Custard Biscuits

The best thing about these custard biscuits, besides their deliciousness, is how quick and easy they are to make. So quick you can whip them up in about 20 minutes for unexpected morning or afternoon tea guests! They are also a great biscuit for the kids to help make.

I use my Thermomix to make the batter but you certainly don't need one to make these biscuits. There are also many variations you can try. The recipe below is for the plain vanilla ones, however you can add about 40-50g of cocoa to make chocolate ones; or sprinkle with chopped nuts and other toppings as seen in picture at the bottom of this post for more variety.

 

Custard Biscuits

 

Makes approx. 30

 

250g unsalted butter (softened is better if not using a Thermomix)

50g (1/2 cup) pure icing sugar plus extra for dusting

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

210g (1 3/4 cups) plain flour

50g (1/2 cup) custard powder

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius fan forced and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. If you don't have two trays, you can just bake alternative batches using same tray once it has cooled slightly.

 

2. Place butter, sugar and vanilla into Thermomix and mix for 20 seconds at speed 5. If using a food processor, process for a couple of minutes or until ingredients are well combined.

 

3. Add flour and custard powder into Thermomix bowl and knead for 30 seconds. If using a food processor, pulse until just combined. If you over mix, the biscuits may not have the soft texture that you are after.

 

4. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place on prepared trays. I use a measuring tablespoon to try and get them all roughly the same size. Then using a small fork dipped in a touch of flour (so as not to stick), slightly flatten each ball. This will give the biscuits a lovely ridged design.

 

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden. Once removed from oven, leave them on tray to cool or wait 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If you try to move them too soon after taking out of the oven, they will break. They harden a little as they cool.

 

6. Finally, dust them with a little icing sugar to make them look pretty :)



 

 

 

Pistachio and Apricot Biscotti

These biscuits need to come with a warning label! They are addictive. This recipe was inspired by my mum's almond biscotti which are also hard to stop eating once you start. I decided to make them with pistachios and dried apricots because I love those two things and because I love the colour. You could really substitute any type of nut or dried fruit that you like. Next time I may try some cranberries.

These are a perfect little morning or afternoon snack with coffee or tea. Or for something a little fancier, serve them as an accompaniment to ice-cream. They are super easy to make and can be mixed by hand.

Pistachio and Apricot Biscotti

Makes 100-120 biscuits

5 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2 cups plain flour
120g pistachios*
120g dried apricots, chopped into quarters*

* These are approximate measurements.

1. Combine eggs and sugar in a bowl and mix with a spoon.

2. Add flour, pistachios and apricots and mix well, until all combined. Batter will be similar to a thick dough, although not dry.

Love the colour! Just throw everything in and mix together well.

 3. Pour dough out into a flat tin. The tin I used was approximately 26 x 17cm and 3cm deep.

4. Bake in 160 degrees Celsius fan forced oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.



Just out of the oven.
 

 5. Leave to cool for 20 minutes and whilst waiting, turn oven down to 120 degrees Celsius fan forced.

6. After leaving to cool for 20 minutes, slice the slab up and place individual biscuits on lined trays. I cut the biscuit slab in half lengthwise first and then sliced each row up. You need to slice carefully so that you end up with thin biscuits. I think my mum may use an electric knife for this but I managed with an ordinary one. I started off with a large serrated knife but found that the best job was done by a small serrated steak knife. It gave a cleaner cut so that biscuits were left with a smooth, rather than crumbly, surface.

7. Return each tray to the oven for 20 minutes, turning biscuits over half way through.

 8. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Then place in an airtight container. These biscuits keep for quite some time, but I have no idea exactly how long because they get eaten pretty quickly! Enjoy xx