These custard cream hearts are soft, buttery biscuits filled with a smooth custard-flavored cream. They are light, crumbly, and perfect for a sweet treat or special occasion.
Ingredients Needed:
For the biscuits:
- 175 grams of plain flour
- 3 tablespoons Bird’s original custard powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 50 grams of vegetable shortening (such as Trex)
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk or more to bind
For the custard cream:
- 1 tablespoon Bird’s original custard powder
- 100 grams of icing sugar
- 50 grams of soft unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon boiling water
How To Make Custard Cream Hearts?
- Prepare the dough: In a food processor, mix flour, custard powder, and baking powder. Add butter and shortening, then pulse until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add sugar and pulse again.
- Mix the dough: Beat the egg with 1 tbsp milk. Slowly pour into the processor while running until the dough forms a ball. Add more milk if needed. Shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for 20 minutes.
- Roll and cut the biscuits: Roll the dough on a floured surface to 4mm thick. Cut out hearts using a 5cm cutter. You should get around 28 biscuits for 14 sandwich cookies.
- Bake the biscuits: Use a pointed tool to gently prick the edges of half the hearts (these will be the tops). Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Let them cool completely.
- Make the filling: In a food processor, mix custard powder and icing sugar. Add butter and blend until smooth. Add boiling water and blend again until creamy.
- Assemble the biscuits: Spread 1 teaspoon of custard cream on the unpricked side of one biscuit. Gently press another biscuit on top, slightly wiggling it to secure.
Recipe Tips:
- Chill the dough before rolling: Letting the dough rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes makes it easier to roll out and helps the biscuits keep their shape while baking. If the dough is too soft, it will be hard to cut out clean shapes.
- Use a light touch when mixing: Overmixing the dough can make the biscuits tough instead of light and crumbly. Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
- Roll the dough evenly: Roll the dough to 4mm thick for the best texture. If it’s too thick, the biscuits will take longer to bake and may be too soft; if too thin, they may turn too crisp.
- Be gentle when assembling: The biscuits are fragile, so don’t press too hard when adding the filling. Instead, place the top biscuit on gently and give it a little wiggle to secure it.
- Let the biscuits cool completely before filling: If the biscuits are still warm, the custard cream filling will melt and make them too soft. Wait until they are fully cooled before sandwiching them together.
How To Store Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the Custard Cream Hearts cool completely to room temperature. Then, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. The biscuits will soften over time but will still taste good.
- Freeze: Place unfilled biscuits in a container with parchment paper between the layers and freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts:
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Total Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
- Sodium: 30mg
- Potassium: 20mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 18g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.5g
- Sugars: 9g
- Protein: 2g
Try More Nigella Lawson Recipes:
Nigella Custard Cream Hearts
Description
These custard cream hearts are soft, buttery biscuits filled with a smooth custard-flavored cream. They are light, crumbly, and perfect for a sweet treat or special occasion.
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
For the custard cream:
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a food processor, mix flour, custard powder, and baking powder. Add butter and shortening, then pulse until the mixture looks like crumbs. Add sugar and pulse again.
- Mix the dough: Beat the egg with 1 tbsp milk. Slowly pour into the processor while running until the dough forms a ball. Add more milk if needed. Shape into a disc, wrap in clingfilm, and chill for 20 minutes.
- Roll and cut the biscuits: Roll the dough on a floured surface to 4mm thick. Cut out hearts using a 5cm cutter. You should get around 28 biscuits for 14 sandwich cookies.
- Bake the biscuits: Use a pointed tool to gently prick the edges of half the hearts (these will be the tops). Place on a lined baking tray and bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Let them cool completely.
- Make the filling: In a food processor, mix custard powder and icing sugar. Add butter and blend until smooth. Add boiling water and blend again until creamy.
- Assemble the biscuits: Spread 1 teaspoon of custard cream on the unpricked side of one biscuit. Gently press another biscuit on top, slightly wiggling it to secure.
Notes
- Chill the dough before rolling: Letting the dough rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes makes it easier to roll out and helps the biscuits keep their shape while baking. If the dough is too soft, it will be hard to cut out clean shapes.
- Use a light touch when mixing: Overmixing the dough can make the biscuits tough instead of light and crumbly. Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
- Roll the dough evenly: Roll the dough to 4mm thick for the best texture. If it’s too thick, the biscuits will take longer to bake and may be too soft; if too thin, they may turn too crisp.
- Be gentle when assembling: The biscuits are fragile, so don’t press too hard when adding the filling. Instead, place the top biscuit on gently and give it a little wiggle to secure it.
- Let the biscuits cool completely before filling: If the biscuits are still warm, the custard cream filling will melt and make them too soft. Wait until they are fully cooled before sandwiching them together.
Nigella Custard Cream Hearts