• Sift the 300 g (2 cups) flour into a bowl and stir in the 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar.
  
• Keep the 200 g (1 cup) butter in one piece and gradually work it into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until it comes together into a dough. Knead well
  
• Dust the work surface with a little flour then pat the dough down and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about 1/2 cm (1/8 in). You may have to keep pushing the dough back together again as it is very crumbly.
  
• Cut out the biscuits (cookies) with a cookie cutter.
  
• Gently ease the cookies off the work surface with a palette knife (and cotton bud if required) and place onto a baking sheet.
  
• Roll out the remaining dough and keep cutting until all the dough is used.
  
• Bake in the oven at 180/170C Fan/ 325F for about 8 minutes until firm and pale golden brown. Lift onto a cooling tray with a spatula and leave to cool.
  
• Coronation Cookies can be stored for up to two weeks in an airtight container or frozen for up to 3 months.

To decorate

• Sieve the royal icing sugar into a bowl. You can use ready made royal icing sugar or melted white chocolate as an alternative to attach the decorations.
  
• Gradually add the water to the royal icing sugar until you have a stiff paste that will stick to your spoon. If it becomes too wet add a little more powder.
  
• Use a palette knife and spread a pea sized blob of royal icing onto each sweet (candy) and press them onto the cooled shortbread crowns. Leave until they are set hard.
  
• Serve for afternoon tea or as part of a party buffet.