Double Stuff Custard Creams

‘Americanos – Blue Jeans and Chinos, Pepsi Cola and Oreos – whoa oh ho!‘ Or something along those lines. Some people might recognise that, others won’t, but they are lyrics from a song by  Holly Johnson – formerly of Frankie Goes to Hollywood fame. Back in the 1980’s when this was a hit, I knew what Pepsi was, but really wan’t quite sure what Oreos were. But over time, and through visits to the US and Canada I became very well versed in Oreos! And what did I love even more than Oreos? Double Stuff Oreos, double the white creamy filling – delish!! When they were brought out here in the UK, I was a happy bunny (even though they don’t taste quite as good as the North American version!).

Anyways, I wondered about applying the Double Stuff method to some of our UK biscuits. There are many to choose from, but a little straw poll carried out in my office proved that Custard Creams were a big favourite of many people. So how would I go about double stuffing them?? I have never been a huge fan of them myself to be honest. I like the filling, but I’ve usually found the outer biscuit to be a bit dry and lacking in a great amount of taste.

So I cobbled together a few biccy recipes and with the help of a custard cream type filling – which is super easy to make – I concocted Double Stuff Custard Creams!

Yield: Around 30 sandwiched biscuits

Biscuit Ingredients:

110 grams of unsalted butter, softened

220 grams of granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

310 grams of plain flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

30ml milk

Custard Cream Filling:

120 grams unsalted butter, softened

4 tablespoons of custard powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

450 grams icing sugar

4 tablespoons milk

Preheat your oven to 180^oC and line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.

Biscuit Method:

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale yellow in colour. Add the egg and mix well until all is combined and the batter becomes very slightly thicker. Add the vanilla and stir though.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Then add the flour in three lots alternating with the milk to the butter mix, ending with the flour. This will make a thick dough. Taking some Clingfilm, wrap the dough up, pressing into a flat round and pop in the fridge for about half an hour.

Now nicely chilled, roll the dough out and cut oblong shapes about 1.5” by 2.5”, fairly thin, maybe about 1/8”. Make an even amount as they will be sandwiched together. Place onto your baking sheet, and with the tines of a fork dock (or prick) the biscuits a few times. Place the sheet in the fridge for about 10 minutes; this will prevent the biscuits spreading too much when baked. Pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes or until they have become nice and golden. Keep them in until they are very golden if you want a crunchier biccy ( I did – yum!). Now leave to cool completely.

Filling Method:

In a mixer, combine the butter, custard powder, vanilla, icing sugar and milk. If it seems too thick add a little more milk. Pop this into a piping bag with a large nozzle (I used a food bag, with the corner chopped off) and go to town on one biscuit. These are double stuffed, but what the heck – u could make them triple stuffed if you like! Pop the other biscuit on top to sandwich together and voila! I kept mines in the fridge in an airtight container so the filling stayed nice and firm.

Now, my guinea pigs absolutely devoured these. I can honestly say that these have been the most popular biscuit/cookie I have made. The biscuit is very light and crunchy and very buttery. I added more leavening to make them lighter, but docking them ensured they haven’t risen too much. And the custard filling is nice and gooey, a perfect contrast to the crunch. Enjoy…