Coconut party rings recipe

The classic party ring biscuit has been given a totally tropical twist with added desiccated coconut – an easy baking recipe for a delicious sweet treat. Pretty pastel icing tops these cute biscuits, and you can even add some Sicilian lemon extract into the icing and sprinkle with hundreds and thousands for extra flavour and vibrancy.

1. Put the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat, using an electric whisk, for 6-8 minutes, until pale and creamy. Add the flour, coconut, egg and a pinch of salt. Mix for a further 2 minutes, or until a dough forms.
2. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of nonstick baking paper to 5mm (1/4in) thick; chill for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Using a 5cm (2in) cookie cutter, stamp out about 20 rounds, re-rolling as required. Using a 2cm (3/4in) cookie cutter, stamp out the middle of each round to make a ring and discard (or re-roll to make more biscuits, if you like).
4. Arrange the rings on a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add enough freshly boiled water to produce a thick, spreadable consistency. Divide the icing into separate smaller bowls, adding a different food colouring to each.
6. Using a teaspoon, spread each ring with a single colour icing, then drizzle over lines in a contrasting colour. To create a feathered effect, drag a cocktail stick through the icing in 1cm (1/2in) intervals. Repeat with the remaining biscuits in different colour pairings. Leave to set on a wire rack before serving. 

Tip: For a more controlled drizzle, fill a plastic food bag with icing and snip off the corner. Gently squeeze to ice.

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