Ruby Bhogal’s vegan chai custard creams

Method

1. For the biscuit dough, add the butter and sugar to a bowl and cream together for five minutes until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix to combine.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, custard powder and chai spice mix using a balloon whisk. Add the spiced flour to the butter and mix until just combined.

3. Lightly flour your worktop and turn out the dough. Use your hands to work the dough and bring it all together once it is soft and smooth. Roughly mould the dough into a disc and press down gently to flatten before wrapping tightly in clingfilm. Pop it in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured silicone mat or sheet of greaseproof paper to about four millimetres thick. Using the cutter of your choice, stamp out the biscuits, and add to the prepared baking trays. Any surplus dough is good to be re-rolled twice, but after this, the dough will begin to toughen, so be savvy with your dough cutting!

5. Place the trays in the freezer to set for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 165°C fan/185°C/gas mark 5.

6. While you are waiting for the biscuits to set, make the custard buttercream. Add all the ingredients, except the soy milk, to a bowl. Use an electric hand whisk or a balloon whisk to combine until smooth. Add the splash of milk at the end to loosen the buttercream, then transfer it to a piping bag.

7. Once the biscuits have set, pop one tray into the oven and bake for 13 minutes until lightly golden. Repeat with the second tray. Baking them separately just ensures an even bake across both batches.

8. Leave the biscuits to set and harden on the trays for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

9. When they are completely cool, pipe the custard buttercream onto one biscuit, leaving a slight border around the sides, before sandwiching with another biscuit. Gently press together so the filling comes to the edges. Repeat for all remaining biscuits and filling.

10. I like these once they have firmed up a little, so I pop my finished biscuits in the fridge for about 30 minutes before dunking and demolishing. Keep these stored with no lid on, to keep that biscuit snap and freshness at its peak