Cream butter and sugar in your table top mixer or with a hand held beater until pale and creamy.

Add egg and continue to beat until it's mixed well.

Add the flavouring, beat in.

Add the flour and beat until you get a dough. Use your hands at this stage if you have to but DO NOT KNEAD, you'll end up with rubbery cookies.

Divide the dough into 2 and flatten into discs, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Line your work surface with baking paper and get one one of the dough portions out. Place the same cling film on the dough and roll it out to a thickness of about 4-5mm. The cling film with stop the dough from sticking to your rolling pin (my granny's trick).

Slide the baking paper with the dough onto a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to harden. This will allow you to cut and move the shapes easily.

Cut the shapes out and place on baking sheet, leaving about an inch of space all around.

Back in the fridge for 30 minutes (I know!). Turn the oven on to 180˚C/Fan 160˚C.

After 30 minutes, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Definitely check at 10!

Cool completely before icing.