As a kid I was rather attracted to anything with custard in it. My mum’s egg custard using our backyard chook eggs was a firm favourite, along with a coconut custard pie that she would sometimes make. Always offering to ‘wash’ the pot for her, I would scrape out every last tiny spec left on the bottom of the pot. This was the beginnings of building my strong custard foundations.
My sister and I next discovered that custard powder was an easy way to make your own after dinner treat. Just add milk, cook and your away. A lovely bowl of sloppy sweet goodness. (My sister using so much custard powder in there that the spoon would stand straight up in it.)
My grandmother always used to keep ready-made custard in a carton in the fridge, for when ever hungry grand kids came to stay. I’d eat my weight in it for dessert, followed quickly by breakfast over the top of my weetbix, (these sorts of things you can get away with when you bat your eyelashes, and try to look like a hungry waif. Grandma was always keen to feed me up.)
Outside the home, if we ever went to a bakery it would always be a custard tart, or a custard slice (vanilla slice) that I would choose. There was no need to consider anything else as clearly custard reigned supreme in the bakery choices.
These days my custard consuming as been curtailed a little. The palate is a little more picky and the metabolism a little more sluggish than my frantic teenage appetite for all things custard. Although I did recently introduce Little Monkey to a beautifully delicate French patisserie custard slice. He was keen. As he elbowed his way through to the last portion that I had stupidly been slower to eat. Looks like the little fella might be following in similar custardy footprints.
Custard Biscuits
Cream together
200gms softened butter
100gms (1/2 cup) caster sugar
then add
70gms (1/2 cup) custard powder
225gms (1 1/2 cups) plain flour
1 tps vanilla essence
mix together, and shape
I used a piping bag to shape these, or you could easily roll them into balls and squish them down as well. Bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes, or until a light golden colour.
cityhippyfarmgirl 
I don’t mind a bit of custard my self. My mother maks the best egg custard – my grandmother made it as well.
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It’s good stuff isn’t it Debra. Although I was rather partial to the Italian crema.
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These look amazing and really posh!
I was just thinking of having a go at the Baked Nutmeg Custard in the Read Food Companion. Have you tried it?
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Haven’t tried it yet BM. But I’ve eyed it off a few times…I’d love to know how you go with it though.
The biscuits look far fancier than they are 😉
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Tried it last night. So simple. Tasted very eggy. Like what you would have on a bread and butter pudding. I liked it but would put a little more sugar. I didn’t have my kitchen scales so might have been way off anyway. I would certainly try it again.
: )
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Sounds delicious – there is nothing like some warm custard over a pudding – though I have only ever made it from powder – that stuff is magic – I love how you pipe these – they look so attractive
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I hadn’t bought it for years, until these biscuits came a calling. It’s like having an old friend in the cupboard again.
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Not sure I went quite as wild with custard as you did, but it did feature quite a lot when I was growing up. Your biscuits look so elegant – I really must master this piping bag thing.
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The piping was an easy one as it’s quite a stiff dough going through. No sloppy drips, as I had to cut the edges when it was the right size.
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I too love custard and have been using my aunts recipe for custard cookies forever and they are so easy.
🙂 Mandy
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Super easy Mandy! Nothing I like better than an easy biscuit recipe.
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I will have to give these a try, I love custard too, I remember all the treats you mentioned.
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I’ve been trying to summon up the courage to give the old vanilla slice a crack…. I think that could be next.
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you know I read your post this morning & I absolutely had to make a custard triflfe.
your biscuits look great, love the piping bag look.
♥
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Mmmm custard trifle. I’d forgotten about that one.
Your lucky family.
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these look great. they would be lovely with a cup of tea. the recipe seems very similar to a shortbread. I’d love to see what custard powder would do to the flavour. thank you for the recipe.
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They are very shortbready, buttery, and dunked into a tea would disintergrate in a flash. The custard powder gives it a little hmm, what’s that…let’s try another to work that out. Sort of taste.
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haha! I love biccies that make me do that!
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I’ve never heard of custard powder…what would you do without it?
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I’ve never heard of custard powder either. I’m assuming it is like a pudding mix? Maybe not.
The cookies look delectable- I think I’d like them half dipped in a dreamy dark chocolate- but I like everything dipped in dark chocolate. 🙂
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Those look pretty and yummy. I have never used custard powder. i need to google it.
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Citysister, Heidi, Shayray- My USA ladies, Do you have custard in the US at all then? I’m wondering whether it’s a British thing that has carried over?…. Custard powder is basically just cornflour, with some vanilla, sugar, colour added. You add milk and it turns into a smooth sloppy thing. So adding it to the cookie gives it the custardy taste but without the sloppy.
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You can never go wrong with a shortbread biscuit…and the added custard powder is always a winner! These look great and show off your skills in piping…Perfetto! x
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Thanks Yvette. I do like a little piping here and there 🙂
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My teens are very keen on custard, frequently coming home with a pack of the ready made stuff from the supermarket fridge. I prefer the home made variety, but am not above cheating with the shop stuff when time/motivation is short. 😉
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It’s good stuff isn’t it Amanda.
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I love how you composed these biscuits to come up some stunning photos. I think I just learnt something. Only minutes ago I was trying to take photos of a cake sitting on a rack, a bit like your bikkies I suppose, and I just couldn’t seem to get it right. There is definitely such a thing as a photographic eye and Im afraid I haven’t got it. Nicely done.
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Ahh the photographic eye…. sometimes it’s there no problem, and other times, the lighting will be terrible, a Monkey is trying to drag my pants down, everyone is hungry and it’s just not working at all. You do some gorgeous photos Mariana I don’t doubt your cake pics for a second!
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Thanks. You made me laugh with the image of a Monkey trying to drag down your pants. Love it.
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I love custard! Especially in the form of portugese custard tarts! These bicies look so yum. To dunk into a bowl of custard 😀
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now theres a thought
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I do love a bit of custard! I never understood people who thought that you ‘needed’ something to put the custard over – I don’t get it, Custard is a perfectly acceptable dessert in it’s own right!
Your bickies look scrummy!! 🙂
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Hear, hear I say… Why don’t restaurants serve up solo bowls of custard?
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Lovely oldy-worldy bikkies, Brydie! I’m sure the Monkeys loved them! 🙂
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Inhaled they were Celia
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We had to stop keeping custard or making it in any form as it never lasted overnight with Kris…, he was one custard fiend. And somehow I’d sort of forgotten about its tempting little tastes. Love that you’ve piped these, they look awesome 🙂
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Love a bit of piping here and there.
Sounds like Kris would have given me a run for my money.
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Oooh another very keen custard fan! And vanilla bean for me please, not so crash hot on the chocolate custard. These biscuits look wonderfully tender!
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chocolate custard?… nah, not for me either.
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As you know I couldn’t refrain from ripping into my offerings of these the minute I stepped into my car, and that was despite the fact I was off somewhere else for dinner. Suffice to say that a quick succession of four of these in a row left me happy and satisfied, but my mother less than impressed by my diminished appetite!
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I think I might have downed a few before a meal time as well, with same effect.
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Yum. Would love to try these. I am so going to try and get the oven fixed and start baking again.
http://garden2plate.blogspot.com/
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Oooh, yum! I love custard too, haven’t had any for far too long. The biscuits look fab – I love piping dough like that – it’s so satisfying isn’t it!
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Deeply satisfying C! I’m glad you understand.
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Is it bad that I still discreetly call vanilla slices ‘snot blocks’? Not that that makes ’em irresistable. I suspect that recipe would bring out all kinds of can’t-hold-back evil…
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Since making those biscuits, all I can think of is giving the old ‘snot block’ a crack. Trying to hold back from it….but…hard….
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I made them and they are delish – very shortbreadi-sh and melting moment-ish at the same time. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
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Thanks Jodie. I’m glad you liked them!
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Love what those monkeys are wearing! I always feel a tad sad when I see little girls dressed up in costumes in the street, like fairy costumes, they aren’t using their imagination like the monkeys. I have no custard powder but it looks like I’ll be picking up some on the way back from the greengrocer.
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