Ice-Cream and Giggles

Makes 21-22 small circle biscuits.

Prep: 40 minutes, baking: 15-20 minutes. Total Time: 1 hour.

You will need:

For the biscuits:

125 g rice flour or all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp natvia baking sugar
45 g vegan margarine
70 ml unsweetened almond milk
1/4 tsp baking powder

For assemblage:

250 g vegan fondant icing (see previous post), plus corn flour
1-2 tbsp maple syrup or rice malt syrup
1/2 cup edible flowers, washed and dried

Method:

1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. Using a fork, cut in the vegan margarine until crumbly. Then using a spoon, mix in the almond milk until a dough is formed. Place in the fridge for at least an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Place the dough between two baking sheets, dust with flour as desired, roll out and cut with desired cookie cutter. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
4. Roll out the fondant icing between two baking sheets dusted with corn flour. Cut, brush each biscuit with maple syrup, then press the cut fondant icing on top. Top with edible flowers.

Fondant icing. One of the hardest things to make. In fact, the last time I tried to make it I burnt myself on a boiling hot saucepan and got a ginormous blister (setting off the smoke alarm in the process)! So the next time I made fondant icing, I didn't want heat to be involved. At all. Inspired by this post, I managed to make a sugar free and vegan fondant icing, without crazy ingredients like agar agar or glycerin.

Makes 750-800 g of fondant icing.

Prep: 15 minutes.

You will need:

1/3 cup rice malt syrup*
1/3 cup vegan margarine
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
650 g natvia icing sugar mix**
plus 1/4-1/2 cup corn flour

Method:

1. Beat the margarine in a large bowl, then add the rice malt syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat.
2. Sift and beat in the icing sugar.
3. It is ready when you can form a ball. It will still be sticky, but when you roll out (between baking paper sheets) dust with corn flour until it is easy to cut and peel off. You can divide the icing into balls and place in the freezer until you need it, so only add the corn flour when you are actually rolling out the icing and intend on using it.

* Or use light corn syrup (but then it wouldn't be sugar free) or a thick syrup (maple syrup is probably too thin).
** Or use normal icing sugar, but again, it wouldn't be sugar free.