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Custard creams on a yellow serving plate.
cookingwithmykids

Custard creams

Custard creams are a classic biscuit in the UK. They're a delicious crumbly biscuit sandwiched with custard flavoured buttercream icing, and this easy recipe means you can make them at home.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Afternoon tea, Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 503
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the biscuits
  • 175 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
  • 140 g (⅔ cup) butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 225 g (1 ¾ cups) self raising flour
  • 85 g (¾ cup) custard powder
For the custard cream filling
  • 150 g (1 ¼ cups) icing sugar
  • 75 g (⅓cup) butter
  • 3 tablespoons custard powder
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • A splash of milk

Equipment

  • Digital scales
  • baking tray
  • Measuring cups
  • Wooden spoons
  • Palette knife
  • Piping bag
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C Fan / 350F and line 2-3 baking trays with baking or parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar
  1. Measure out the sugar and butter and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. The butter needs to be soft so that it mixes in so if yours isn't cut it into a few pieces and pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds or so, until it has softened (but not long enough to melt it).
    Using the k-paddle of your mixer, a hand held mixer or wooden spoons, beat the butter and sugar until it is nice and smooth.
Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract
  1. To separate the egg yolk from the egg white, have a small bowl under your egg when you crack it. Tip the egg yolk from one half of your egg shell to the other, letting the egg white fall into the bowl below.
    When all the egg white or as much of it as possible has been removed from the yolk, tip the egg yolk into your mixing bowl.
  2. Now, add the vanilla.
    Mix the egg white and vanilla into your creamed butter/sugar mixture.
Add the flour and custard powder
  1. Measure out the flour and custard powder and add them to your mixing bowl. Mix it all in, so it comes together nicely in a ball of biscuit dough. You might need to go in with your hands at the end to bring it all together fully.
Make the custard cream biscuits
  1. Roll small pieces of dough (the size of a walnut or teaspoon's worth) into round balls. Place on your prepared baking trays, leaving space between them for spreading.
    Press the biscuits down a little with your hands or a fork.
  2. Chill your trays for 10 minutes or so.
Bake the custard cream biscuits
  1. Bake the biscuits in the oven for around 12 minutes. They're ready when they have started to turn a little golden brown at the edges.
    Remove the biscuits from the oven and leave them to cool on their baking trays for a few minutes, before putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the custard cream centre
  1. Measure the icing sugar, butter, custard powder and vanilla extract out and add them to a mixing bowl or free-standing mixer.
    Using a hand held mixer or the k-paddle of your free-standing mixer, mix the icing together. Start very slowly and put a clean tea towel over the top if you can, to stop it getting too messy. Once the icing sugar has mixed in, you can turn the speed up and leave it mixing for a few minutes until it is nice and fluffy.
  2. Spoon or pipe the custard cream filling onto the base of a biscuit, and spread it to the edges with the back of a spoon or a small palette knife. Top with another biscuit.