I don't know about you, but memories of my childhood more often than not revolve around food. Among the endless food memories I have, some of the best include coming home from school in summer and grabbing a Zooper Dooper from the freezer (raspberry or cola were always my first choice), or in winter with mum cooking up pikelets with butter and jam. But one of my favourites is opening my lunch box and getting a waft of honey before seeing the characteristic white and pink icing that I loved so much. I am, of course, talking about Honey Jumbles.
I don't like to play favourites with my Arnott's biscuits - how could you possibly pick between a Monte Carlo, a Kingston, a Spricy Fruit Roll, an Iced VoVo? But if I had to choose, I would go for Honey Jumbles almost every time. I had a conversation with the BF about this the other day and was almost speechless when he told me that when his Grandma would buy Arnott's Assorted Creams, he would always go for the Orange Slice. "Nobody likes orange slice!!" I replied. He then proceeded to tell me that it was a strategic move to get more biscuits while his cousins were fighting over the delta creams. Clever boy.
Anyway, Honey Jumbles have always been a massive hit whenever I have made them (they are pretty much just like ginger bread, without the need to use a rolling pin). So, being my best friend Amy's bachelorette party this weekend (termed 'bachelorette' at her request), I decided to pull out my faithful homemade honey jumble recipe and get creative with my shaping... If you know what I'm getting at.
In an effort not to scare off any of my readers, I did make some 'normal' shaped biscuits as well, and that's what I've photographed.
Honey Jumbles (makes about 20)
60g butter, chopped
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons milk
1 eggwhite
1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pink food colouring
1. Combine butter, honey and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until butter has melted. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, mixed spice and cloves over butter mixture. Add milk. Stir to combine. Cover. Set aside for 1 hour or until mixture has cooled and thickened.
3. Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly. Divide dough into quarters. Roll 1 portion into a 25cm-long log shape. Cut into 5cm-long pieces. Place on prepared trays, leaving room for spreading. Using a wooden spoon, flatten each piece of dough until 5mm-thick. Repeat with remaining dough portions. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden. Stand on tray for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Make icing Using: a whisk, beat eggwhite in a bowl until foaming. Gradually beat in icing sugar until combined. Stir in lemon juice. Spoon half the mixture into another bowl. Tint pink with food colouring. Spread half of the biscuits with pink icing. Spread remaining biscuits with white icing. Set aside for 30 minutes or until set. Serve.
These are perfect with a cup of tea, but I have to say I'm probably more likely to be having a glass of champagne in my hand and taking lots of hilarious photos while eating the specially shaped ones on the weekend.
Enjoy!
I don't like to play favourites with my Arnott's biscuits - how could you possibly pick between a Monte Carlo, a Kingston, a Spricy Fruit Roll, an Iced VoVo? But if I had to choose, I would go for Honey Jumbles almost every time. I had a conversation with the BF about this the other day and was almost speechless when he told me that when his Grandma would buy Arnott's Assorted Creams, he would always go for the Orange Slice. "Nobody likes orange slice!!" I replied. He then proceeded to tell me that it was a strategic move to get more biscuits while his cousins were fighting over the delta creams. Clever boy.
Anyway, Honey Jumbles have always been a massive hit whenever I have made them (they are pretty much just like ginger bread, without the need to use a rolling pin). So, being my best friend Amy's bachelorette party this weekend (termed 'bachelorette' at her request), I decided to pull out my faithful homemade honey jumble recipe and get creative with my shaping... If you know what I'm getting at.
In an effort not to scare off any of my readers, I did make some 'normal' shaped biscuits as well, and that's what I've photographed.
60g butter, chopped
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons milk
1 eggwhite
1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pink food colouring
1. Combine butter, honey and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until butter has melted. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, mixed spice and cloves over butter mixture. Add milk. Stir to combine. Cover. Set aside for 1 hour or until mixture has cooled and thickened.
3. Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly. Divide dough into quarters. Roll 1 portion into a 25cm-long log shape. Cut into 5cm-long pieces. Place on prepared trays, leaving room for spreading. Using a wooden spoon, flatten each piece of dough until 5mm-thick. Repeat with remaining dough portions. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden. Stand on tray for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Make icing Using: a whisk, beat eggwhite in a bowl until foaming. Gradually beat in icing sugar until combined. Stir in lemon juice. Spoon half the mixture into another bowl. Tint pink with food colouring. Spread half of the biscuits with pink icing. Spread remaining biscuits with white icing. Set aside for 30 minutes or until set. Serve.
These are perfect with a cup of tea, but I have to say I'm probably more likely to be having a glass of champagne in my hand and taking lots of hilarious photos while eating the specially shaped ones on the weekend.
Enjoy!
