Peppermint candycane shortbreads

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy, then mix in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt, mixing until a dough forms.

Divide the dough into three equal portions. Leave one plain, colour the second with the red gel food colouring and mix the sifted cocoa powder into the third.

Roll the plain and red doughs into logs of equal length and thickness, then freeze for 20 minutes until firm. Slice each log in half lengthways to form long triangular prisms, then repeat until you have 8 prisms of each colour.

Arrange 4 prisms together, alternating between red and plain, to form a log, pressing gently to seal the edges. Repeat with the remaining prisms and join the logs to create one long log, then freeze for a further 10 minutes to hold its shape.

On a sheet of parchment, roll out the chocolate dough to match the length of the dual-coloured log. Place the log in the centre of the chocolate dough, then roll up the dough to encase the log, using the parchment to help lift and press it snugly around the log. If the dough softens too much while shaping, freeze it for 15 minutes.

Slice the log into ½cm-thick discs and arrange them on the trays with a bit of space between each.

Bake for 12–15 minutes until set but still pale. Leave to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Chop the chocolate and gently heat it in the microwave until melted and smooth. Unwrap the candy canes and place them in a zip-top bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the candy canes into small pieces. Carefully dip the edges of each shortbread cookie into the melted chocolate and then coat in crushed candy canes. Keep aside to set.

Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.