Homemade butter biscuits

Make room in the fridge for a baking tray so that the shaped biscuits can chill for 20 to 30 minutes. Without refrigeration, the shaped biscuits may spill too much. If you chill the dough before shaping, it will be too cold/hard to shape the biscuits. Line 2 to 3 large baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, BAM vanilla paste and almond paste and beat on high speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

Stir in the flour and salt at low speed. Switch to a higher speed and whisk until the ingredients are fully combined. On medium speed, whisk in 1,5 tablespoons of milk. You want a dough that is creamy and splash-proof (but still thick), so you may need up to 2 or 2½ tablespoons of milk. The more milk you add, the more the biscuits will expand, so chilling is essential.

Transfer the prepared mixture to a piping bag. If the dough is too thick, transfer it back to the mixing bowl and add another 1/2 tbsp of milk. If the dough is creamy enough to form biscuits, go ahead and place the biscuits 3 cm apart on the baking tray. If desired, place a candied cherry in the centre of the swirl or sprinkle the dough with festive sprinkles and/or coarse sugar.

Cool the shaped biscuits on the baking sheet for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake the cooled biscuits for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on the sides. The biscuits will spread out like any biscuit but will not lose their shape completely, especially if you have chilled the shaped dough. If the biscuits are smaller, they will take about 12 minutes. Remove the baked biscuits from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray for a further 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.