set aside for 10 minutes to set.