These are easy to make Christmas cookies. I absolutely love marzipan and personally can’t get enough of it. The cookies are crispy on the outside but still slightly chewy in the centre.

Marzipan Cookies

INGREDIENTS

For the dough

• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g white marzipan, finely chopped
• 100g caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• a few drops of almond essence
• 1 egg, beaten
• 200g plain flour
• 100g chopped almonds

To Decorate

• 50g dark chocolate
• 45 almonds, halved

METHOD

1. Beat together the butter, marzipan, sugar, salt and almond essence until soft and fluffy. Beat in the egg until combined.
2. Sift over the flour and add the almonds. Stir and knead together until combined.
3. Divide the dough into two. Roll each piece into a 4cm thick roll and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Cut the dough into 1 cm pieces and place 2cm apart on the baking sheets.
6. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before placing them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Break the chocolate into a microwave bowl and heat in short burst until melted.
8. Pour the chocolate into an icing bag, snip of the tip and pipe stripes over the cookies. Leave for the chocolate to set.