Playing Card House Recipe
Ingredients
| 10 oz/300 g plain flour | ||
| 6 oz/175 g butter or margarine | ||
| 2 oz/50 g ground almonds | ||
| 3 oz/75 g caster sugar | ||
| 1 egg, size 3, beaten | ||
| 10 oz/300 g fondant icing | ||
| Clear honey | 1 Tablespoon | |
| Few drops natural red food colouring | ||
| 2 tbsp white icing | ||
| Few drops of black food colouring | ||
Directions
Preheat the oven to Gas 4, 350°F, 180°C, 10 mins before baking biscuits.
Sieve flour into a bowl, then rub in fat until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the ground almonds, sugar, beaten egg and enough water to form a firm dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, then roll out to a 10 in x 10 1/2 in/26 cm x 27 cm rectangle.
Divide into twelve 2 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in/6.5 cm x 9 cm rectangles and place on lightly greased baking sheets.
Chill for 30 mins, then bake for 12-15 mins, or until firm and lightly browned.
Allow to cool on trays for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Thinly roll out 7 oz/200 g fondant icing and cut into twelve 3 in x 2 in/7.5 cm x 5 cm rectangles.
Brush each biscuit with honey and secure a fondant rectangle on top of each.
Colour remaining fondant icing with red food colouring, then roll and cut out enough heart shapes for twelve heart playing cards - ace to 9 then Jack, Queen and King.
For the ace, Jack, Queen and King, cut out a large heart each, plus four small hearts.
Position hearts as in a deck of cards and secure each one with honey.
Colour half the white icing with black food colouring, then place in a small piping bag fitted with a writing nozzle and use to define the Jack, Queen and King cards by piping a 'J', 'Q', 'K' on to three of the large hearts.
Leave icing to dry.
To assemble the house, spread some of the remaining icing along the bottom edge of four biscuits, lean two against each other to form a triangle and secure on serving plate.
Repeat with other two biscuits and place alongside on plate.
Spread more icing on the top of each triangle and lay a biscuit between the two stacks.
Place two more biscuits on top to form another triangle, securing in place with the rest of the icing as you go.
Arrange the other biscuits around plate and allow icing to dry before serving.
Sieve flour into a bowl, then rub in fat until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Stir in the ground almonds, sugar, beaten egg and enough water to form a firm dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, then roll out to a 10 in x 10 1/2 in/26 cm x 27 cm rectangle.
Divide into twelve 2 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in/6.5 cm x 9 cm rectangles and place on lightly greased baking sheets.
Chill for 30 mins, then bake for 12-15 mins, or until firm and lightly browned.
Allow to cool on trays for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Thinly roll out 7 oz/200 g fondant icing and cut into twelve 3 in x 2 in/7.5 cm x 5 cm rectangles.
Brush each biscuit with honey and secure a fondant rectangle on top of each.
Colour remaining fondant icing with red food colouring, then roll and cut out enough heart shapes for twelve heart playing cards - ace to 9 then Jack, Queen and King.
For the ace, Jack, Queen and King, cut out a large heart each, plus four small hearts.
Position hearts as in a deck of cards and secure each one with honey.
Colour half the white icing with black food colouring, then place in a small piping bag fitted with a writing nozzle and use to define the Jack, Queen and King cards by piping a 'J', 'Q', 'K' on to three of the large hearts.
Leave icing to dry.
To assemble the house, spread some of the remaining icing along the bottom edge of four biscuits, lean two against each other to form a triangle and secure on serving plate.
Repeat with other two biscuits and place alongside on plate.
Spread more icing on the top of each triangle and lay a biscuit between the two stacks.
Place two more biscuits on top to form another triangle, securing in place with the rest of the icing as you go.
Arrange the other biscuits around plate and allow icing to dry before serving.
Chef
