Chocolate, Tahini & Marmalade Biscuits

You could say that these are a cross between a bourbon biscuit and a custard cream… kind of. But just a little fancier? I love sandwiched biscuits because it feels like a ‘two-for-the- price-of-one’ sort of deal and I’m not one to pass on a good bargain. Two crisp chocolate biscuits, a good spread of custardy tahini buttercream and a little bit of marmalade for some sharpness – all that’s left to do is put the kettle on.

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Instructions

1.	Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4).
2.	Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
3.	To make the biscuits, cream the butter and sugars together with an electric whisk for 2–3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg.
4.	In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, cornflour, baking powder and salt.
5.	Pour this into the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
6.	Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes, or until firm.
7.	Once chilled, roll the dough out between two sheets of baking paper into a 32-cm (12¾-in) square.
8.	Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into equal-sized rectangles. The size of these is up to you – you can go as big or small as you fancy.
9.	Arrange the biscuits on the baking sheets, leaving a small gap between them.
10.	Use a skewer to prick six holes on top of each biscuit (three rows of two).
11.	Bake the biscuits for 12–15 minutes until the edges are firm to the touch. Leave to cool completely.
12.	To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a bowl for 2 minutes until creamy.
13.	Add the icing sugar, custard powder and vanilla bean paste and beat for 4–6 minutes until very pale and fluffy.
14.	Add the tahini and beat for another minute.
15.	When you’re ready to assemble, spoon or pipe the buttercream onto half of the biscuits and spread a little marmalade on the other halves.
16.	Sandwich the biscuits together and serve.