02 June 2008

Melting moments

I had some sad family news this week and spent quite a bit of time looking back at my childhood, I got thinking of my paternal Grandmother, I spent a lot of time with her when I was younger and she was always cooking, always good old fashioned food, the stuff that warmed you on the coldest winter days. Her house always smelled of fruit cake, and when I bake fruit cake I am always reminded of her house.


These biscuits, Melting Moments are what we would bake together, I loved them as a child, in fact I still love them just as much now even though the are rolled in dessicated coconut and adorned with a gaudy red glace cherry.

I suddenly thought of these biscuits today and knew they would be a perfect way for my son and I to spend half an hour together in the kitchen.


This recipe comes from the essential 'Be-ro' cook book, my Granny wouldnt have been without it.

I must say though that my Granny's original Be-ro book, which I inherited from her, saw better days long ago, I bought a updated version last year and found the Melting moments recipe had changed, the addition of half a egg was wrong and completely disappointing, these biscuits should be crisp and buttery not cookie like which was how the egg made them, after much searching, god bless the Internet, I have found, supposedly, the original Melting moments biscuits.



Here is the recipe, cook them, you'll love them:

5 ounces soft butter

3 ounces caster sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla essence or 1 tsp of vanilla extract

5 ounces of self raising flour

desiccated coconut

glace cherries


Heat the oven to 180c/ gas mark 4. Grease two baking trays.

Cream the butter with the sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla essence or extract.

Stir in the flour and mix well.

Roll walnut sized pieces of the mixture into balls and toss in dessicated coconut.


Cut each glace cherry into quarters, a quarter for each melting moment.


Place on baking trays, flatten slightly and place a small piece of cherry on each biscuit.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown but NOT dark brown.




This egg less original version of the recipe was perfect, these shortbread-y biscuits are crisp and melting, they instantly took me back to my Granny's kitchen.

They are perfect for children to bake too, my son loved tossing them in the coconut and would have polished off the tray of biscuits if I'd let him.

Rather amusingly, when trawling the net for the original recipe I found that these biscuits have a cult following. Try them!



10 comments:

Kelly-Jane said...

They look lovely, there is something about the smell of them that just takes away the years...

Hugs to you about your sad news (())

KJxx

Maria♥ said...

These look really good and something I have never made!

Hugs
Maria
x

JillyB said...

We used to have those for pudding at school! I'm glad that making them with your son brought back happy memories and eased some sadness. Take care.X

hungryandfrozen said...

Sorry to hear your bad news *hugs* what gorgeous biscuits, a lovely thing to do :) glad you were able to find the original that you were looking for.

Rosie said...

You have brought back so many memories here with this bake! I used to eat these as a child and I have a little Be-ro book, that’s all worn but wouldn't part with it. Your melting moments look delicious. Sorry to hear about your sad news sending hugs your way :)

Rosie x

Nickki said...

Oh my they really take me back! My gran used to make these and they were my favourite buscuits. I never managed to find the original but I think I have now! I seem to remember my gran using a little recipe book, so it could have been the be-ro one. Thank you so much for blogging about these, I'll be making these at the weekend. Sorry to hear aboout your sad news, sending you love xx

Oh my! Apple pie! said...

Nickki my Gran always used her BE-RO book, but the updated recipe is differant to the original one my Gran used.
This is it, a taste of a lot of peoples childhood. My kids love them too, they were polished off quicker than any other biscuit I bake.
Thanks for everyones kind wishes too.

Anonymous said...

They look lovely Erica, I must say I love Rachel Allen's version of these.

I'm so sorry to hear your sad news (((hug)))

George xxx

Oh my! Apple pie! said...

George I have made Rachel's Melting moments and love those too, very differant but still very addictive.

farah said...

Thank you so much for posting this recipe. My mum still has her be-ro book but its falling to pieces. I used to love makes these and the cheese straws from that recipe book. It was a bit of a nostalgic hit seeing this post :)