Orange Infused Iced Gems

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 4) and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle over the orange zest, fold the pastry over itself and roll out again. Repeat until the zest is evenly distributed.

Roll the pastry to approximately 3-4mm thick, then use a small round cutter to cut out bite-sized circles. Place the circles onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Leave to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the icing by whisking the egg whites in a large bowl until foamy. Gradually add the icing sugar, whisking continuously until stiff peaks form. Stir in the lemon juice until fully combined.

Divide the icing equally between three bowls and colour each with a few drops of food colouring. Spoon each icing colour into a piping bag fitted with a small round or star nozzle. Pipe neat peaks onto the cooled biscuit bases.

Reduce the oven temperature to 100°C, then return the iced gems to the oven for 15 minutes, or until the icing is dry to the touch.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before serving.