Mini Bourbon Hearts

To make the biscuits. In a roomy mixing bowl sift together the flour, cocoa and icing sugar then add the soft butter and rub in by hand until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix together the vanilla extract and the egg yolk then make a well in the centre of the rubbed in mix and add the egg. Stir with a knife until the dough starts to stick together then finish off by moulding the dough into a ball with the hands.

Place the dough between two sheets of reusable plastic (liners from cereal packets are perfect for this) and roll out into a circle measuring about 10 inches in diameter. Slide the plastic and dough onto a baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.

Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and cut out 40 mini hearts, reusing and rolling out the trimmings as necessary. Pop the cut outs onto a baking sheet lined with reusable baking parchment then pop into the fridge and turn the oven on to 190 degrees c.  (180 degrees c fan assisted)

When the oven has reached temperature slide the chilled biscuits into the oven and bake for 8 minutes. The biscuits may still feel a little soft so allow to cool on the tray before lifting and transferring to a cooling rack to go completely cold.

Whilst the biscuits are cooling mix the filling. Whisk the soft butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy then add the icing sugar in three parts, whisking well between each addition. Whisk in finally the cocoa powder and vanilla and continue to mix until the cream is evenly coloured. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a wide plain nozzle.

Pipe cream onto the wrong side of 20 biscuits and sandwich together with another 20 biscuits.

Melt the plain chocolate either in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring between each blast. Drizzle over the sandwich biscuits, topping off with a few sprinkles before the chocolate sets.  These biscuits will keep for a week in a tin.