Custard Creams Recipe

We do love the classic British custard creams. Here, we’ve reinterpreted them in fabulous gluten free form.

makes: 16 biscuits

health: gluten-free

cook: 12-14 minutes

store: 7 days in airtight container. Freeze well

compost: eggshell

150 g/5½ oz/generous ½ cup butter, softened and cubed

150 g/5½ oz/¾ cup caster (superfine) sugar

150 g/5½ oz/1¼ cups polenta

150 g/5½ oz/generous 1½ cups ground almonds

100 g/3½ oz custard powder

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

tapioca flour, for dusting

filling

250 g/9 oz/generous 1 cup butter, softened

100 g/3½ oz/¾ cup icing (confectioners’) sugar

2 tbsp custard powder

½ tsp vanilla extract

to decorate

1-2 tbsp icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3. Cut pieces of baking parchment to line the bottom of 2 large baking sheets.

Put the butter, sugar, polenta, almonds, custard powder, egg and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer at low speed until the mixture forms a soft dough.

Dust your hands, rolling pin and work surface lightly with tapioca flour. Knead the dough gently and then roll out to about 5 mm/¼ in thick. Using a pastry cutter (we used a 6 cm/2½ in heart-shaped cutter), cut out the dough and place the shapes on the baking sheets. The biscuits will spread as they bake, so make sure you leave plenty of space between them.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch (they get firmer as they cool). Leave on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

To make the filling, put the butter into a mixing bowl. Sift the icing sugar and custard powder into the bowl, add the vanilla and beat using an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Spoon the filling into a piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle. Turn half of the biscuits upside down and pipe the cream in swirls on top. Cover with the remaining biscuits – with the nice side facing upwards.

To decorate, place a paper doily over the biscuits and dust with icing sugar.

Make the most of your freezer

Make double the amount of custard creams, leave them unfilled and whizz to crumbs in a food processor. Freeze the crumbs to use later as the base for Chocolate orange tiffin (see page 96) or other refrigerator cakes.