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A Tender, Melting Cookie with Bright Australian Flavor
by Emiko
• December 1, 2015
• 8 Comments
Inspired by an old Australian Women's Weekly magazine recipe (the sort of recipe that my mother might have cut out), the classic Melting Moments are soft and delicate cookies sandwiching a simple buttercream flavored with some lemon juice and zest.
But it's common to find other typically Australian fruits filling these cookies, such as passion fruit pulp, seeds and all, or mango, which is a favorite at Christmas time (as it's summer and mangoes are in season).
This is my own take on Mango Melting Moments, but orange zest and juice are very nice substitutes, too.
Makes 12 sandwich cookies
For the cookies:
- 2/3 cup (80 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups (250 grams) of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (75 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
- 1 cup (250 grams or 8 ounces) butter, softened
- 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
For the mango buttercream:
- 1/4 cup (65 grams) butter, softened
- 1 cup (125 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons mango purée (made by puréeing the flesh of 1 mango)
Comments (8)
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over 1 year ago Sandi Zorn
Hello, Loving the entire list! I grew up enjoying all of the Italian traditions. Looking forward to making the Melting Moments but I have a question. Is the corn starch the accurate ingredient? In parentheses "corn flour" has a different meaning/is a different ingredient...at least it does here in the states! Is the ingredient corn starch (used routinely here as a sauce/gravy thickener), or "corn flour" (an actual flour made from corn or pulverized corn meal)?
Thank you!
over 1 year ago Emiko
The correct ingredient is cornstarch NOT cornmeal (in other countries it is also known as corn flour, so very confusing, I know!)! It gives the cookie a lightly and flaky texture.
over 1 year ago Sandi Zorn
Thank you for the response!
over 1 year ago Elizabeth Law
Hi Emiko. Perhaps names are different by State? I'm in Victoria. Melting moments was always seen as the English version of similar. Mangoes are the perfect Summer sweet treat for our long, hot summers. I think most of our traditions hark back to UK, except maybe for treats like lamingtons and pavlova, Anzacs. Shortbread with an Australian touch is pretty standard Christmas fare, despite it's English heritage. Maybe oneday we will come up with a really delicious, different true Australian Christmas treat? We could all work on creating something new.
over 1 year ago Emiko
Perhaps, though in popular Australian media like Women's Weekly, Donna Hay, Masterchef Australia, even the CWA (Country women's association), they're referred to as Melting Moments too!
over 1 year ago Elizabeth Law
In Australia we call Melting Moments Yo-Yo's. Shortbread would be the most traditional Christmas cookie here, Yo-Yo's not generally associated with Christmas. Macademia Nut Shortbread often eaten at Christmas, and Brandy Snaps, Spice/Ginger cookies.
over 1 year ago Emiko
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your thoughts. I'm Australian and I've always known these as melting moments. Yes, while shortbread is traditional at Christmas it's a borrowed Christmas tradition from the UK so I have made these with mango to remind me of Aussie Christmases, since growing up we never had a Christmas without a crate full of mangoes!
over 1 year ago Simon Bannister
I'm Australian and have never called a melting moment a yo-yo? In my mind yo-yos are the Arnott's biscuit. Maybe it's a regional thing?
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