So here's a little tutorial I've wanted to do for a little while. Biscuits (or cookies in the US) can come in all shapes and sizes, but it's often difficult to find cutters in the shape you want. At Christmas last year I spent ages just trying to find a star shaped one! But it's surprisingly easy to make your own, and then you can make them any shape you like. All you need is...
I forgot to take the photo until after I'd already cut up the pan, but it's very straightforward. Just cut the sides off a cheap, usually disposable aluminium roasting pan, then mark up lines around 1 inch apart. Cut down the lines, cutting the base into strips. Next, design your shapes. After the success of my Lady Grey Cupcakes and toppers I decided another tea themed treat would be perfect, what better for afternoon tea after all.
So I sketched out the outline of a cupcake, a teapot and a tea cup. Check by using a piece of string the same length, that the circumference of your shapes isn't longer than one aluminium strip. When you're happy with the shapes go round them in black pen so they're easy to see. 
Take a strip of the metal and bend it around the shape you've drawn out. It doesn't have to be that precise, as long as it looks like what it's supposed to! Use a ruler to bend it round for sharp corners. When you're happy with it, bend the end so it sits cleanly on top of where you started and staple the ends together a few times. 
And there you have it, some funky biscuit cutters. All you need to do now is whip up a basic biscuit mixture and get cutting. I decorated mine with some icing made from icing sugar, food colouring and a drop of water. (careful not to make it too runny)I think they could actually do with a bit more icing, but my cheap icing bag had broken and was making quite a mess.
So give it a go, the possibilities are endless... How about an animal, some people, or even buildings? All these funny shaped buildings popping up in London could make a novelty tea-time treat.
Emily Kate.