Cameo Cinnamon Cookies – Easy Royal Icing Cameo Biscuits

Cameo Cinnamon Cookies

An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella

Makes 15 x 8cm/3inch diameter cookies

• 85 g/3ozs butter, softened

• 140g/5ozs white caster superfine sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 180g/6ozs  all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Black (or cameo blue) colouring powder

• Royal icing mixture (see below)

For Royal Icing

• 1 egg white (30grams/1 oz)

• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 150grams sifted icing sugar

DIRECTIONS

Step 1 - Make Cameo faces first. Trace an outline of a cameo silhouette on a piece of paper (google it and find one you like the look of, generally ones with more definition for the chin look best - Mr NQN thought that one of mine looked like a dog!).

Step 2 - Make Royal Icing by beating egg white with lemon juice until foamy on low speed increasing to medium speed. You want two textures for the Royal Icing, a stiff one to pipe the outline and a runnier one to fill in the outline.

Step 3 - Add sifted sugar by the spoonful while beating until desired consistency is reached. You want it a little stiff in order to pipe the outline however, if it is too stiff, add a little warm water. Always cover your Royal Icing with cling wrap as it dries out easily.

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Step 4 - Spoon some of the royal icing into a piping bag or a strong ziplock bag and pipe a fine outline around the cameo outline on a piece of parchment placed above the drawing. Repeat and allow for extra as some may not turn out as well as others. Allow to set a little for 20-30 minutes. Add a little water (not too much and using a small spoon, fill in the edges. Place aside to set for several hours (or overnight). Cover remaining Royal Icing for later use.

Step 5 - Make cookies. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour and cinnamon. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

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Step 6 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 5 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

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Step 7 - To decorate, tint remaining royal icing black or blue (whichever you'd prefer). Pipe an outline around the edge with the firmer royal icing and allow to set for 30 minutes (reserve the piping bag to pipe the dots on later and place it in an airtight container to avoid it setting). Add a teaspoon of boiling water to the royal icing and stir well and fill in the outline with this slightly runnier (but not runny) icing. Very carefully peel cameo silhouettes from parchment and place on top. Pipe dots with reserved piping bag of firmer royal icing.

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N.B. I also tried doing this with blue chocolate melts which weren't quite as smooth as you can see but tasted wonderful!

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