Halloween has passed and the next occasion on the calendar is Bonfire Night. These colourful firework biscuits are a festive, easy-to-make treat that look impressive and taste delicious — a wonderful way to mark Guy Fawkes night with the family.
Why you’ll love this recipe
These biscuits bring a warm sense of nostalgia for Bonfire Night. They’re decorative, family-friendly and simple enough to make with children. They were always a favourite in my household — quick to bake, fun to decorate and perfect for sharing while watching fireworks.
Ingredients
If you’re unsure what to buy or which ingredients to substitute, here’s a concise guide to what each ingredient does and what to avoid.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted will work, though unsalted gives you more control over seasoning. Use butter at room temperature for easier creaming.
- Sugar – Golden caster sugar adds a subtle caramel note; regular caster sugar (superfine sugar in the US) is an acceptable substitute.
- Vanilla – Choose a good-quality vanilla extract or paste for the best flavour.
- Egg – Use a small egg for the biscuit dough and a large egg white for the royal icing. Keep yolks for another use like custard.
- Flour – Plain (all-purpose) flour is required. Do not substitute self-raising or other specialty flours unless you adapt the recipe accordingly.
- Cocoa powder – Use pure baking cocoa, not drinking chocolate mixes that contain sugar.
- Icing sugar – Confectioners’ sugar is essential for the royal icing to set correctly.
- Lemon juice – A small squeeze brightens the icing.
Emma’s top tips
Key tips to make the process smoother and the results better:
- Make the dough ahead and keep it wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days—this saves time on the day you bake and decorate.
- If time is tight, buy plain cookies and decorate them with ready-made icing.
- Always chill the dough before cutting and chill the cut shapes before baking to prevent spreading and preserve the shape.
- Let biscuits cool completely before decorating to avoid melting the icing.
- Decorating is a great family activity—get children involved with piping and sticking on sugar stars.
- Work on one biscuit at a time when piping, as royal icing sets quickly.
Timings
Estimate your time so the whole process fits smoothly into your day:
- Bring butter to room temperature before starting; timing depends on kitchen temperature.
- Mixing and rolling the dough: ~15 minutes.
- Chill the dough: 30 minutes.
- Cutting shapes: ~10 minutes.
- Chill cut shapes: 15 minutes (while oven preheats).
- Baking: 10–12 minutes per tray.
- Cooling fully: ~30 minutes (subject to kitchen temperature).
- Make and colour royal icing: 10–15 minutes.
- Decorating: ~15 minutes depending on design complexity.
- Set time for decorated biscuits: ~30–60 minutes.
Firework Biscuits – Step by step picture recipe
Please note: measurements are shown in UK metric and US cup equivalents where relevant.
Makes 18–20 biscuits
For the biscuits
- 125g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 100g (about 1/3 cup) golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 190g (1 1/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 30g (about 1/3 cup) cocoa powder
For the royal icing
- 1 large egg white
- 250g (about 2 1/4 cups) icing sugar
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Food gel colourings of your choice
Essential equipment
- Stand mixer or large bowl with hand whisk
- Spatula
- Baking paper
- Rolling pin
- 7cm round fluted cookie cutter
- 3 small bowls, 3 disposable piping bags
- 18–20 jazzy straws or lollipop sticks (optional)
- Sugar stars for decoration
Biscuit instructions
Preheat your oven to 180°C (170°C fan) / 356°F when directed below. In a stand mixer or a bowl with a hand whisk, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the beaten small egg and mix until incorporated.
Fold in the flour and cocoa with a spatula until the mixture forms a rough dough. Turn the dough onto a work surface, bring together into a ball, then divide in two. Roll each portion between two sheets of baking paper to about 6mm (1/4″) thick.
Chill the rolled dough for 30 minutes — this helps the cutters hold their shape. Once chilled, use the 7cm cutter to stamp out circles, re-rolling scraps to use all the dough.
Chill the cut biscuits for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven. Arrange them on a lined baking tray allowing space to spread and bake for 10–12 minutes. Let them cool on the tray for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Royal icing and decoration
Whisk the egg white, icing sugar and a little lemon juice on high speed for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Add cold water a drop or two at a time, mixing between additions, until the icing reaches soft peaks. Divide into three bowls and colour as desired; keep covered until ready to pipe.
Fill disposable piping bags and snip tiny holes from the tips. Pipe lines radiating from a centre point with dots at the ends to represent fireworks, and press small blobs of icing onto the biscuit to attach sugar stars. Optionally, attach a flattened straw or lollipop stick to the back with a blob of icing. Allow all biscuits to set completely on a wire rack before storing or serving.
How to store firework biscuits
Keep the biscuits at room temperature in an airtight container; metal tins are ideal for preserving crunch. Consume within 3–5 days for best texture and flavour.
If you like this recipe…
Try other Bonfire Night favourites such as bonfire toffee, chocolate cinder toffee, or traditional toffee apples for a themed spread.
I want to see your baking!
Made these firework biscuits? I’d love to see your photos. Tag me on social media or email a picture to [email protected].