Melting Moments Bickies

These small melt in your mouth sugar packed bickies, are the christmas tradition in my house. Making them at this time of year just seems to make them that much more special to my family and friends. Originally I kept this recipe a secret but gradually over the last couple of years I have learnt to share the joy! put them in a cute little box with a ribbon and you have the perfect christmas gift!

Note: this recipe takes patience and can be temperamental. Take the time to ensure you have exact ingredients, and that your butter is really well softened to room temperature. If you double the batch you run a much higher risk of it not turning out (it has worked about 50% for me when I double it). You are better off just making one batch at a time to ensure it will always be perfect.

Ingredients

1/4 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)--do not pack it down.

3/4 cup plain flour (just shy of this is perfect. I have learnt if you go over this at all it will not work)

1/4 cup custard powder ( this is available in the "gello"/pudding section of your supermarket. Should be in a little tub)

6 0z salted butter

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 355 F ( 180c)

Cream butter, slowly add the custard powder, constantly scraping down the sides of your mixer. Then gradually whip in the icing sugar. while mixing gradually spoon in the flour.

Using a freezer zip lock bag, cut off the tip to use for piping. spoon in the cookie mixture.

Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray and then lightly wipe it with a paper towel. You want the tray to be just barely oiled since the cookies are butter based!.

Pipe 1 or 2 on the tray and do a test run to see how long you will need to cook it. The cook time changes depending on different ovens I use. Time how long it takes for the edges to barely start turning brown and take your cook time as being 30 seconds less than that.

Pipe a small circle as shown in the picture.

Bake them for 9-15 minutes depending on your altitude and oven. Watch closely, when they are ready they will not be browned.

Allow them to sit on the tray for a minute and then while still warm slide the tip of a metal knife under them and transfer them to a cooking rack to cool completely.
Allow the cookie sheet to cool completely before piping more on.

Repeat until all the cookies are baked.

While they are baking prepare the frosting. (see directions below) Carefully put some frosting on a cookie and then with evenly distributed pressure slowly siggle the second on top. They are very fragile and at this point will break easily so be patient. It's SO worth it!.

Frosting Ingredients & Directions

125g Softened Salted butter (softened to room temperature)

1 1/4 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

2 tbsp whole milk

Beat butter and gradually whip in half the icing sugar, add in the milk 1 tbsp at a time. Then slowly whip in the rest of the sugar. Whualla. Easy!