If you’ve never tried Melting Moments, you’re in for a treat right now. These cookies are sweet and dainty, airy yet buttery, delicate and melt in the mouth.
Once you have one, you may not be able to stop. Sorry, not sorry.
These melting moments biscuits are a take on my Melting Moments Cookies with Raspberry Buttercream and I also used the same base recipe for these Vanilla Shortbread Cookies with Passionfruit Icing.
They’re incredibly easy to make and you may be wondering why there is thyme in these photos. Well this particular batch, whilst totally optional and not at all traditional, I added just a little fresh thyme too.
You don’t need to but it is a nice twist on a classic.
What are melting moments?
Melting moments are similar to a shortbread, but instead of using rice flour, they use corn flour (cornstarch). This results in a similar dry and crisp texture like shortbread, but they are much more melt in the mouth.
Traditional melting moments are super buttery and are two cookies joined together with a buttercream filling. The classic flavour is lemon, as in these ones, but they are often found in vanilla flavour too.
The buttercream filling in melting moments is typically a dry-ish filling as well, making these a cookie you eat with a cup of tea or coffee in hand. The perfect dainty, afternoon tea cookie.
Are melting moments and yoyos the same?
No, but they are very similar. Originating in Australia, Yoyo biscuits (named for their shape) are made using custard powder which can be found easily in Aussie and UK supermarkets or online.
Melting moments, also an Aussie classic, are made using corn flour (cornstarch).
How to make the best lemon melting moments recipe
- Cream together butter and sugar, before adding the dry ingredients
- Use a very small cookie scoop to scoop the dough and place them on a lined baking tray.
- Use the back of a fork, dipped in flour, to gently flatten them slightly and leave indents in the top.
- Bake until just turning golden on the edges.
To make the easy lemon buttercream
- The buttercream is just a simple case of mixing everything together and piping it onto your cookies.
- Sandwich the cookies together and serve.
Tips for perfect melting moments
- They should be small – a traditional melting moment is just a dainty little biscuit. I use a size 60 cookie scoop which is equivalent to about 3 level teaspoons in volume.
- The shape is always round with the marks of fork tines in the top
- Dip the fork in flour before pressing down on the cookies to stop them sticking.
- Make sure to bake them until JUST turning golden.
- A dusting of icing sugar over the top once finished makes them look beautiful too.
As with many cookie recipes, melting moments are incredibly easy to make which will make you very happy indeed.
Do melting moments need to be refrigerated
No. Store them in an airtight container in a cool place for 4-5 days.
Can you freeze lemon melting moments biscuits
Yes, you can. Most biscuits and cookies freeze well. They can be placed in an airtight container or zip lock bag and frozen for 2-3 months.
To thaw, leave them at room temperature for half an hour.
Substitutions
The lemon can be substituted with the same amount of orange or left out completely to make these a vanilla flavour. You could also add a little cocoa powder (say 2 tablespoons, in place of the same amount of flour.
Additions: You could add some pistachios to the dough to make these lemon and pistachios (I’ve done that and they’re delicious). You could also add a small amount of herbs (the cookies in these pictures have had 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme added).
Other recipes you might like
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Melting Moments with Raspberry Buttercream
- Vanilla Shortbread Cookies with Passionfruit Icing
- More Cookie Recipes
Lemon Melting Moments Biscuits
Ingredients
FOR THE MELTING MOMENTS BISCUITS
- 226 g (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 70 g (1/2 cup) icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 260 g (9.1oz / 2 cups) plain (all-purp) flour
- 70 g (2.5oz / 1/2 cup) corn flour (cornstarch)
FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM
- 113 g (1/2 cup / 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (280g) icing (powdered / confectioners) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest notes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice notes
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- A small cookie scoop (I use size 60)
Instructions
FOR THE MELTING MOMENTS BISCUITS
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until lightened and creamy (notes). Add the vanilla and beat just to combine.
- Sift the flour and cornflour over the butter then mix just enough to combine. (notes)
- Use a mini cookie scoop (noteto scoop little balls of dough onto the baking trays at least 1 inch apart.
- Dip the tines of a fork in flour, then gently press down on top of each cookie to flatten slightly and give an indent of the fork tines.
- Bake for around 12 minutes or until just golden around the edges, turning the trays halfway. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
FOR THE LEMON BUTTERCREAM
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and beat until light and creamy (notes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Spread or pipe some buttercream onto the flat side of half of the cookies, then top with another cookie.
- Sprinkle the biscuits with a little icing sugar to serve.
Notes
- I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (= 4 teaspoons worldwide)
- Beating the butter: You can use a stand mixer with paddle attachment, handheld beater or by hand. The machines will take 4-5 minutes while by hand the time is up to your arm strength.
- Adding the flour: Don’t overbeat at this stage or you risk getting tough cookies instead of melt in the mouth cookies.
- Cookie scoop: I use a size 60 cookie scoop which is equivalent to 3 level teaspoons.
- For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
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12 Comments on “Traditional Lemon Melting Moments”
I think i just had these whilie visiting Adelaide! Hoping to try this recipe. Can you add lemon juice or zest to the biscuit as well? The cookie I had was definitely yellow in colour
Hi Bridget. If the biscuit was yellow, it was probably a yo-yo. They’re made with custard powder, giving them a yellow hue. You can add lemon zest to the biscuits but not the juice.
Perfect 🥰♥️♥️
So glad you love them Josie. Thanks so much for trying them 🙂
Marie
These are gorgeous.as usual. I have tried a lot of your recipes..I know sometimes you wonder what to make next so I taught I could ask to please make melting moments using custard powder. ( custard creams). I know that you already have plain sugar biscuits with custard cream but this is different. I have been searching g for the best recipe like this and who better to ask but my mentor, Marie..
Thanks again
Risha
Hello Risha, we call those yoyos here and I will likely add a recipe for those in the near future. Thank you so much for the very kind words.
These little cookies are beautiful! I’m always confused whether melting moments, snow balls or mexican wedding cakes are the same… These are a different type of melting moments than I’ve seen in US. I wonder if it’s an Aussie vs US cookie thing.
This is an Aussie melting moment so possibly different to the US version. I’m intrigued now – I’ll have to check them out. Thanks Trang
Marie, I’ve never had a melting moment, but based on the name, description and photos, I’m DEFINITELY trying these!
They’re so delicious. Thanks Katherine 🙂
I love the combo of citrus and thyme, and I’ve tried it in many desserts including ice cream. And these buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies? Yes please! We’re growing lemon thyme, so I need to use it in cookies for even more pronounced flavor.
Thanks Ben, and lemon thyme would be a lovely substitute.