Chew Chew cookies

Chew Chew the Panda loves biscuits, and this recipe is perfect to bake with your little Squirrels.

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• ½tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

For the decoration

• Small amounts of white, black, pink and green fondant
• Icing sugar
• Black edible paint or royal icing

Method

Makes 18 cookies

1. Whisk together the flour and baking powder and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and work into a soft dough. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking trays with baking parchment. Roll out the dough until 5mm thick. Cut out biscuits in the shape of Chew Chew (around 7cm wide) and transfer to the lined baking trays. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm but still pale. Set aside to cool.
3. For the decoration, roll out the white fondant and cut out the background for Chew Chew’s head and body. Roll out the black fondant and cut out the black detail for her ears, eyes, nose, body and feet. Use the pink fondant to make Chew Chew’s mouth and feet. Roll out a thin sausage shape in green fondant and cut to make her bamboo. Make small circles using the white fondant for her eyes. Mix together a small amount of icing sugar and water and use this to stick the shapes to the cookies.
4. Finish by painting on Chew Chew’s eyelashes, pupils and smile with black edible paint or royal icing.