1. Place the flour, ground almonds, spices, bicarb and baking powder in a bowl and mix together. Set aside

2. Put the butter, honey, treacle and brown sugar in a pan, stir continuously over a low heat until just melted.

3. Pour the sugar mix into the dry ingredients and add the lemon juice, mix into a dough and allow to cool (the dough will go slightly more solid but will still be softer than your usual biscuit batter) for at least 20 minutes, longer if possible.

4. Grease and line a baking tray. Take walnut sized balls of the mix, roll loosely into ball shape and place on the baking tray. Place a couple inches apart as they will flatten and expand as cooking. This amount of mix will make 20 biscuits.

5. Bake in an oven preheated to gas mark 4 and bake for roughly 14-15 mins, after 15 mins I find they start to catch at the back, less than 13 they are too soft but this may vary by oven.

6. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool down fully.

7. Once cold, make up the royal icing by whisking egg white to soft peaks then whisking in the icing sugar until thick and glossy. Dip the top of each biscuit in the icing and set back on the cooling rack to set, it will take at least 40 mins for the icing to be fully firm.