Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper/baking parchment. Set aside.

Start with the vanilla batch. In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla extract and beat in until fully incorporated.

Whisk the egg in a separate bowl with a fork until an even colour is achieved. Spoon around ½ of the whisked egg into your biscuit mix and beat in until fully incorporated.

Sieve the flour over your biscuit dough and mix in with a wooden spoon until a dough is formed. It may be quite soft, but the flour on your surface during shaping will help this.

In a separate bowl, repeat steps 2 to 5 for your chocolate biscuit dough. Omit the vanilla extract and add the cocoa powder in at the same time as the plain flour.

Generously dust a clean surface with flour. Lightly dust your hands and a rolling pin for ease. Roll your vanilla biscuit dough out to around ¼ inch in thickness.

Using your person shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many biscuits as you can. Lay them on one of the lined baking trays in a row, leaving a slight gap in between. 3 rows across (tray being horizontal) allows for a sufficient amount of space.

Bring together the dough and roll it back out again to roughly the same thickness. Cut more figures out and place them on the tray.

Repeat this process until you have run out of dough.

Repeat steps 1 to 4 with your chocolate biscuit dough, laying your chocolate biscuits on the other lined baking tray.

Place the trays in the fridge while your oven heats up. This isn’t essential, but is encouraged when baking in warmer weather.

Preheat your oven to 180°C [350°F] or 160°C fan.

When your oven is up to temperature, bake your biscuits on the middle shelves for 10 - 12 minutes or until baked. The vanilla batch will be baked when golden and dry to touch. The chocolate biscuits will be baked when dry to touch. Resist the urge to bake for longer as your biscuits will continue baking on the trays while they cool!

You may need to take the top tray of biscuits out once baked and move the other tray up to bake for a minute or two more.

Once baked, leave your biscuits on their trays to continue baking and to cool.

When your biscuits are completely cool (room temperature), melt your chocolate.

Break the chocolate up into pieces if needed and place into a heatproof bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between until completely melted.

One at a time, dip the bottom halves of your biscuits into the melted chocolate. Hold them above the chocolate to let any excess drip off, then place them back onto the lined baking trays to set.

Once all of your biscuits have been dipped in chocolate, pour the remaining melted chocolate into a piping bag or sandwich bag. Snip the least amount of the end off for a very neat open end.

Pipe your desired facial expressions and outfits onto each biscuit. Have fun with this! Add any chocolate candies on as you go so that they are secured to the melted chocolate before it sets.

Feel free to set your chocolate dipped biscuits in the fridge. This only takes a few minutes as the chocolate sets while you work!

If using flavoured laces to display your biscuits, tie the middle of the lace around the waist of your biscuit, then loop each end back under the arms and up. Tie the very top. Your biscuits are ready for air stunts!