Halloween Spitzbuben

Cut the room-temperature butter into cubes. It should be soft enough that your finger can press a dent into it without resistance. Cold butter doesn't trap air, and without air the dough turns crumbly instead of short.

Add the caster sugar, salt and vanilla and beat everything with the hand mixer for two to three minutes, until the mixture is noticeably lighter.

Pour the beaten whole egg in a thin stream while the mixer is running. Tipping it all in at once is the most common mistake: the egg and butter separate, and the mixture no longer becomes smooth.

Add the white flour and mix only until no dry flour is visible. The less you work the dough, the shorter it will be.

Gently bring the crumbly mixture together with your hands: press, don't knead. Press it into a flat disc, wrap it in cling film and chill it in the fridge for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 190 °C fan. Roll the dough out to 3 mm thick on a little flour. Rolling pins with guide rings keep it evenly thick everywhere.

Using the round base shape of the Mix-and-Match cookie cutter, cut out 30 rounds. For half of them, which will be the lids, also cut a motif from the centre: hat, pumpkin or ghost. Place everything on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving some space between them.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes at 190 °C fan, until the edges just start to colour. Leave them on the tray until completely cool.

Mix the Royal Icing Mix according to the package instructions and divide it between three bowls. Leave one white, and colour the others with a little Gel color orange and purple. For dipping, the icing should be thick but still run smoothly off the spoon. If it is too stiff, stir in a little water, a few drops at a time.

Dip the lids top side down into the icing, let them drip briefly, then turn them over. Use a toothpick to remove excess icing from the cut-out motif and pop any small air bubbles.

While the icing is still wet, add the decorations: Candy eyes, a bat made of wafer paper, or a border of Halloween sprinkles. Then let the lids dry for at least one hour, until the icing is firm.

Bring the whipping cream and butter to a boil, pour both over the Dark couverture, let it stand briefly and then stir to a smooth, glossy mass. You will find the detailed instructions in the Carac recipe. Let the ganache set slightly so that it can be piped.

Fill Apricot jelly, forest berry jam and ganache each into a piping bag and pipe a dot into the centre of the bases, enough that it fills the motif when you place the lid on, but does not overflow the edge.

Carefully place the glazed lids on the filled bases and press them down very gently. Your Halloween Spitzbuben are ready!