Melting Moments with Rhubarb Jam Custard

        Soft crumbly buttery biscuits, that just melt in your mouth. Sandwiched with a sweet, smooth, creamy filling. It's like taking a bite of cloud - if you could indeed do so. This is exactly how it should be if these biscuits are done right. I've made melting moment biscuits a couple of times before but they've always been on the slightly crispy side, which is not what these biscuits are all about. I also sandwiched them with buttercream instead, but I think you can really fill them with whatever you please.

        This time I decided to make a rhubarb jam custard, as I was sent some jams to sample so thought I would use it in place of the stewed rhubarb for the custard as per original recipe. My biscuits turned out a little soft and fragile though, but they were a dream to eat. You just had to make sure you had a plate or your hand to catch the crumbs, so that there is no wastage =).

        I've turned to my favourite cookbook the Women's Weekly 'Cookies' book for these Melting Moment biscuits. These biscuits are so easy to make and don't require many ingredients at all. They are quite fragile so handle with care.  Like all sweet treats packed with butter and sugar, they are meant to be savoured, but it is very hard to stop after one.

Recipe: Melting Moments with Rhubarb Jam Custard

(Adapated from the Women's Weekly 'Cookies - rhubarb custard meting moments recipe)

Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 250g butter, softened

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 cup custard powder
• 1 cup plain flour

Rhubarb Jam Custard
Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 2-3 tbsp Anathoth Rhubarb & Red Berry Jam
(or use whatever jam you please)

        Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius/140 degrees for a fan forced oven. Beat the butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy.

        Sift together the custard powder and flour, then mix into the butter in two batches. It is supposed to be a very light wet mixture but should not be sticky, add a light sprinkling of flour if it is too wet, be careful not too add too much or else it will change the texture of the biscuits.

        Roll balls of dough and place on a baking tray. They say to use teaspoon measurements of dough but I do it freehand and mine are probably the size of small walnuts (shell on). Use a fork to flatten slightly and give the biscuits a bit of a ridge in them.

        Bake for approximately 15 minutes (more if you have larger biscuits) and then stand to cool.

        While the biscuits bake, make the custard filling. Combine the milk, custard powder and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add the jam and stir until well combined.

        The jam actually turns the custard a disgusting colour so I added some powdered red food colouring to make it look more appetising.

        Once the biscuits are cold, spread or pipe them with the filling and then sandwich together. This is where you will need to handle with care. But if you've got the dough right and baked them perfectly then they probably won't be as fragile as mine were.

        These biscuits really are the ultimate tea time treat. It'll be hard to stop at one. And they will melt in your mouth, true to their name.

        Thanks to Rachel from Beyond the Square Communication for sending me these lovely samples. I love jams, but actually rarely eat them. I think it's because the jars always look so pretty but when it comes to taste and texture, they've always disappointed me. Anathoth Jams have actually been on supermarket shelves for a while now but I've never thought to try them. They have recently launched this new flavour, Rhubarb & Red Berry.

        All I can say is, once I popped the lid off one of these tubs it only took days to empty it, compared to all the jam jars I have bought in the past that sit in the fridge almost full until past their expiry date. It's all natural, made of just fruit and sugar just as they are home made. There are no additives, preservatives, or extra artificial pectin added. You can tell from the way it just falls off your knife, unlike the solid jelly's that some other brands sell. I've promised myself that I'm going to make my own jam one day. Even if I do it just once.

        I originally made some scones to test out my jam samples but decided not to write about them just yet. They didn't turn out as I had imagined them to, and my technique needs some refining. I also need to follow the recipe properly. I'll be making them again soon so keep an eye out. I made some vanilla whipped cream to go with the jam. They were scrumptious little morsels. Not as good as the scones that the sweet old ladies from the Country Women's Association dished out at the Easter Show. But still tasty none the less.