One of my daughters live in a farm in country Victoria and in one of my visits there, a neighbour brought some melting moments. They were on the smaller side, a little smaller than my thumb, but they were one of the best ones I’ve ever tried. The shortbread was truly crumbly and buttery and filled with the freshest tasting raspberry buttercream. They were so good, I would have happily eaten handfuls of them like I was eating popcorn. Prepared I was to beg for the recipe, but like a lot of great cooks she was happy to share. Not only that, she invited me over to show me how. The following is her recipe, which I now call Rose’s Melting Moments.

What you need to make Rose’s Melting Moments

Butter, Icing Sugar, Plain Flour,Baking Powder,Cardamom Powder and Custard Powder. The Custard Powder not only gives it that golden colour, but it also enhances the “shortness” of the biscuits.
For the buttercream you need Butter,Icing Sugar and some fresh Raspberries. I use a smidgen of rose water to mine( in honour of farmer Rose, who shared this recipe), which is optional if you don’t like/have rosewater. I do believe a bit of rosewater complements the tang of raspberries. I have also added cardamom to Rose’s original recipe.

Easy does it…

Rose’s Melting Moments were smaller than the ones you see in the shops, about 2cm in diameter. I was interested to learn how she made them all in one size. I have made melting moments before, and they were good, but I couldn’t roll them into uniform sizes. While it does not affect the taste, it’s a bit frustrating trying to match up the same sized cookies to make a pair.

Well the secret is rolling the dough into a log then resting it in the fridge. So all you have to do, is slice the log lengthwise into 4, then ”dice” each into 2 cm squares to portion, and you end up with same sized cookies (almost!).

To make the biscuits combine softened butter and sifted Icing Sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until very pale and fluffy.
Sift plain flour, cardamom powder, baking powder and custard powder into the mixing bowl with butter. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to combine into a soft dough.
Place the dough in a piece of plastic wrap and form into a log. Wrap with plastic and rest the dough in the fridge for an hour.
Remove the plastic from the log of dough . Cut the log of dough into 4 lengthwise, then divide into portions about 10g each. Refer photo below. This makes it easier to have even sized cookies and less messy. Roll each portion into a ball and place in a baking paper lined tray. Repeat for remaining dough.

Use the tines of a fork to flatten the balls slightly making the characteristic indentation on the top.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until pale golden. Cool in the trays. The cookies will be fragile when warm so be careful when handling.
Spread or pipe buttercream on one cookie and top with another cookie to make a sandwich. Repeat for remaining cookies.
To make the Rose Raspberry Buttercream, beat Butter, sifted Icing Sugar, Rosewater and Raspberries together until smooth. If too thin, add a bit more Icing Sugar and place in the fridge to firm it up a bit.

If you have time, please leave me a note in the comment section below and let me know what you think. For another delicious recipe with rosewater, here’s my favourite Persian Love Ice Cream for you to try.