Makes: 24
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
You'll need a 5cm | 2inch round, fluted pastry cutter and 2 lightly oiled baking trays. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F, Gas 4). Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla essence. Sift the flour and salt into the mixture and mix until the dough is firm and smooth. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently with your hands. Roll it out to a thickness of 0.5cm | a quarter inch and stamp out the biscuits with a 5cm | 2 inch round, fluted pastry cutter. Knead together any trimmings and re-roll and stamp out more biscuits. Put them on 2 baking trays, lightly oiled. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are firm and pale golden. Cool them on a wire rack.
