Ingredients
100g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
275g plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g icing sugar
Edible silver balls

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with oven paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale, light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, a little at a time, until well combined. Stir in the flour until the mixture comes together as a dough.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 1cm.

Using biscuit cutters, cut biscuits in a shape of a star in three different sizes out of the dough and carefully place on to the baking tray.

Then carefully make a hole in the centre of the biscuit using a straw.

Bake the biscuits for 8-10 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to harden for five minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large mixing bowl (remove two tablespoons for later) and stir in enough water to create a smooth mixture.

Carefully spread some icing in the middle of the large biscuits.

Use the larger stars for the base of the tree, and continue with the smaller ones. Make sure the holes are placed on top of each other, then insert a straw into the holes to make it firm.

Pipe some icing on the edges of the star biscuits, add a silver ball and sprinkle some icing sugar.

Anton Dougall is an Expert on Maltese food.