You don’t need a special cutter to make these party cookies. They’re shaped using an ordinary round cutter to which you add a V-shaped cone when cutting them out – quite simple once you’ve made one or two. Children will find these fun cookies irresistible. The biscuits and buttercream can be made ahead, but assemble them on the day they’re served as the cream will gradually soften the biscuits.

Ingredients: (Makes 15)

• 150g/5oz/1¼ cups self-rising (self-raising) flour
• 90g/3½/7 tablespoons unsalted (sweet) butter, diced
• 50g/2oz/¼ cup light muscovado (brown) sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 5ml/1 teaspoon vanilla extract (essence)
• For the decoration:
• 75g/3oz/6 tablespoons unsalted (sweet) butter, softened
• 5ml/1 teaspoon vanilla extract (essence)
• 115g/4oz/1 cup icing (confectioners’) sugar
• 2 chocolate flakes

Method:

Put the flour and butter in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla and blend to a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap (clear film) and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Grease a large baking sheet. Roll the dough out thinly on a floured surface. lay a 5cm/2in round cookie (biscuit) cutter on the dough. Using a ruler mark a point 5cm/2in away from the edge of the cutter, then cut two lines from either side of the cutter to the point, to make cornet shape to the baking sheet. Make 14 more in the same way, re-rolling the trimmings to make the full quantity.

Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts 5mm/¼in apart across the cone area of each cookie, then make more cuts diagonally across the first to create a “wafer” effect. Be careful not to cut all the way through the cookie.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until pale golden. Leave for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the buttercream, beat together the butter, vanilla and icing sugar until smooth. Add 5ml/1 teaspoon hot water and beat again until the mixture is very light and airy. Place in a piping (pastry) bag fitted with a large plain nozzle. Pipe swirls on to the tops of the cookies so that they look like swirls of ice cream.

Cut the flakes across into 5cm/2in lengths. Carefully cut each piece lengthways into four small lengths. Push a flake piece into each cookie.