Indulge your sweet tooth with Nigella Lawson’s irresistible heart-shaped custard cream biscuits, a delightful treat that’s as easy to make as it is charming to eat. These moreish biscuits, perfect for pairing with a cup of coffee or tea, take on an extra layer of sweetness when shaped into hearts and filled with creamy custard. Lawson herself describes them as “fabulous to eat” and “heavenly.”
Adding to the cuteness is the delicate stitching-like pattern around the edge of each heart-shaped biscuit. Lawson achieves this unique detail with heart cutters and a corn on the cob holder, which she calls her “patented tool.”
Ingredients for the Biscuits:
* 175g plain flour
* Three tablespoons of Bird’s original custard powder
* One teaspoon baking powder
* 50g unsalted butter
* 50g vegetable shortening (such as Trex)
* Three tablespoons caster sugar
* One large egg
* One tablespoon of milk or more to bind
Ingredients for the Custard Cream:
* One tablespoon of Bird’s original custard powder
* 100g icing sugar
* 50g soft unsalted butter
* One teaspoon boiling water
Instructions:
For the Biscuits:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark four).
2. Combine the flour, custard powder, and baking powder in a food processor and pulse to mix.
3. Add the butter, cut into cubes, and the vegetable shortening in mounded teaspoonfuls, pulsing until a crumbly mixture forms.
4. Tip in the sugar and pulse again.
5. Beat the egg and milk together and pour into the food processor with the motor running until the mixture forms a ball.
6. Form the dough into a ball, press it into a flat disc, wrap it in cling film, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 4mm. Dip a 5cm heart-shaped cutter in flour and cut out your shapes.
8. Prick the outside edge of each heart all the way around on one side using a corn on the cob holder or another pointed instrument.
9. Bake on a lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Allow the biscuits to cool on a rack before assembling.
For the Custard Cream:
1. Pulse the custard powder and icing sugar in the food processor until combined and smooth.
2. Add the butter and blitz until you have a smooth cream.
3. Add the boiling water and pulse again.
To Assemble:
1. Gently spread a layer of custard cream over the unpricked side of one biscuit.
2. Place a matching biscuit on top, wiggling it gently until it fits securely.
Enjoy these sweet and charming heart-shaped biscuits, a delightful treat that’s perfect for any occasion.
