Sunday 18 October 2009

Nutmeg and custard cream biscuits



This is the recipe that leaped out at me from Marcus Wareing’s new book “Nutmeg and Custard”. Originally I planned to make only the biscuits to accompany a crème brulee dessert but then I figured that if I just made more biscuits I could sandwich some as per this recipe.

Creme brulee is an amazing dessert and you can find the recipe here.

This was my plan – to use the biscuits for scooping up crème brulee. It was a very good plan, if I say so myself:

Originally I intended to roll the biscuit dough out and use a cutter but it’s far too short to be able to do that – these biscuits are buttery! You have to make a sausage of the dough and chill it...

....before cutting into discs:

These never hardened to crisp biscuits, I think they’re just too buttery to do that. They are like extremely crumbly rich shortbread and quite beautiful!

When I tasted the buttercream as I was making it, I wasn’t that impressed as the use of custard powder made it grainy in a way that I couldn’t beat out. However, when sandwiched between the biscuits it was divine. It’s not a filling that I would use in other ways though i.e. on top of a cake – it’s best between biscuits.

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:
150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
40g icing sugar
2 tablespoons custard powder
165g plain flour
1 grated nutmeg

For the custard cream filling:
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
75g icing sugar
2 tablespoons custard powder

Method

- Line a large baking tray with either baking paper or non-stick foil.

- Start by making the biscuit dough: Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

- Stir in the flour and custard powder until a dough forms – this will be sticky and extremely soft.

- On a sheet of clingfilm roll the dough into a sausage shape approximately 4cm in diameter.

- Wrap in the clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

- Preheat the oven to 165°C/fan oven 145°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.

- Cut the chilled dough into 24 slices (well, this is what you’re aiming for but I only got about 16) and lay them on the baking sheet. They will expand a bit on baking so place them about 1.5cm apart. Use two baking sheets if necessary.

- Grate the nutmeg all over the biscuits.

- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are golden.

- Leave the biscuits to cool on the tray – they are very soft on coming out of the oven.

- Now make the filling: beat all the ingredients together until smooth and well combined.

- When the biscuits are cold sandwich them together with the filling.

- Store for up to three days in an airtight tin.

- NB. You can also have the biscuits, without the filling, as an accompaniment to a dessert such as crème brulee

- Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have made.

- Eat.

13 comments:

trash said...

I think these will be our 'santa' biscuits this year.

silverpebble said...

Oh dear dear me. Look at that.

Rhyleysgranny said...

Oh now, they look lovely. I love the way you have the dough sliced soooo evenly. Mine would be all over the show

Katie said...

They look wonderful and so short and buttery. Using them to scoop up creme brulee is utter indulgance! Yum

Maggie said...

I am all for plans like this one!
These biscuits look wonderful.
I have had to give this cookery book a miss - the ceiling is about to cave in!!!

Cakelaw said...

Yum!! Be still my beating heart - I covet these - a lot!

pigpigscorner said...

They look and sound wonderful!

Talita said...

Nutmeg is so tasty! Sounds good in biscuits!

Pam said...

omg, this look great...I loved your blog :)
xxx

the princess said...

gosh those look scrummy!

Caroline said...

They look really yummy - short and crumbly! Can you taste the custard powder in them, or just the nutmeg on top? Might have to look in this book again when I'm at the shops next time - so easily led....

Sam said...

They look really crumbly and buttery, the perfect biscuit!

glamah16 said...

Those biscuits look so rich and buttery. Thye would be a good base too for a cheesecake.