Everyone loves custard creams, they’re the ultimate English biscuit perfect for tea dunking. Combine this with a much loved English desert, apple crumble, and you’re onto a winner! I discovered this recipe in a book I picked up in Marks and Spencer a few weeks ago, out of the dozens of wonderful cookie recipes this one simply jumped off the pages, begging me to make them.
The dough is a little tricky to work and tore quite easily when cutting out shapes but it really was worth the extra time and care. The bran in the biscuit gave a wonderful hearty crunch and complimented the creamy custard center perfectly. An utterly delightful biscuit, perfect for your morning cup of tea!
Apple Crumble Custard Creams
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
2 tsp water
125g butter, softened
75g brown sugar
2 tbsp apple juice
150g self raising flour
110g plain flour
30g oatbran (I used wheat bran)
20g dessicated coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp icing sugar
Custard Cream:
1 tbsp custard powder
1 tbsp caster sugar
125ml milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
125g cream cheese softened
Stew apple with the water in a small saucepan with the lid on until tender. Mash with a fork and leave to cool.
Beat butter, sugar and apple concentrate in a small bowl till creamy.
Stir in sifted flours, oatbran, stewed apple, coconut and cinnamon in two batches.
Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. Roll dough between two sheets of baking paper till around 3mm thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Pre heat oven to 180C/160C fan assisted. Grease oven trays and line with parchment.
Using a cutter cut around 40 shapes from dough. Place shapes around 3cm apart on oven trays and bake for around 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
While the biscuits are in the oven, make the custard cream. Blend custard powder, sugar, extract and milk in a small pan; stir over a medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, cover surface with clingfilm and leave to cool. Beat the cream cheese until smooth then add custard mixture and beat til combined.
Sandwich cookies with custard cream and serve dusted with icing sugar.
How brilliant are they? Fabulous! I bet they tasted great. I would have homed in on this recipe too, athough I don't know if I would be able to make them with such elegance.
I've never heard of custard creams. They're very pretty!~ingrid
They're wonderful! I love them.
They look so good! I have never had this kind of treats before… your recipe makes me want to try some!
Okay, this is seriously what I call a good idea – I think you just combined my two favourite things in the world, haha. Saving this recipe!
They're such seriously pretty biscuits! I like custard creams but I know that I'd LOVE the apple version!
These sound and look truly amazing!! Custard creams with apple – oh my goodness just divine.
These look incredible Katie, very pretty and really tasty too!
Those lok so pretty and must taste wonderful! Yummy!Cheers,Rosa
These look delicious. I've never had custard cream before – they definitely sound like they'd go well with a cup of tea.
these are so sweet looking
Oh yum these sound wonderful. The best of both worlds 🙂
I LOVE the name of these alone but they also look really yummy!Mariax
Btw Katie, I just realised we have the same cake stand!! I got mine at TK Maxx ;o)Mariax
Haha, me too! I was torn between the black and white version! So much so I'm debating going back for the black one :DGreat minds think alike :DKatie xox
These are so cute! Great recipe!
these are cute and look delicious!