Apple Custard Creams.

Some things, I think I want to make, and then I make them and eat them and think 'mmm these are very good, well done me' and get on with the rest of my day. Nice and easy. On some occasions however, I discover a recipe that sounds intriguing, I add thoughts to my actual paper notebook or perhaps to a Pinterest board if I'm feeling at one with technology on that given day. And then I think about the things I might need that I perhaps don't have to fulfill said recipe, I might buy them, I might decide I don't need them so research and fiddle with said recipe until it seems that I have all that I need and then maybe I make something else and make something else until poor little other recipe feels so left behind that I just havehavehave to give it its chance.

Me telling you this might give you the inkling that perhaps this recipe is one of the latter, and you'd be right. It was the apples that came first...I acquired some apples after Christmas (thanks N&G) that I wanted to save to do something bakey with, but then these happened, and then these and these and the apples sat and withered.

Then I had a week in which I basically planned to be super woman; I wanted to run up all the hills (because up, I can do) and clean all the rooms and bake all the things. And I did, and now I am tired and I slept an extra hour rather than getting up to exercise as planned and I have run out of superwoman steam BUT....I did make thhhhese. 

I really don't think I need to say much about these chaps...I mean, eeeeeveryone loves custard creams don't they? And hellooo...these are apple shaped because they have APPLE IN THEM. I shall let them speak for themselves. With Love and Cake.

Apple Custard Creams.

Adapted from a Woman's Weekly recipe

A few notes:

• These do not keep well...so make them and invite people round for a cup of tea...or you'll just have to eat them all yourself.
• Of course you don't have to make these into apple shapes. They would taste just as lovely (almost) in any other shape you fancy...you could even just use a knife to cut rectangles if you don't have any cutters...just be careful with your work surface. Whatever...just make sure they're somewhere around 6-10cm across...otherwise you'll need to adjust their cooking time.
• If, unlike me, you are a wise person, you'll realise that to be able to sandwich 2 biscuits together and have the smooth side on the outside on both sides of your biscuits, you'll need to bake half with the leaves pointing one way and the other half with the leaves pointing the other way. If you are an unwise person like me, don't worry, you'll just have to stack the biscuits all the same way when sandwiching...it will all become clear, don't fret. 
• It'll be easier to get a smooth apple puree if you use cooking apples, but if you only have eating apples it'll be fine to use them.

Makes around 15

You will need

2 x baking sheets, lined (or cook the biscuits in batches)

For the biscuits

150g apples, peeled and chopped

4 tbsp apple juice

125g butter, at room temperature

75g soft brown sugar

150g self raising flour

30g oatmeal

20g dessicated coconut

1 tsp cinnamon

For the filling

1 tbsp custard powder

1 tbsp caster sugar

125ml milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

125g cream cheese, at room temperature

• Heat the apple and apple juice in a small sauce pan until it cooks down to a smooth and fairly dry puree.
• Let cool completely.
• Beat together the apple puree, butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
• Stir in the two types of flour, oatmeal, coconut and cinnamon so you have a fairly stiff but shiny dough.
• Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°c.
• When the dough is cool and stiff, divide it in 2 to make rolling out easier.
• Roll the first half between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper to about 3mm thick.
• Using an apple cutter (see notes), cut out biscuits and lay the them on to your prepared baking sheets.
• Gather up the excess dough, re-roll and cut out so it all gets used up.
• Do the same with the second half of the dough.
• Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes until just starting to bronze around the outside.
• Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the filling definitelydefinitelydefinitely make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before you start.
• Then pop the custard powder, sugar, milk and vanilla in a small pan and heat, whisking all the time, until it boils and thickens...you want to thicker than you'd want your custard.
• Set aside to cool.
• Beat the cream cheese with a wooden spoon to get it nice and smooth.
• When the custard mix it completely cool, beat into the cream cheese until well combined.
• Sandwich together pairs of the biscuits with a teaspoon of the filling to make your custard creams.
• Dust with icing sugar if you're feeling fancy, and get the kettle on.