Make, bake and tape your Easter gifts and have fun with the family at the same time. Emma Harrowing finds out how you and your family can have an egg-cellent time by making your own egg-shaped cookies.

Egg-shaped cookies

What you need

225g/8oz flour

5ml/1tbsp baking powder

100g/4oz butter

175g/6oz caster sugar

5ml/1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

And…

Easter egg-shaped cutter

Ready-made sugar paste in spring colours

Tubes coloured icing

White vegetable fat

Small quantity buttercream to act as glue

Rolling pin

To make the vanilla cookies:

1 Rub butter into sifted flour and baking powder, add sugar then mix to a dough with vanilla and egg.

2 Roll the dough fairly thinly on a lightly floured surface and cut out 25-30 egg shapes using an egg-shaped cutter.

3 Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet allowing space for spreading, then bake at 190c/Gas Mark 5 for about 10-15 minutes or until brown.

4 Cool on a wire rack before decorating.

To decorate:

1 Lightly grease work surface with the fat and roll the kneaded coloured sugar paste to a thickness of approximately 3-4mm.

2 Using the same egg-shaped cutter that cut the cookie shapes, cut a shape from the sugar paste, lift carefully, moisten the back with buttercream and place on the cookie. Repeat with other cookies in an assortment of colours.

3 Use a finger moistened with water to smooth and round the edges.

4 Add designs to the sugar paste with the tubes of coloured icing.

Where to buy your materials…

Hobbycraft, Jarrolds, Lakeland and all good supermarkets.

Get crafty in the city

HobbyCraft on Riverside Retail Park is holding free Easter craft workshops on selected dates throughout April.

Find out how to make an Easter basket on Sunday and April 23, how to make an Easter bonnet on Saturday and how to make an Easter wreath on April 22. The free workshops take place between 11am and 3pm.