If you've ever wondered how the pleasure receptors in your brain are activated, then think of these cookies as a perfect neuropsychological experiment. In fact, you could put one of those brain net things on, eat a custard cream and watch your entire grey matter light up like a Christmas tree.
The cookie itself is sweet, buttery and melt-in-the-mouth - a lighter shortbread with a warm nostaglic feel to it. It also looks pretty damn good too, inviting and golden, with slight ridges that are helpful indicators of where to chomp down for a first bite. Sandwiched in the middle is a creamy icing filling with a slight tang that cuts through the richness of the cookie and also serves up a another luxurious texture of its own.
I'd like to say the end result has an unctuousness that is rarely rivalled among baked goods, but then I looked up that word and in the words of The Princess Bride, "I do not think it means what you think it means". Let's say instead - go make these. They're pretty damn fine.
A quick note, if you can't get your hands on custard powder or if you don't want to have a big-ass tin sitting idle in the corner of your pantry after just one use, you can substitute with 60 grams of cornflour, plus 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract and pinch of salt.
MAKES
10
PREP
20 minutes
COOK
15 minutes
plus cooling
Filling