Melting Moments with Lemon Buttercream are the kind of old, reliable biscuit that never needs convincing. Soft, delicate, and buttery, they practically dissolve the moment you take a bite, which is exactly how they earned their name. In the Nair home, they are a Diwali favourite for a reason: the biscuits are tender and light, and the lemon buttercream tucked between them adds just enough brightness to balance the richness. If you love classic sandwich biscuits in the same comforting league as a Monte Carlo, these will feel familiar, nostalgic, and special all at once. Because the mixture is butter-rich and the biscuits are meant to stay pale rather than deeply golden, the key is gentle handling, careful spacing on the trays, and baking just until that pale-straw colour appears. Once cooled, the biscuits become the perfect base for the fluffy lemon filling, and a final dusting of icing sugar makes them look as festive as they taste.
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 250 gram butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/2 cup (80g) icing sugar mixture
- 1 1/2 cup (225g) plain flour
- 1/2 cup (75g) cornflour
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar mixture, extra (for dusting)
For the lemon buttercream:
- 80 gram butter
- 2/3 cup (110g) icing sugar mixture
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
[Instructions:]
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. While the oven warms, line your oven trays with baking paper so the shaped biscuits can go straight onto the trays without sticking. This also helps keep the bottoms pale and delicate, which suits the “melting moments” texture.
- Make the biscuit dough base. Place the 250 grams of softened butter into a small mixing bowl. Add the vanilla essence and the icing sugar mixture (sift it before adding so there are no lumps). Using an electric mixer, beat everything together until the mixture looks noticeably lighter in colour and feels fluffy. This step matters for the final texture, because beating well helps the biscuits bake up tender and light.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches. Sift the plain flour and the cornflour, then combine them. Stir the combined sifted flours into the butter mixture in two separate additions. Add the first half, stir until mostly combined, then add the second half and stir again until the mixture becomes an even dough. Work gently and stop as soon as everything is mixed in so the biscuits stay delicate.
- Shape the biscuits. Lightly flour your hands so the dough doesn’t stick. Take 2-level-teaspoon portions of the mixture and roll each portion into a neat ball. Place the balls onto the prepared trays, leaving about 3 cm between each one so they have room to bake without touching.
- Flatten the tops. Lightly flour a fork, then press down gently on each dough ball to flatten it slightly. Re-flour the fork as needed to prevent sticking. Aim for an even thickness across the tray so the biscuits bake at the same rate.
- Bake until pale-straw. Put the trays into the preheated 160°C oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are a pale-straw colour. They should look set and dry on the surface but not browned. Because these are meant to “melt” rather than crunch, avoid overbaking.
- Cool correctly. Once baked, let the biscuits stand on the trays for 5 minutes. This brief rest helps them firm up enough to move without breaking. After 5 minutes, carefully lift them onto wire racks and allow them to cool completely. Cooling fully is important before filling, so the buttercream stays fluffy and doesn’t melt.
- Make the lemon buttercream. In a small bowl, place the 80 grams of butter. Add the icing sugar mixture (sift it first for a smooth cream) and the grated lemon rind. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy, similar to the earlier butter-sugar step. This aeration makes the filling feel light between the tender biscuits.
- Add the lemon juice. Beat in the teaspoon of lemon juice until it is fully incorporated and the buttercream looks smooth and spreadable. Keep mixing just enough to combine well while maintaining that fluffy texture.
- Sandwich the biscuits. Match the cooled biscuits into pairs of similar size. Place a teaspoon of lemon buttercream on the flat side of one biscuit, then gently press the flat side of the second biscuit on top to form a sandwich. Repeat until all biscuits are filled.
- Finish with a dusting, if you like. Sift the extra tablespoon of icing sugar mixture over the assembled biscuits for a light, classic finish. This step adds a festive look and a soft sweetness on the outside without changing the delicate character of the biscuits.
These Melting Moments are best served once assembled and lightly dusted, with the lemon buttercream holding everything together in a soft, bright layer between two tender biscuits.