Shaped into pretty bonnets with pastel toppings, these sweet treats are too good to pass by and are sure to be a talking point among family and friends
As anticipation builds for the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023, festivities are in full swing, including the cherished tradition of street parties and afternoon teas. Elevate your culinary offerings with these charming bonnet biscuits, destined to be the highlight of your gathering. Decorative and tasty, these treats are as delightful to behold as they are to devour. Discover our easy-to-follow recipe below and impress your guests with every bite.
How to make iced bonnet biscuits
Makes 12
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
60g caster sugar
175g chilled unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing
100ml double cream
370g icing sugar, plus 1 tsp to fix flowers
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
½ tsp red food colouring
½ tsp yellow food colouring
12 yellow and white violas
20 x 30cm oven tin
7cm circular cookie cutter
11in (28cm) each of thin yellow, white and pink ribbon
Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3 and grease and line the oven tin. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and caster sugar, then add the butter. Rub the butter into the mixture with the fingertips until fully integrated. Squeeze the mixture together by hand until it becomes moist and bring together into a dough.
This will take approximately 5 mins.
On a surface lightly dusted with flour, roll out the dough to approximately ½cm thick. Using the cookie cutter, cut 12 circles, discard the remaining dough, then place the circles on the prepared tray. Bake for 15-20 mins until a light golden colour. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the cream with an electric whisk for 2-3 mins until thick. Whisk in 70g of the icing sugar and the vanilla paste, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large smooth nozzle. Pipe approximately 1 tbsp into the middle of each biscuit to make a hat shape. Chill the biscuits for 15 mins.
Place the remaining icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add 55ml of water to make a smooth paste-like icing. Transfer half of the icing to a clean bowl and add the red food colouring, then add yellow colouring to the other half. Stir thoroughly to obtain consistent colours. Place the cooled biscuits on a sheet of baking paper. Spoon 1 tbsp of pink icing each on the top of half of the hats and allow to cover the entire biscuit. Ice the other half of the biscuits with the yellow icing. Allow to dry, uncovered, for 2-3 hrs.
Once the hats are dry, cut four lengths of each ribbon, dip them briefly in cold water and tie around the hats. Mix the 1 tsp of icing sugar with a drop of water and dab on the back of the flowers to fix them to the hats. Leave to dry for 10 mins before serving.
Recipe: Liz O'Keefe; Photography: House of Food
LandScape brings the fresh air of the British countryside into your home. With a mix of beautiful photography and in-depth features, it captures the very best of every season, from stunning landscapes and places to visit to the best of British traditional cookery and crafts. Choose the right Subscription offer for you… Receive 12 issues with free UK delivery to your door with a Print Subscription. Get easy access to the digital issues, subscriber rewards and more by taking out a Digital Subscription or choose a Print + Digital Subscription and get everything included.
Liz O’Keefe is a professional chef, trained journalist, and the home economist at LandScape magazine. She has written several cookbooks, including the Gourmand award-winning The Mushroom Cookbook. A respected voice in the UK food scene, she regularly judges prestigious food awards and is a member of The Guild of Food Writers. Follow her on Instagram @ecjokeefe