Cream together the sugar and Stork / butter, then mix in the milk, lemon zest and vanilla

Mix in the flour, baking powder and xanthan gum if using until you form a dough. Gluten-free flour may need an extra tablespoon of milk added in

Sprinkle in the poppy seeds and knead through

Roll or pat out the dough to around 5mm thick and cut rounds out with a 3 inch cookie cutter. I get between 24 - 30 depending on the flour I use

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes until golden

Pipe a white background circle onto each cookie and let set

Colour the rest red

The poppy emblem used by the British Legion is the shape of a number 8 with a wider bottom or a snowman if you can picture that better. Put the red icing in a piping bag and pipe that outline onto each cookie then go back and fill the shapes in

When the red has set use the black to pipe a dot in the middle of each poppy

Then use the green to make the stems or a leaf if you like

In memory of those who fought for their countries and laid down their lifes in the hope that the future could be lived in peace. Lest We Forget.