Chocolate Melting Moments with Espresso Buttercream

These melting moments are everything the name promises. A different take on the classic melting moment but they deliver a chocolatey, buttery and crumbly punch. With the combination of chocolate and coffee you can’t go wrong.

The infallible base recipe for melting moments comes from Poh’s Kitchen. Her classic recipe yields consistent reliable results every time. I have a tweaked version of this beloved base recipe here, in my archives.

I have no issue with the classics, but I like experimenting and this flavour combination of coffee and chocolate is a classic. Chocolate makes everything better, these biscuits are no exception. Melting moments are a rich, buttery sandwich cookie but the addition of chocolate and coffee makes them indulgent without losing any of that delicateness.

Makes 24-28 individual biscuits , 12-14 sandwich cookies

The Biscuit

• 250 g salted butter,* room temperature*

• 40 g icing sugar

• sprinkle of salt*

• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

• 165 g plain flour

• 3 Tbs cocoa powder

• 65 g corn flour

Espresso Buttercream

• 250 g butter, room temperature

• 250 g icing sugar

• 1 - 2 Tbs fresh espresso

To make the biscuit

1. Preheat the oven to 160’C (I use a fan forced oven)

2. Line two baking trays with a silpat or baking paper

3. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until pale and creamy.* Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

4. Using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula fold in the flours, cocoa and salt. Once combined spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a fluted attachment and pipe into rosettes of the 5 cm in diameter leaving a space between each biscuit.*

5. Bake for 12 minutes, they should be lightly golden around the edges. Allow to cool slightly on the tray then GENTLY move to a wire rack to cool. These cuties will be fragile.

To make the filling:

1. Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light in colour. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar until fluffy and combined.

2. Add the coffee with the beater running and combine until smooth and homogeneous.

To Assemble:

1. Select two biscuits that are a similar shape and size.

2. Put frosting on one underside (the flat side under the rosette) of the biscuit and sandwich with the underside of another biscuit.

3. Repeat until you have 15 sandwich biscuits.

4. Dust with icing sugar mixed with cocoa.

Notes:

*I use Lurpak slightly salted butter in all my bakes (but not in this economy)

*Room temperature means not Australian hot summer temperature, but softened

*I add more salt if the cookies are for my mum

*If I am baking in Summer heat I use a whisk and cream the butter and sugar by hand

*I use this old-school metal cookie press to pipe these biscuits