Almond Cream Biscuits with Royal Icing

Almond Cream Biscuits with Royal Icing let you customize every batch with different shapes and colours. The simple almond dough makes a lovely starting point for creative decorating.

These Almond Cream Biscuits with Royal Icing are a fun little baking project with a delicate almond flavour. I love that you can choose your own shapes and colours.

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Biscuits with Royal Icing combine delicate almond flavour with a sweet decorative finish. They’re lovely for afternoon tea, celebrations and homemade edible gifts.

Why You Will Love These Almond Cream Biscuits with Royal Icing

• If you enjoy baking biscuits that taste just as lovely as they look, this recipe deserves a spot in your collection. The buttery dough has a delicate almond flavour, and the colourful icing gives you plenty of room to play around with your decorating skills. They’re fun to make, easy to customize and lovely to share!
• Delicate almond flavour: Just enough almond essence to give the biscuits their distinctive taste.
• Buttery goodness: A tender, delicious biscuit that’s lovely with a cup of tea or coffee.
• Choose your shapes: Use your favourite biscuit cutters or simply slice rounds from a dough log.
• Get creative with icing: Choose your favourite colours and decorate each biscuit differently.
• Great for special occasions: Perfect for birthdays, holidays, afternoon tea and homemade edible gifts.
• Make ahead friendly: Prepare the dough in advance or freeze the uniced biscuits for another day.

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Additional Information, Tips and Suggestions

Getting the Best Biscuit Texture

• Use softened butter or margarine, not melted.
• The butter or margarine should be soft enough to beat easily but still hold its shape. Melted fat can make the dough greasy and cause the biscuits to spread too much during baking.

How much flour should I use?

• The recipe calls for approximately 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.
• Start with 2 cups and gradually incorporate the remaining 1/2 cup until the dough is soft and manageable. You may not need every last bit, as flour absorption can vary.
• Avoid adding too much flour because this can make the biscuits dry and firm.

Should I chill the dough?

• Chilling is optional, but it’s particularly helpful if your kitchen is warm or the dough feels sticky.
• Approximately 20 minutes in the refrigerator should make it easier to roll and cut.

How thick should I roll the dough?

• Approximately 5 mm is a good thickness for these biscuits. Keeping them reasonably even helps them bake consistently.
• Very thin biscuits will bake faster and may become crispier.

How do I know when the biscuits are ready?

• Look for biscuits that are set, with edges just beginning to turn lightly golden.
• The centres should remain relatively pale. Don’t wait for the entire biscuit to brown, as they’ll continue firming up while cooling.

Why are my biscuits hard rather than tender?

• This can happen when too much flour is added, the dough is overworked or the biscuits are baked for too long.
• Measure the flour carefully, mix only until the dough comes together and watch the baking time.

Why are my biscuits unevenly browned?

• Your oven may have hot spots, or the biscuits may be different thicknesses.
• Roll the dough evenly and rotate the baking tray if your oven browns more strongly on one side.

Can I use different biscuit cutters?

• Absolutely! Hearts, stars, flowers, circles and festive shapes all work nicely.
• Avoid cutters with extremely delicate details if the dough is very soft, as the shapes may become distorted when transferred to the baking tray.

Can I make round biscuits without cutters?

• Yes. Roll the dough into evenly sized logs, wrap them and chill until firm.
• Slice into rounds of approximately 5 mm thickness and bake as directed.

Royal Cream Icing Tips

Is this traditional royal icing? The original Royal Cream Icing is a simple water-based icing made with icing sugar, water and almond essence. Traditional royal icing generally uses egg whites or meringue powder, so this version is easier to prepare and doesn’t require raw egg whites.

How do I get the right icing consistency?

• Start with 2 tbsp water for 2 cups icing sugar. Add more water gradually until the icing is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without running straight off.
• For piping fine details, keep the icing slightly thicker. For spreading over the biscuits, a little extra water may be needed.

How can I prevent the icing from running off the biscuits? Always decorate completely cooled biscuits. Warm biscuits will soften the icing and cause it to slide. If the icing is too thin, add a little more sifted icing sugar.

Can I prepare the icing in advance? Yes. Transfer it to an airtight container and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Give it a good stir before using. If it has thickened, add a few drops of water.

How long does the icing take to dry? Allow several hours at room temperature, depending on the thickness of the icing and humidity. Leave the biscuits uncovered while the icing sets, then store them carefully once completely dry.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Butter or margarine: Both are suitable. Butter gives a richer flavour, while good quality baking margarine is a useful alternative.
• Almond essence: Vanilla essence can replace almond essence if preferred. The biscuits will have a different but equally pleasant flavour. You can also use a little of each.
• All-purpose flour: Stick with all-purpose flour for the intended texture. Self-raising flour is not a direct replacement because the recipe already contains baking powder. If you use it, omit the additional baking powder.
• Food colouring: Gel colouring is my preferred option because it gives strong colours without adding much liquid. Liquid food colouring also works, but use it sparingly.
• Water in the icing: Add it gradually. If you accidentally make the icing too runny, simply mix in more sifted icing sugar.

Storing decorated biscuits:

• Once the icing has dried completely, place the biscuits in an airtight container. Separate the layers with parchment paper to protect the decorations.
• Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place for approximately 5 to 7 days for best quality. Refrigeration isn’t necessary for this water-based icing and may introduce unwanted moisture.

Can I freeze the finished biscuits?

• You can, but I recommend freezing the uniced biscuits for the best appearance and texture.
• Allow the biscuits to cool completely, arrange them in an airtight, freezer-safe container with parchment paper between the layers and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality.
• Thaw at room temperature in their covered container to reduce condensation. Once completely thawed and dry, decorate with fresh icing.

Can I freeze the biscuit dough?

• Yes! Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, place it in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality.
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting.

Can I prepare these biscuits ahead of time? Certainly. You can prepare the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it, well covered. Alternatively, bake the biscuits in advance, allow them to cool and store them uniced in an airtight container until you’re ready to decorate.

A little baking tip: Don’t rush the cooling and decorating stages. The biscuits are fairly delicate when they first come out of the oven, and allowing them to cool properly makes all the difference when you’re ready to add those pretty icing details.

Almond Cream Biscuits with Royal Icing are a delightful combination of buttery homemade biscuits, delicate almond flavour and sweet colourful icing. Their soft, workable dough makes rolling and cutting shapes straightforward, while the simple icing gives plenty of opportunity for creative decorating. Whether served with afternoon tea, prepared for a celebration or wrapped up as homemade gifts, these pretty biscuits are a lovely addition to any baking collection.