Baking these biscuits will fill your kitchen with the most Christmassy aroma. Later today Arthur and I are going to make a couple of batches as Christmas gifts for his teachers. We'll keep them plain and pile them into traditional ridged glass jars adorned with some coloured ribbons. They'll look as pretty as a picture.

Here I have strung each biscuit with a coloured ribbon to finish - simply make an additional hole in the top of each biscuit before baking using the tip of a large icing nozzle. 

Orange & Cinnamon Biscuits

225g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
275g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Grated zest of an orange

Preheat the oven to 170°C / 325°F
In a large bowl or food mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour, cinnamon and orange zest and combine fully to form a dough.

Roll out your dough on a floured surface and press out your biscuits with your choice of cookie cutters. Place the biscuit on a baking sheet (no need to grease or line) and bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes, or until they are golden and slightly firm on top.

Carefully transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

Cerise And White Bakers Twine; Set of 4 Bauble cookie cutters; Medium Traditional Ridged Glass Biscuit Jar; Large Multicolour Party Honeycomb Ball - all from www.dotcomgiftshop.com