These can be any biscuit recipe.  Making cookie dough, rolling it out and using a range of cookie cutters is a riot. If there is anything left from either eating raw cookie dough, or guzzling the warm biscuits as they come out the oven, the real fun is icing. These Dalmatian biscuits have evolved to perfection and honour the memory of our more spots than brains Dalmatian; Dominique, or as my daughter called him -  ‘Doink’

Cookie dough ingredients

2 eggs
225g butter
225g castor sugar
450g flour + extra for dredging
1tsp vanilla extract

Icing
300gs icing sugar
Box of coloured icing tubes with red and black
Or small chocolate chips
Green or blue colour for the eyes
Silver sugar balls

Method

Set oven to 180°.  Prepare two baking sheets with silicone or baking parchment. Cream the butter and sugar together, add in the eggs and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients and add to the eggs and butter mixture.  If this is a bit wet to be rolled out, add more flour.

It may help to refrigerate the dough for about an hour, cover & cool.  When ready, dredge a clean tabletop with flour and roll out dough no thicker than 5mm. Cut out shapes using a dog shaped cutter dipped in flour.  You can use any cutter really and make up your own decorations, but if you are set on the doggy theme and can’t find a cutter, make a tracing from one of the illustrations and redraw onto cardboard. Cut out and grease one side – you can then trace out each shape onto the dough. 

Cook for about 10 minutes and allow to cool. Mix sifted icing sugar with about two tablespoons of water to attain a thick consistency.  Ice biscuits and let the icing sugar dry.  Dot with black tube icing or use the chocolate chips.  Ice red collar and blue/green eyes.  Lastly, press silver balls into the collar to make studs. These end up looking too good to eat! Woof.

Kathy Santiago is a South African artist with an obsession with cakes of every kind. You can find her books on www.everlastingcakes.co.uk or at any good bookshop.