Sticky Stick

Recipe by Juliet Sear for BBC Good Food

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INGREDIENTS

  1. 200g salted butter
  2. 200g golden caster sugar
  3. 1 large egg
  4. 375g plain flour
  5. 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  6. Mikado sticks [about 20 sticks]
  7. 50g white sugar paste
  8. 25g black sugar paste
  9. 25g red sugar paste
  10. 25g green sugar paste
  11. 200g milk chocolate (melted)

YOU WILL NEED

  1. Lined baking tray
  2. Bowls
  3. Spoons
  4. Small knife
  5. Scales
  6. Pastry brush
  7. Lolly sticks
  8. Ruler

Note: A grown-up must supervise and help with preparation.

METHOD

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and prepare two lined baking trays. Beat the butter and sugar together until combined then beat in the egg and vanilla. Add all of the flour and mix into a soft dough. If the dough is very soft chill for 15 mins before shaping.
  2. Roll the dough into log shapes about 1.5cm-2cm in diameter and then cut into pieces 15cm long.
  3. Insert a lolly stick into each biscuit as well as a mikado arm piece on each side. Place on the baking trays evenly spread apart.
  4. Bake for 15-20 min until golden brown, but check after 15 as all ovens will vary and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
  5. Melt the milk chocolate, and once the biscuits are cool use a pastry brush to gently paint all over the back of each stick, going a little around the sides and on the back of the Mikados.
  6. Once set flip the sticks over and paint the fronts, and then leave for 30mins to completely set.
  7. Add his leaf, eyes and mouth by moulding little pieces of the icing to create the boggly eyes, mouth and leaf. Stick them on using a little of the leftover melted chocolate.