Melting moments
Vegetarian
Very short, crumbly butter biscuits sandwiched in pairs with a tangy lemon butter icing. Cornflour makes them dissolve on the tongue.
Melting moments is an Australian sweet, ready in about 1 hour 16 minutes and made with unsalted butter and cornstarch. It serves 16 and is rated easy to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 16 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 16 min
- Serves
- 16
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 248
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 160 °C and line two trays. Beat the butter, icing sugar (opens in a new tab) and vanilla (opens in a new tab) 3–4 minutes until very pale and creamy.
Step 2
Sift in the flour and cornflour (opens in a new tab) and mix on low just until a soft dough forms.
- 2 min
Step 3
Roll into 32 balls of about 17 g and space them on the trays. Flatten each slightly with a floured fork.
- 12 min
Step 4
Bake 14–16 minutes, swapping trays halfway, until set and pale with just-golden bases. Cool 5 minutes on the trays (they are very fragile), then cool completely on a rack.
Step 5
Beat the filling butter, icing sugar (opens in a new tab), lemon zest (opens in a new tab) and juice until fluffy. Sandwich the biscuits in pairs with a teaspoon of filling.
About this dish
- Origin
- Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainA tea-time favourite in Australia and New Zealand; the name is also used in Britain for a different oat-coated biscuit.Also popular in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom
- Dish
- Snack · Dessert · Sweets & confectionery
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked
- Taste
- buttery, sweet, citrusy
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium - Good for
- Make-ahead · Festive & celebration · Child-friendly
- Cook more with
- Unsalted butter · Cornstarch · Icing sugar · Vanilla extract · All-purpose flour · Lemon zest
- Techniques
- Baking
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter
- Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
- Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
248 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 48 g · recipe makes 16
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 3%
- Carbohydrate 40%
- Fat 57%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 248 kcal | 522 kcal |
| Protein | 1.6 g | 3.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.1 g | 52.9 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 24.7 g | 52 g |
| Sugars | 9.9 g | 20.8 g |
| Added sugars | 9.8 g | 20.6 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g | 0.9 g |
| Fat | 15.9 g | 33.4 g |
| Saturated fat | 9.8 g | 20.6 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg | 88 mg |
| Sodium | 3 mg | 6 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 22 mg
- Calcium
- 7 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 4 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 133 µg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 42 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Bake low and slow — these should stay pale.
Common mistakes
- Moving them while warm breaks them; they firm up as they cool.
Serve with
- Serve with tea; dust with icing sugar for a party plate.
Storage
- Airtight in a cool place up to 5 days; unfilled biscuits keep 2 weeks.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
Baker’s notes
Customise in Bread & BakeryTimeline and readiness cues
Mix and knead · about 30 min
Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.
Bake · about 16 min at 160 °C
Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.
Cool · about 30 min
Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.
- Start to finish: about 1 h 16 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.
If something goes wrong
Pale crust
Likely causes
- Oven too cool
- Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
- Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)
What to do
- Check the oven with a thermometer
- Brush with egg wash or milk
- Shorten the fermentation
Burnt bottom
Likely causes
- Tray too close to the heat
- Dark tray absorbs more heat
- Too much sugar in the dough
What to do
- Bake on the middle shelf
- Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
- Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
Cracked or domed top
Likely causes
- Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
- Too much leavening
- Overmixed batter
What to do
- Lower the oven 10–15 °C
- Use the exact leavening amount
- Fold just until combined
Dry or crumbly
Likely causes
- Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
- Over-baked
- Too little fat or sugar
What to do
- Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
- Check 5 minutes early
- Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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