Monday, April 19, 2010

Melting moments and my final week in the job...

This is my final week at work for the moment*. I still have an awful lot to do (cleaning out desk, handover notes, lots of farewell lunches) but the number one thing I had to do before I leave this job is make biscuits.

Yep - you read correctly. I am the office baker and since I resigned I have had numerous requests for the melting moments I usually make for everyone around Christmas. So, never one to not produce the goods, I dragged the Kenwood Chef out for a spot of baking yesterday.

They are, for me, the perfect biscuit. Other than the fact that they don't have cinnamon in them, they are everything a biscuit should be. Buttery, crisp yet still crumbly, slightly tart with the addition of lemon zest to the icing, and above all else, entirely too moreish.



Melting Moments


Biscuit:

300 g (10 1/2 oz) plain flour

300 g (10 1/2 oz) soft butter

100 g (3 1/2 oz) icing sugar (not mixture)

100 g (3 1/2 oz) custard powder

Pinch of salt (I use Maldon)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Icing:

1 lemon – juiced and rind finely grated using a microplane, or zested and chopped finely

60 g (2 oz) melted butter

240 g (8 oz) icing sugar


Preheat oven to 180 C (160 C if fan forced). Line three baking trays with baking paper (this is what I do for my oven).


Beat together flour, butter, well sifted icing sugar, custard powder, salt and vanilla until well combined and pale. Using a teaspoon as a guide for the correct amount of mixture, roll the mix into small balls and place on a baking tray (I usually get 15 to a tray but my trays are fairly small). Press the biscuit down with the prongs of a floured fork to form a round biscuit.


Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until cooked but not coloured too much (if they are undercooked they won’t have the right crunch and will be far too soft so don’t worry if you get a little bit of colour on them). Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the tray before removing and then cool completely on a wire rack.


To make the lemon icing, sift the icing sugar really well, and mix with butter and lemon zest, adding lemon juice a tablespoon at a time until the icing is smooth but still quite stiff (you don’t want it too liquidy or it will run off the biscuits and not set properly). Spoon a small amount of lemon icing onto one biscuit and top with another biscuit. Makes 25 (but I usually make double quantities). Perfect for buttering up work colleagues!


Note: You can also make these with a passionfruit filling by swapping the lemon juice and rind for passionfruit pulp or vanilla icing by omitting the lemon and adding a teaspoon or two of Vanilla extact and a couple of tablespoons of water to the icing mix.

Kitty

*For the moment - not sure what will happen over the next few months but I am working on some ideas. More soon!

9 comments:

Not Quite Nigella said...

They look fabulous! Have a great last week at your work too! :D

Anonymous said...

oh, yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry, that's it. i'm just really hungry and now i want butter.

Elise said...

If you have left overs dont forget about me on level 16! ;)

Elise

Sydney Shop Girl said...

Gorgeous!!

Enjoy your final week. Just thinking of someone in the world in their final week of work by choice puts me in a happy mood :-)

Take care

SSG xxx

Amy said...

Kitty, I hope your last week at work goes swimmingly! How excited you must be - travel plans and a change of scenery when you come home. So much to look forward to! :)

The melting moments look delicious - I think I might have to whip up a batch soon, maybe at the weekend when I have family visiting (to help me eat them!). I cleaned out my pantry cupboard this weekend just gone and found a stray tin of passionfruit pulp. I was scratching my head trying to think what I would do with it (and how I got it in the first place!?) but now I think a nice passionfruit icing cementing those yummy melting moments together might be just the ticket.

Oh, and further to one of your recent posts, I sent you some NYC recs on facebook. Let me know if you didn't receive them; I think I ended up writing a novel (I got a bit excited at the thought of food in the Big Apple!).

xx

Miss Kitty-Cat said...

NQN - they are the best cookies. Have been making them for years!

Clare - they taste as good as they look. they really do!

Elise - they were gone in 15 minutes. I kid you not - people in this place are piglets!

SSG - I am starting to get really excited. The move was very daunting in the beginning but now it's just exciting. Plus I have my US trip next week!

Kitty

*misskitty* said...

oh my goodness miss kitty-cat they look simply divine! Maybe u can start up a little side business with your wonderful baked goodies! Best wishes for your final week and hope everything falls into place just like how you hoped it would :)

Miss Kitty-Cat said...

Hey Amy - thanks for your novel! I haven't had a chance to respond but I can't wait to try some of your suggestions! So sweet of you to go to the trouble!

*misskitty* - thanks for the good wishes! Still lots to do but that final day is creeping up...

Amy said...

No need to respond to my novel, Kitty - just making sure you received it before you depart! I imagine you must have a thousand things to get done before you go.

xx