Bookmarks: Melting Moments
This month, award-winning author Anna Goldsworthy joins us for Bookmarks – our new online club for lovers of books and conversation. Read along as we discover her debut novel, Melting Moments.
Exploring the themes of fate, transience, intimacy and forgiveness, Melting Moments transports you to the Melbourne and Adelaide of half a century ago, following the life, loves and longings of a woman named Ruby over more than five decades.
Food and baking are prominent themes in Melting Moments, so what better way to put you in Ruby's shoes than with a spot of biscuit-making?
Bake your own Melting Moments to enjoy while reading
‘Ruby, the protagonist of my novel Melting Moments, is a keen baker, and the book is packed with her foodstuffs. Her melting moments aren't quite as evocative as Proust's madeleines, but they are significant nonetheless: as a symbol of domestic industry and transience, and as backdrop to a key romantic moment. And of course the dough is always the 'very best of the doughs – rich and custardy, almost a meal in itself.' Hope you enjoy the dough too, though I would recommend baking some of it.’ – Anna Goldsworthy
Ingredients
175 g butter, soft
1/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup cornflour, sifted
60 g butter, soft
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon rind, finely grated
1/2 drop food colouring if you wish
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Line two baking trays.
2. Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a mixer till light and fluffy.
3. Stir in sifted flours till combined.
4. Divide the mixture into 16 biscuits using a teaspoon to spoon onto lined trays. You can make them smooth rounds or rough chunky biscuits, depends what you want. We go for rustic chunky biscuits. Have fun with them.
5. Place them in the oven for 12-14 minutes or till slightly golden. Cool on trays.
For the filling:
1. Place butter, sugar and lemon juice, lemon rind and food colouring into the mixer and beat till fluffy.
2. When biscuits have cooled, Place the filling onto eight of the biscuits and gently push the lids on. Allow the filling to then set hard. Enjoy.
Recipe via Australian Good Food Guide.
