Catholic Recipe: Easter Egg Nests

Children have great fun making these delicious biscuit nests.

DIRECTIONS

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter. Make a well in the center.

2. Put the milk into a small saucepan with the sugar, add the vanilla essence and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the egg and pour into the well in the center of the flour, mix into a stiff dough, and knead lightly until smooth.

3. Roll out about three-quarters of the dough to 1/4 inch thick and stamp out nine rounds with a 3 inch cutter. Transfer to a baking sheet.

4. Take 2 walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll into thin rolls measuring about 5 1/2 inches in length. Twist the two rolls together. Egg-wash the outside edge of one of the bases and gently press the rope of dough down on to the base, sealing the ends. Egg-wash. Carefully repeat with the remaining dough and bases.

5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until pale golden.

6. Meanwhile make the icing. Mix the lemon rind and lemon juice with the sieved icing sugar in bowl.

7. When the biscuits are cooled, cool slightly and brush with lemon icing, fill with mini chocolate eggs and decorate each one with a fluffy Easter chick.