VANILLA BEAN SHORTCRUST (GLUTEN FREE)

Recipes Mariah Grace / Photography Amber-Jayne Bain

	300g gluten-free flour
	45g ground almonds
	¼ teaspoon fine salt
	120g icing sugar
	180g unsalted butter, cold, diced
	1 egg
	1 teaspoon ground vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste
	TO DECORATE
	1 egg white
	250g icing sugar
	pistachio slices
	rose petals
	freeze-dried raspberries

1.	In a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine all the cookie ingredients and mix until combined and a dough forms.
2.	Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper, to a thickness of 6mm.
3.	Freeze for 30 minutes or overnight.
4.	Heat the oven to 160°C.
5.	Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut out the cookies and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6.	Bake for about 12-15 minutes until lightly golden, then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack
7.	To decorate, beat together the egg white and icing sugar in a mixer, until thick and smooth.
8.	Pour this royal icing into a medium-sized bowl.
9.	Dip the flat surface of the cooled cookies into the icing, gently raise from the bowl and shake off any excess then flip the cookie so the royal icing is facing up.
10.	Gently tap the base of the cookies with your palm to flatten the icing.
11.	Sprinkle pistachios, rose petals and freeze-dried raspberries onto the icing before it dries.