Happy face biscuits

Food makes us happy, and biscuits are right near the top of our smile-inducing list of foods. To broaden your biscuit-crumbed grins, try making these happy-face biscuits. 

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To make happy face biscuits you will need:

• 1 quantity sugar biscuit dough, chilled (recipe below)
• 1 quantity dark chocolate sugar biscuit dough, chilled (recipe below)
• 1 quantity gingerbread biscuit dough, chilled (recipe below)
• dark chocolate melts
• white chocolate melts
• orange food colouring (oil-based)
• black food colouring (oil-based)
• round biscuit cutter
• face shape templates made from cardboard
• wooden skewer

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Remove the dough from the fridge and let stand for 5 minutes. Roll it out between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 5mm thick.
2. Cut the face shapes with a sharp knife, using templates as a guide, or your round biscuit cutter.
3. With your wooden skewer, draw faces. Also have a look in your kitchen drawers for other mark-making tools, such as the metal straw we used to make grandpa’s glasses.
4. Place the face biscuits on a tray lined with baking paper and place them in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Bake for 8–10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
6. While the biscuits are cooling completely, you can start melting the chocolate. Put the white and dark chocolate in separate bowls and microwave in 20-second bursts until melted. Alternatively, use the stovetop method to melt your chocolate: Place chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. Make sure that the bowl does not touch the water underneath. Keep stirring the chocolate until it becomes smooth. Make sure not to overheat the chocolate and never add water!
7. To make the orange and grey coloured hair, add oil-based colouring to separate bowls of melted white chocolate.
8. One by one, dip each of the face biscuits in the melted chocolate to make it look like hair, and place on a wire rack over a baking tray lined with baking paper. When the melted chocolate in the bowl starts to cool down, it becomes thicker—which can be helpful for creating some awesome hairstyles!
9. Stand biscuits for 30 minutes or until set.

Note: Do not use water-based food colouring with chocolate as it will not mix. Look for ‘candy and chocolate food colouring’. It can be powder or liquid form.

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Dark Chocolate Sugar Biscuits

Makes approx. 24 bickies, depending on size

To make dark chocolate sugar biscuits you'll need:

• 2 cups plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa, sifted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 190g / 6.7oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt. Add half of the flour mix into the creamed mixture. Beat on low until flour has been absorbed. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough.
3. Knead the dough lightly and divide into two equal balls. Wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Remove dough from the fridge and let stand for 5 minutes. Roll it out between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 5mm thick.
5. Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper.
6. Refrigerate biscuits until firm, about 20–30 minutes. Bake for 8–10 minutes.
7. Cool on wire racks.

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Gingerbread Biscuits

Makes approx. 48 bickies, depending on size

To make gingerbread biscuits you'll need:

• 230g / 8oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 cup golden syrup
• 1 egg
• 5 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Add the brown sugar and caster sugar and beat until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your finger and thumb. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the golden syrup. Add the egg and beat until the mixture is blended.
2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt together. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed or stirring with a wooden spoon.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and form a large, smooth mound. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, shape into discs and wrap each disc in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
4. Preheat the oven to 200°C /400°F / Gas Mark 6. Remove the dough from the fridge and let stand for 5 minutes. Roll out the dough between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 5mm thick.
5. Cut the dough into shapes using biscuit cutters. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper.
6. Refrigerate the biscuit for 20 minutes until firm. Bake for 6 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Cool on wire racks.

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Sugar Biscuits

Makes approx. 24 bickies, depending on size

To make sugar biscuits you'll need:

• 2 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 190g / 6.7oz unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Stop mixer then add salt and half of the four. Beat on low until the flour has been absorbed. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough.
2. Knead the dough lightly and divide into two equal balls. Wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Remove the dough from the fridge and let stand for 5 minutes. Roll out the dough between sheets of non-stick baking paper until 5mm thick.
4. Cut the dough into shapes using cookie cutters. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper.
5. Refrigerate the bickies until firm, 20-30 minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
6. Cool on wire racks.

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Happy face biscuits recipe was originally published in Lunch Lady Magazine Issue 23. Recipes and style by Danie Pout, photographs by Jacinta Moore.