Classic Melting Moments

Pretty and popular, Melting Moments may just be the perfect afternoon tea treat.

With a distinctly tender and smooth texture, these biscuits quite literally melt in your mouth – and for that moment can transport you to a state of buttery, biscuity bliss.

The Recipe for Classic Melting Moments

The earliest recipe I can find for Melting Moments in Australia is in Adelaide's Chronicle newspaper in 1915, though this recipe contained an egg unlike modern Melting Moments recipes.

By around 1940, the recipe had developed into something that more closely resembles today's recipes. Nana Ling recorded her Melting Moments recipe around this time.

What's missing from her recipe is the direction to make a fork pattern on the top of the biscuits (which is a distinguishing feature of today's Melting Moments) and the buttercream filling that we now associate with these biscuits.

I've also tweaked Nana Ling's recipe a little, in addition to adding the above things, so be sure to keep scrolling to the end of the post for the updated recipe.

The Ingredients for Melting Moments

Melting Moments are made from a simple list of ingredients:

• butter
• icing sugar (confectioners/powdered sugar)
• vanilla extract
• plain flour (all purpose flour)
• cornflour.

To make the buttercream filling, you'll need some extra butter and icing sugar along with half a lemon.

Making Melting Moments

Before you start

Take the butter out of the fridge about half an hour before you start to make it easier to cream.

Measure out the ingredients and pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan forced) (320 degrees fahrenheit).

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Mixing the biscuits

Beat the butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract together until the mixture reaches a pale colour.

Stir in the sifted flour and cornflour ⅓ at a time using a rubber spatula.

Using floured hands, roll the mixture into small balls (about ¾ tablespoon full or 17-18 grams).

Place the balls onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.

You should have 14 balls and leave at least 3cm between each on the tray.

Flatten each ball slightly using a floured fork (making a fork pattern on the top of each biscuit).

Baking the biscuits

Bake for 15 minutes or until the biscuits turn a pale yellow golden colour and are firm to touch.

Allow the biscuits to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Making the buttercream

Beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and fluffy.

Stir through 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice and zest from ½ a lemon.

Pipe about a tablespoon of buttercream on the flat side of one biscuit and sandwich another on the top, flat side down, and gently squeeze together until the filling reaches the edges of the biscuit.

You can, of course, just spoon the buttercream onto one biscuit rather than using a piping bag – it just won't look quite as neat. But, hey, they'll taste just as wonderful.

Tips and variation ideas

• remember to let butter soften out of fridge for about half an hour before starting the recipe, otherwise your butter may form lumps rather than being distributed evenly through the mixture
• use the best quality butter you can afford
• don't skip the sifting step – sift both the flours together
• flour your hands when rolling the balls and the fork before pressing into the top of the biscuit
• let the biscuits cool completely before attempting to fill otherwise the buttercream may melt and the biscuits will slip apart
• you can change up the buttercream flavouring to create some amazing Melting Moment variations – my favourite is Passionfruit Melting Moments but you could try another citrus fruit, chocolate, caramel, raspberry... get creative!

Recipe FAQs

Q. How long will these keep?

Filled with cream, these will last a few days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Unfilled, they should last a week and don't need to be stored in the fridge.

Q. How to store Melting Moments?

They can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature (provided it's not too warm).

Q. Can I freeze Melting Moments?

You sure can. Freeze for up to three months in an airtight container.

Q. My Melting Moments don't look like yours, they're flat – what happened?

The mostly likely cause is an oven that's too hot, causing the butter to melt too quickly before the cookie has taken its shape.

Q. Do you have other old fashioned biscuit recipes?

Plenty! You might like my recipes for Honey Jumbles, Snickerdoodles, Arrowroot Biscuits, Spicy Fruit Rolls, Cornflake Cookies, Ginger Biscuits, Anzac Biscuits, Iced Vovos, Honey Biscuits and Butternut Cookies.