Light Bites Baking

Iced Gems

Iced Gems

Remember these? We love these nostalgic treats - and being vegan, everyone can enjoy them!

15 minutes, plus chilling prep, 10 minutes, plus setting cook

Serves 80

Ingredients

For the biscuits

75g dairy-free butter

2 tbsp caster sugar

125g plain flour

For the icing

5 tbsp aquafaba

250g icing sugar, sifted

Food dyes in 4 assorted colours

Special Kit

A piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle

Method

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until soft. Stir in the flour, bringing the mixture together to form a dough. Wrap and chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan/Gas 4 and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Once the dough is chilled, roll it out to ½ cm thick and use a 2 cm cookie cutter or a small bottle cap to cut out the biscuit bases. Transfer them to the baking tray.

Bake for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Make the royal icing by mixing the aquafaba into the icing sugar and stirring until you have a smooth, slightly firm icing. Divide evenly into four bowls and add your chosen food colourings to dye each a different colour, mixing well for an even tint.

Transfer the contents of one bowl to a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe a small star onto a quarter of the biscuit bases. Repeat with the next colour until you have four different shades of iced gems.

Leave to set and harden for at least 1 hour before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Recipe taken from Great British Vegan by Aimee Ryan (White Lion Publishing, £20)
Visit website
Great British Food Awards
Enter now

More recipes to try

BOSH! Coconut, Basil and Broccoli Noodle Broth
Main Soup Light Bites
BOSH! Coconut, Basil and Broccoli Noodle Broth

Serves 2

Ed Smith’s Whipped Hot Smoked Salmon and Crudites
Starter Light Bites Smoked Fish
Ed Smith’s Whipped Hot Smoked Salmon and Crudites

10 minutes

Serves 6-12

Meera Sodha’s Miso Butter Greens Pasta
Main Light Bites Vegetarian
Meera Sodha’s Miso Butter Greens Pasta

10 minutes

Serves 4

Rosie MacKean’s Ham, Egg and Romesco Toasts
Starter Light Bites
Rosie MacKean’s Ham, Egg and Romesco Toasts

15

Serves 6

Sarah Rossi’s Slow Cooker Roasted Gammon Recipe
Main Starter Light Bites
Sarah Rossi’s Slow Cooker Roasted Gammon Recipe

15 minutes

Tom Kerridge’s Grilled Goat’s Cheese Salad Recipe
Main Starter Light Bites
Tom Kerridge’s Grilled Goat’s Cheese Salad Recipe

20 minutes

Serves 2

Tom Kerridge’s Lamb Rump with Rocket Salsa Verde Recipe
Main Light Bites Lightbites
Tom Kerridge’s Lamb Rump with Rocket Salsa Verde Recipe

20 minutes

Serves 4

Tom Kerridge’s Crab Cakes Recipe
Main Starter Light Bites
Tom Kerridge’s Crab Cakes Recipe

20 minutes plus 20 minutes chilling time

Serves 12

Great British Food Awards
Enter now
Award winning foods
A proper British pie with melted Stilton magic
A proper British pie with melted Stilton magic

Rooted in tradition and packed with bold, comforting flavour, this Nottinghamshire pie brings together some of Britain’s finest ingredients in one deeply satisfying dish…