These light, crispy and buttery cookies melt in your mouth as you eat them. They are easy to make and just 4 ingredients. The cookies store well and are good for gifting or bringing to an event.
I made these recently for a family gathering and I am planning on adding them to my holiday cookie box this year. I love that they are easy to make and they taste just as good after several days.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter
Flour: This recipe uses all purpose flour. Make sure to use all purpose flour and not self-rising flour or cake flour.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch is mixed with the flour to give these cookies that melty finish. It also helps make the cookies crispy and light.
Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used to sweeten the cookies, help provide that melty sensation and also help the structure of the cookies. This recipe uses store bought powdered sugar which is powdered sugar that is mixed with a little cornstarch. If you are making your own homemade powdered sugar, make sure you are using a recipe that also includes cornstarch.
Butter: This recipe uses unsalted butter. The butter needs to be softened before using.
What are Melting Moments
Melting Moments are an Australian butter cookie. The cookies can be served on their own with a dusting of powdered sugar or can be used to make sandwich cookies with a cream filling. The cookies will sometimes have a a pattern on the surface but can also be made without it. The cookies contain cornstarch which help create that light, melt-in-your-mouth sensation.
These are sometimes confused with meltaway cookies also known as sequilhos (Brazilian cornstarch cookies) which also contain cornstarch. However, the texture is not that similar to sequilhos. The texture is more like shortbread cookies, but with a lighter and meltier finish.
How to Make Melting Moments
The butter is first mixed until light and fluffy. The powdered sugar is then mixed in. The flour and cornstarch are then stirred in just until a dough forms. Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll between palms to form smooth round balls. If desired, you can use a fork to slightly indent the surface of the cookies before baking.
The cookies need about 13 minutes in the oven and then they are done. After they have cooled, dust them with powdered sugar before serving.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Butter Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Sugar Cookies
- 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Meltaway Cookies
- Chocolate Melting Moments
4 Ingredient Melting Moments
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar plus additional for dusting
- 3/4 cup (96 g) all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (32 g) cornstarch
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter and sugar. Beat at highest speed until light and fluffy. Make sure to stop and scrape the sides of your bowl a few times in between mixing.
- Add in flour and cornstarch. Using the lowest speed (stir cycle on my stand mixer), mix the flour and cornstarch into the butter mixture just until a dough forms. If you are using a hand mixer that doesn't have a very low speed, then you can also mix in the flour and cornstarch by hand using a spatula.
- Once a dough forms, use a 1 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop out dough. Roll each dough ball in between your palms until it becomes a smooth round ball. Place onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies at least one inch apart. You do not need to flatten the dough as the cookies will spread when they bake. If you want to make a pattern on the surface, use the back of a fork to gently make indents on the surface, doing your best not to flatten the dough ball.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). While your oven is preheating, place the cookie dough balls into the fridge just so the dough doesn't get too soft. See note regarding refrigerating the dough. Once the oven is ready, remove the cookies from the fridge and place into the oven to bake.
- Bake cookies for about 12-14 minutes or until the edges just start to turn a light brown. The cookies should stay pale. Remove cookies and let them cool on the cookie sheet. Once cooled, remove cookies and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Video
Notes
- If you plan on making these into sandwich cookies, I would make the cookies smaller (2 tsp of dough per cookie rather than 1 tbsp of dough).
- When measuring the flour and cornstarch or powdered sugar, use the spoon and level method. This means you spoon the flour/cornstarch/powdered sugar into the measuring cup and then level it off with a knife. Do not directly dip your measuring cup into the flour/cornstarch/powdered sugar.
- Make sure your powdered sugar contains cornstarch.
- The cookies are lightly sweetened so I do recommend you dust the tops with powdered sugar.
- Refrigerating the dough: The cookie dough only need to be refrigerated for a few minutes while your oven preheats. The dough can technically be baked right away if you are working very fast but I found that by the time I finished rolling and adding indents to all the cookies, the cookie dough had softened just a tad too much causing some cookies to spread too much, which is why I recommend that you chill the dough for a few minutes while your oven preheats.
- If you plan on refrigerating the dough longer, the dough will completely harden if left in the fridge for more than 30 minutes. If this happens, you will want to bring the dough balls back to room temperature before baking.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe. You can also make the cookies smaller to get more cookies.
- Nutrition estimate does not include the dusting of powdered sugar on top.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I make these often, especially in Dec. Love them. How do I store them to keep fresh ?
We’re so glad you love this recipe! After letting them cool you can store them in an airtight container.
You are too good,perfect as your recipe instructions are very complete…. Thanks
We’re glad you like the recipe!
Can I make these with gluten free flour?
Sorry, but we haven’t tried that.
Great easy. N yummy. Thank. You
You’re welcome!
Hello! What does adding corn starch do?
Cornstarch has a finer texture than flour so when it is mixed with the flour it helps make the cookies melt in your mouth.
These have been in our Christmas cookie repertoire since the 1970s when my sister found the recipe. We have one difference with ours, though. Once they are cooled completely, leave them on the rack and drizzle a glaze made from icing sugar and orange juice on the tops. Pure heaven.
Love the glaze idea! Thanks for sharing it 🙂
How would you do this glutenfree?
Sorry, but we haven’t tried a gluten-free version.
Do you think they could handle adding a little vanilla extract to them?
Yes that should be fine
If I use self raising flour do I still need cornstarch?
The cookies should not be made with self-rising flour. Self-rising flour has a rising agent mixed in which will cause the cookies to spread which you don’t want.