Iced pumpkin biscuits

For the biscuits

• Beat the butter and sugar together until you have a smooth, creamy mix.
• Add the egg and mix.
• Add the sifted flour and salt and mix – if the dough is too stiff add a splash of milk.
• Knead the mixture lightly and form a smooth dough ball.
• Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for half an hour – or longer if you have time.
• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
• Roll the dough out on a lightly floured board.
• Use a pumpkin-shaped cutter to cut out shapes.
• Place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.

For the icing

• Sift the icing sugar into a bowl.
• Lightly beat the egg white and add to the bowl.
• Beat with an electric whisk until well mixed.
• Add orange food colouring, a little at a time, beating between each addition until you get the colour right.
• Add lemon juice a little at a time to loosen the mixture and get it to a gelatinous pouring consistency.
• Remember, you can always add more lemon juice to loosen, but you can’t remove it!
• Place the cooled biscuits on a rack over a tin to catch the icing drippings.
• Carefully pour the icing over each biscuit letting the excess flood over the side into the tin.
• Gather up any excess icing and use to ice more biscuits.
• Leave the icing to harden – at least three to four hours.
• Make pumpkin faces with the chocolate icing pen and use the green icing pen to colour in the pumpkin stems.