Makes 25–30 biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp Spiced Christmas Tea
• 200g plain flour
• ¼ tsp bicarb soda
• Pinch of salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• 125g unsalted butter, cubed
• 110g caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

Orange Glaze:

• 1 egg white
• 160g pure icing sugar
• 2 tsp orange juice

Method:

Place Christmas tea in a small spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind until fine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, bicarb soda, salt, spices and ground tea. Pulse to combine before adding cubed butter. Keep pulsing until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add sugar, mixing briefly, before adding egg yolk and golden syrup and pulsing until dough comes together. Form into a ball and flatten dough slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for an hour or so.

Preheat oven to 160°C (fan-forced) and line two baking trays with baking paper.

After dough has rested, roll out between two sheets of baking paper until 3mm thick. Use biscuit cutters to cut into desired shapes, re-rolling off-cuts as necessary. Place on lined trays, leaving a couple of centimetres between biscuits. Use a skewer to make a hole in each biscuit if using as decorations. Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden. Allow to cool on trays.

Make orange glaze by mixing egg white until frothy. Add icing sugar and orange juice and mix until smooth. Spoon over cooled biscuits and allow to set. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.