Melting Moments Recipe

Melting moments are a type of cookie from British cuisine, belonging to the shortbread family. In addition to the versions I shared, coated with oats on the outside or with coconut instead of oats, there are also sandwich biscuit versions filled with cream that are popular in Australia and New Zealand.

If I had to find a Turkish equivalent, I would probably describe them as a cookie similar to un kurabiyesi. However, thanks to the aroma provided by the oats, I can also say that they resemble oat cookies in terms of flavor.

When I first came across the melting moments recipe, what attracted me the most wasn’t the taste or the appearance, but the name. Its associations are already lovely, yet there is also a small grammatical wordplay hidden in it. Independently of the cookie, melting moments means moments that melt or moments of melting. But when considered as the name of a cookie, it can mean either “melting moments” or “a melting moment,” and since cookies are plural, perhaps the plural ending comes from there. So I wonder whether a single cookie is called a melting moment or melting moments.

It is certain that the cookie takes its name from its melt in the mouth texture, but does it refer to the melting process as a whole? You take a bite, it first breaks apart in your mouth, then the pieces get moistened and slowly begin to disappear, and finally they slide down your throat. This process consists of many moments. Yet the moment when the moistened pieces vanish in the mouth is a single one. Or does the cookie take its name from that one moment? We do not really know. We also do not know whether anyone other than me has ever overthought this question.

Those who read my silly questions without getting bored, or even if they did, still had the chance to learn the key tips for this cookie. The most important tip is definitely the consistency of the butter. If you use cold butter, you will end up using less flour and cause the cookies to spread while baking. If you melt the butter, you will be forced to use more flour than necessary, which will make the cookies fall apart not only in your mouth but even as soon as you pick them up.

Melting moments should be slightly firm on the outside thanks to the oats, while having a melt in the mouth texture on the inside. In baked goods, the combination of different textures stimulates the palate more and increases eating pleasure. Croissants, for example, are loved not so much for their flavor but for their contrast of a crisp exterior and a soft interior. When I look for a Turkish example, the first thing that comes to mind is acıbadem kurabiyesi. Its crisp exterior and sticky, chewy interior confuse the palate in the best possible way, allowing it to stand out among many other almond cookies.

In my opinion, melting moments stand out for this very reason. Crispy oat pieces on the very outside, a tooth sticking candied cherry on top, a firm and crumbly texture beneath the oats, and a melt in the mouth interior. When all of this comes together with the aroma of butter and toasted oats, you can imagine what an epic flavor emerges. Or better yet, do not imagine it. Try the recipe and experience it yourself. Afterwards, you might even feel like sharing your thoughts in the comments.

Enjoy the recipe...

Enjoy...