Custard and White Chocolate Biscuits

My husband got an iPad for Christmas last year, and one of the best features of him having that is that he can electronically subscribe to a number of British cooking magazines. We would sometimes pick those up at the store, but they can be hard to find. We looked into getting a print subscription and that was so expensive it was unreal. The electronic subscription is great because we can get the issues right when they come out and they aren’t too expensive.

I find that cookies (biscuits) in British publications to be a lot simpler and less sweet. That doesn’t mean that the cookies aren’t fantastic. Because these biscuits are simply wonderful. They use custard powder, which isn’t too hard to find at the store, and white chocolate chips. I wouldn’t think that would be such an interesting combination, but it’s great.

Custard powder is light pink, but the cookies aren’t pink (although that would be kind of fun for afternoon tea). These cookies have a creamy texture and I love the sweetness of the white chocolate. This recipe was supposed to make about 2 dozen, but I made closer to 3 so I guess mine were on the small side. I didn’t have anywhere to take these (darn!) so we had them around the house. They kept fresh for quite a long time. I really enjoyed these cookies; they were just a little bit different!

5 ounces butter, room temperature

6 ounces sugar

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

8 ounces self-rising flour*

3 ounces Bird’s custard powder

3 ounces white chocolate, chopped (or chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg and vanilla, until combined.

In a small bowl combine the flour and the custard powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. The mixture will be somewhat crumbly. Add the chopped white chocolate and stir to incorporate.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just barely browned. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from BBC Good Food

*I make my own self-rising flour by combining 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt