Glücksbringer (Lucky Charm Biscuits)

Ingredients:

150g (1 ¼ cups) plain flour
pinch of fine sea salt
80g (2/5 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g (1/4 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra for dusting and icing
2 egg yolks
¼ tsp vanilla extract
milk for brushing
flaked almonds to decorate
glacé cherries, halved, to decorate

Method:

Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan/375°F/gas mark 5). Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.
Combine the flour, salt and butter in a mixing bowl and, using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar and mix it through. Now add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and bring everything together into a dough with your hands. Knead for a few minutes.

Dust your work surface with icing (confectioners’) sugar and roll the dough out to 3mm (1/8 in) thickness. Using a fluted pastry cutter, cut out circles and place on the prepared baking trays, leaving 1cm (1/2 in) between each.

Re-roll all the dough offcuts into more biscuits. Brush the top of each with milk and place a flaked almond on each biscuit with a point in the centre.

Transfer to your pre-heated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown (if you are using two shelves swap the baking trays over half way through). Allow the biscuits cool on the baking tray for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lay a glacé cherry half on the centre end of each almond to create a mushroom top. Mix 1 tablespoon of icing sugar with a couple of drops of water to create a thick paste. Use the prong of a fork or a cocktail stick to dip into the icing. Now dot the iced prong on to the glacé cherry to create little white spots on the red fly agaric ‘mushroom’.