Melting Moments Cookies

Melting moments cookies are a classic Australian cookie. These dainty cookies are so soft and buttery that they melt in the mouth. 

They make the perfect cookie for afternoon tea or a party, as they look really impressive but are so easy to make. 

Melting moments are filled with delicious buttercream, here, it is flavored with lemon, but you can mix it up with some of my favorite recipe twists.

People just love these melting moments cookies, and it is impossible just to have one. They are one of the most well known Australian cookies and are perfect with a cup of tea.

What are melting moments cookies? 

Melting Moments are small butter cookies made with flour, butter, and powdered sugar, sandwiched together with a delicate buttercream. They have a wonderfully buttery taste and a light melt-in-your-mouth texture. Traditionally they are filled with lemon buttercream, but there are so many variations on the buttercream.

As they don't contain eggs, they are great for those with an egg allergy.

Ingredients

• Butter: This needs to be soft room temperature butter. I recommend using unsalted butter and adding salt. But if you have salted butter, just add a tiny pinch of salt rather than the quantity in the recipe.
• Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar, this gives the cookies the perfect texture and sweetness.
• All-Purpose Flour: You want plain all-purpose flour for this recipe as you don't want the cookies to rise.
• Cornstarch: Also known as cornflour, this is what gives the cookies the crumbly soft texture that melts in the mouth.
• Salt: The measurements are for standard table salt; if using salted butter, just add a pinch of salt.
• Lemon zest and juice: This is used to flavor the buttercream filling. Be sure to zest the lemon before you cut it to juice it. You can easily change the flavor of the buttercream. (see recipe adaptions below)

Recipe Adaptions

Recipe Tips

• Ensure your butter is soft but not melted.
• Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together, but use a spatula to fold in the flour and cornstarch. If you use an electric mixer for the flour, you risk overmixing, which will give you tough cookies.
• Lightly flour your hands when rolling the cookies into balls. This will ensure the dough doesn't stick to your fingers.
• Line a biscuit sheet or cookie tray with parchment paper to ensure the cookies don't stick.
• Bake the cookies on the lowest shelf of the oven to give you a crisp and smooth bottom.
• When making the buttercream, use an electric whisk or stand mixer with a whisk attachment to really cream the butter, then add the powdered sugar and cream again until very light and fluffy. This will ensure your buttercream is light and delicate and will give you a very pale-colored filling.

Storing your cookies

Making in advance

If you want to make them in advance, store the unsandwiched cookies for up to a week. The buttercream will keep in the refrigerator for a week as well. Then bring it to room temperature before trying to fill the cookies.

For more cookie recipes why not try:

• Crispy Peanut Thins
• Sprinkle Cookies
• Subway White Chocolate and Macadamia Cookies
• Subway Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Get the Recipe

Melting Moments Cookies

Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

Melting moments cookies are a classic Australian cookie. These dainty cookies are so soft and buttery that they melt in the mouth. They make the perfect cookie for afternoon tea or a party, as they look really impressive but are so easy to make. There is no egg in these cookies, so they are great for those with allergies. Melting moments are filled with delicious buttercream, here, it is flavored with lemon, but you can mix it up with some of my favorite recipe twists.

4.82 from 16 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Baking

Cuisine Australian

Servings 24 Cookies

Calories 233 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryGrams

 

1x2x3x

For the cookies

• 1½ cup unsalted butter - room temperature - see note 1
• 1 cup powdered sugar - see note 2
• 2 cups all-purpose flour - see note 3
• 1 cup cornstarch - see note 4
• ¾ teaspoon salt - see note 5

For the filling

• ½ cup unsalted butter - room temperature - see note 1
• 1 cup powdered sugar - see note 2
• 1½ teaspoon grated lemon zest - see note 6
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• pinch salt

Instructions

 

For the Cookies

• Preheat oven to 320ºF/160°C. (see note 7)
• Line two biscuit/cookie trays with parchment paper.
• Use an electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment to cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

  1½ cups/340g butter
  1 cup/120g powdered sugar
  
  
• Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to incorporate them. (don't use the electric mixer as it can make your cookies tough)

  2 cups/250g AP flour
  1 cup/128g cornstarch
  ¾ teaspoon salt
  
  
• Flour your hands, roll 2 teaspoons of the mixture into balls, and place about 1"/2.5cm apart on the prepared trays.
• Flatten the cookies slightly.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden ( a pale straw color).
• Remove from the oven and let them stand for 10 minutes before placing them on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Filling

• Beat the butter with an electric mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment until it is light and fluffy; add in the powdered sugar and cream together until very pale and smooth. Add in the salt, lemon zest and juice and beat again.

  ½ cup/115g butter
  1 cup/120g powdered sugar
  1½ teaspoon lemon zest
  1 teaspoon lemon juice
  pinch salt
  
  
• Add a heaped teaspoon of buttercream to the flat bottom of one cookie and light sandwich it together with another cookie. Press them together gently until the buttercream reaches the edges.
• Dust with sifted powdered sugar when serving.

  extra powdered sugar
  
  

Notes

1. The butter needs to be soft, room temperature butter. I recommend using unsalted butter and adding salt. But if you have salted butter, just add a tiny pinch of salt rather than the quantity in the recipe.
2. Powdered Sugar is also known as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar.
3. You want plain/all-purpose flour for this recipe as you don't want the cookies to rise.
4. Cornstarch is also known as cornflour.
5. The measurements are for standard table salt; if using salted butter, just add a pinch of salt.
6. Be sure to zest the lemon before you cut it to juice it. You can change the flavor of the buttercream to suit your taste/occasion. (see the bulk of post for adaptions)
7. If you use a fan-forced oven, reduce the temperature to 285ºF/140ºC.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 17mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is per serving

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