Melting Moments — dainty eggless cookies

I confess — I have never been game enough to bake cookies at home. Until recently, that is. Once I kicked off, I just can’t resist the urge to fill my cookie jar with these homemade dainties. From the gorgeous macarons and classic anzac bikkies to the sinful melting moments and anything in between. Because… nothing—nothing beats homemade cookies. It’s such a guilty pleasure and the ultimate comfort food. Really. 

The wonderful aroma of baking followed by these warm, crumbly treats straight out of the oven with a glass of cold milk or a cup of hot tea is so comforting. Not much comes close to my idea of a relaxing day, except perhaps putting my feet up with a captivating novel by my favorite author, Judith McNaught.

After my highs and lows with macarons, melting moments was such a pleasant surprise. These are super-duper easy to make and so deliciously moreish! They remind me of the Danish butter cookies I used to enjoy when I was little. My brother too shared the same thoughts.

Melting moments, also known as yo-yo biscuits (especially when corn flour is substituted with custard powder), is a shortbread-like cookie. It has a light, fragile, buttery and crumbly texture. A texture that deliciously melts in your mouth. And rightly so. These cookies are usually sandwiched with lemon butter cream. However, after the oodles of butter and sugar that went into the recipe, I didn’t bother with the filling.

The downside? These are so sinful, and oh so easy to overindulge, ha! You just can’t help binging. I had to share most of them with my relatives and friends to stop myself from nibbling one after the other, and finishing the batch all by myself. A good decision it was, as the compliments came pouring. Everyone was impressed with how gourmet these tasted—in fact even superior to store bought ones they said! Only I knew it’s cinch to make— nonetheless, I couldn't help basking in the glory of their admiration.

You'll have immediate success with this recipe. Be sure to bring butter to room temperature before you start. Use a measuring spoon to roll equal sized cookies, and flour your hands before you roll the sticky, buttery dough. If it is still too sticky and soft, chill the dough it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. While baking, don’t overcook. Take the cookies out of the oven just as they are done for a melt-in-your-mouth texture. No need to brown. Personally, I slightly browned my first batch and loved it for it’s crispier texture.

 

So whether you are sitting down for a chitchat with friends over a cup of coffee, or in need for a little something to get the kids through the day at school or after school, or just looking for something to nibble with your afternoon tea, these buttery classics make a delicious treat. Just keep a watch on the portion size, as these are very rich.

A no fuss recipe for a phenomenal cookie treat, this one’s a keeper. Try it and see.

Melting Moments

(Recipe source: The Australian Women’s Weekly Macroons & Biscuits)

Ingredients
Makes 25 filled, or 50 unfilled ones

250g (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup (80g) icing sugar (confectioners’), sifted

1 ½ cup (225g) plain flour (all-purpose), sifted

½ cup (75g) corn flour (cornstarch), sifted

For butter cream filling

90g (3 ounces) butter, room temperature

¾ cup (120g) icing sugar (confectioners’), sifted

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 160^oC/325^oF. Line baking sheet or flat oven tray with parchment paper.

Beat butter, vanilla and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer mixture to large bowl, and stir in sifted flours using a wooden spoon. If the mixture is too soft and sticky, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

With floured hands, roll rounded teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place balls about 2.5cm apart on trays to allow room for spreading, and then flatten slightly with the back of a lightly floured fork.

Bake cookies about 15 minutes or until just cooked through and light golden. Stand 5 minutes in tray before lifting onto wire racks to cool. Dust with extra sifted icing sugar before serving, if you like.

To make the filling (if using), beat butter, sifted icing sugar and rind in small bowl with electric mixer until pale and fluffy; beat in juice. Sandwich cookies with butter cream.

Unfilled biscuits will keep in an airtight container, between sheets of waxed or parchment paper, for up to a week. Use metal tins to keep the cookies firmer. Filled biscuit will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.

This basic recipe is highly adaptable. Try using custard powder instead of corn flour for a delicious twist. Other variations are to use ½ teaspoon cardamom powder instead of vanilla extract, if you like. For variations in shape, use a star nozzle to pipe rosette shaped cookies. Alternatively, you can emboss the cookies with lovely motifs using a cookie die, medallion, coin, or just leave them plain. For a lovely variation in filling, use one strained passionfruit pulp instead of rind and juice of one lemon. Whatever your choice, these taste phenomenal.

Now I need to go figure out ways to melt off those extra inches from the cookies and other sweet treats I’ve been indulging in lately. Is there an easy way out, I wonder?  I want to enjoy my treats and stay slim and healthy, too!