Yo-yo biscuits
This Kiwi favourite are called yo-yo biscuits, because they look like the toy. They are egg-free and made from custard powder. When you use real butter, they are guaranteed to melt in your mouth. A number of cafés in New Zealand sell enormous yo-yo biscuits, but we prefer them smaller.
This recipe yields about 19 small yo-yos that are 5 cm in diameter.
Ingredients
Biscuits
- 175 gram butter
- ½ cup (65 gram) icing sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅓ cup (175 gram) flour
- ½ cup (65 gram) custard powder
Icing
- 2 tablespoons butter (or 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon passion fruit pulp)
- 1 tablespoon custard powder
- ⅓ cup icing sugar
Method
- Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.
- Sift the flour and custard powder over the creamed mixture and mix to combine.
- Roll into balls and place on baking tray. You can use a watermelon scoop to make sure they are the same size. Flatten each ball immediately with a fork or biscuit-stamp to prevent it from cracking.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C. Remove when they are done but before they start to brown.
- Cool on tray for at least 2 minutes and transfer to a wire rack until cold.
- Make the icing while the biscuits cool down: Melt the butter and mix the custard powder into the butter. Add icing sugar and mix to form a smooth paste.
- Sort the biscuits into pairs that match in size and shape, and sandwich them together with butter icing or filling.