Honey Jumbles
Honey Jumbles are best made a day before eating – overnight the colour will darken, flavor from the spices develop and improve, and the texture soften to a more cake-like consistency. Don’t worry if the icing seems a little patchy on some biscuits; this is caused by the icing absorbing a little color from the biscuit. If pink and white topped biscuits are wanted, spread half the cold biscuits with white icing then color remaining icing with one or two drops of rose pink food coloring.
60g (2oz) butter
2/3 cup golden syrup
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons plain flour, extra
Icing:
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 teaspoons plain flour
2 teaspoons lemon juice, approximately
Step 1: Melt butter over low heat in medium-sized saucepan, add golden syrup, bring to boil, remove from heat; stand 10 minutes. Add sifted dry ingredients and milk, stir with wooden spoon until smooth, cover, stand at room temperature for 2 hours; mixture will become thicker during this time.
Step 2: Turn mixture on to surface dusted with the extra flour, knead lightly, working in only enough of this flour until mixture loses its stickiness: divide mixture into four equal pieces to make handling the dough easier.
Step 3: Roll one quarter of the mixture into a sausage shape, so that it is 1cm (1/2in) thick; cut into 6cm (2 1/2in) lengths. Place on lightly greased oven trays about 5cm (2in) apart. Round blunt ends of biscuit shapes with floured fingertips, bake in moderate oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining mixture. Biscuits should be pale golden in colour and quite soft. Cool on trays.
If cooking more than one tray of biscuits at a time, change position of trays after 5 minutes of cooking time has expired. This allows for even browning and cooking. It is important not to overcook the biscuits because they will become hard and dry.
Step 4: Place egg white in small basin. gradually stir in sifted icing sugar in about three lots, then sifted flour and enough strained lemon juice to give a thick coating consistency. Spread tops of biscuits evenly with icing, stand on oven trays, return to moderate oven for 2 minutes, or until icing feels firm to touch and has lost its stickiness. A little icing might run on to the tray; this can be trimmed away when the biscuits are cold. Do not move biscuits from the tray until cold. Then, using a finely serrated knife, gently trim away any excess icing.
Makes about 40.