Custard Cream Hearts Without A Food Processor

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Nigella's Custard Cream Hearts are crisp shortbread-type biscuits that are sandwiched with a vanilla buttercream. The recipe is made with a food processor for ease and speed, but it is possible to make the biscuits without one.

For the biscuit dough you should cut the butter and vegetable shortening into small cubes. Fork the flour, custard powder and baking powder together in a large bowl, rub in the fats until the mixture looks like fine sand, then stir in the sugar. Whisk together the egg and milk and drizzle this over the dry mixture, stir the liquid in with a fork until the dough starts to come together, then gently use your hands to pat the dough into a fat disc and chill, roll and bake as directed in the recipe. For the buttercream, sift the icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) and custard powder together. Beat the butter with a mixer until soft, then beat in the icing sugar mixture, followed by the hot water and then use as directed in the recipe.