Two-tone rose cookies

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and milk and beat them through.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and with the motor running, slowly add it to the mixer. Beat slowly until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 175C (fan forced) and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Working with one disc of dough at a time, flour the bench a little and roll the dough out to 5mm thick. Use round cookie cutters to cut shapes from the dough and place 2cm apart on the trays. Bake biscuits for 8-12 minutes or until golden.

Leave biscuits on the trays for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the vanilla and 1 cup of icing sugar and beat on low until the icing sugar is mixed in. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy. You may need more milk to make the icing spreadable.

Divide the icing in half and add the colour to each half, plus rosewater essence in the pink icing. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface and spoon the icing down the middle to form a log shape. Wrap up the icing and twist both ends tying a knot in one end. Repeat with the other colour then drop the two logs together, open end first, into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.

Starting in the middle of the biscuit, pipe a rose shape on top of each biscuits. Store biscuits in an air-tight container for up to three days.