Ingredients
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For the rhubarb buttercream:
100g rhubarb, trimmed, washed and cut into 1-inch lengths*
65g unsalted butter, at room temperature
130g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp lemon juice
For the yoyos:
175g all-purpose flour
65g custard powder*
65g icing sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
170g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Summary
Did you know that yoyos are an Australian invention? A big crumbly mouthful of shortbread-like biscuit held together with a buttercream filling – what a noble afternoon tea treat. The buttercream in this version includes roasted rhubarb, which helps balance out the (brilliantly) sweet biscuit base. If you’re lucky enough to be passed one of these in the backseat of the car on a long road trip, you know you’ll find friendly remnant crumbs for years to come.
This recipe is by Helen Goh, a fellow Melbournian who lives and works alongside Yotam Ottolenghi in London. We’re very pleased she’s introduced them to the wonders of the yoyo, thanks Helen.
Rhubarb Yoyos
You can find a mini video tutorial on this recipe here.
For the rhubarb buttercream:
Preheat your oven to 160C
Spread rhubarb out on the lined baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes or until softened.
Remove from oven and allow to cool before transferring to a food processor or blender.
Blend to a puree, then add butter, sifted icing sugar, lemon juice, and continue to blend for a couple of minutes; it seems like a long time, but you want the buttercream to thicken, which it will do as it’s whipped.
Transfer to a small bowl and chill in the fridge to firm up as you make the yoyos.
For the yoyos:
Preheat your oven to 160C
Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and beat on a low speed until evenly combined.
Add unsalted butter, and using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles large crumbs. Then beat until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add vanilla extract and increase the mixer speed to medium, beating for about 30 seconds until combined.
Forming the biscuits – you may think your dough is too dry, have no fear, it will come together. Using your hands, grab about a tbsp worth of dough, then squeeze, sculpt and roll the dough together in your hands as you would play dough until it resembles a ball.
Place on a lined baking tray and, using a fork, gently but firmly press the prongs down into the middle of each biscuit (not all the way through). If your fork is getting stuck in the dough, simply dip it in flour before each press.
Bake for 25 minutes; the biscuits will be dry on the bottom but not too browned. They will be relatively fragile when warm but still firm to the touch. Leave the biscuits on their baking sheets to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Sandwich pairs of cookies together with the buttercream, with the “forked” sides facing outward.
Hints and Tips
*We realise this is quite an annoying amount of rhubarb, you’ve bought a bunch to use only a stem or so. Can we suggest rhubarb upsidedown cake? or rhubarb and orange porridge? or a crumble? simply stewing your rhubarb and then freezing it for later use works a treat too!
*if you’d prefer a custard powder-free biscuit you can substitute using cornflour and vanilla extract, find out how here. Or if you’d like to try making a custard powder of your own, you can find the recipe here.
