The stuff of childhood nostalgia, these honey jumbles are such a favourite. And they’re a simple melt-and-mix recipe, so are a good opportunity to get the kids involved in baking. These are topped with orange-flavoured icing, but you could stay with the classic option and do half pink and half white (in which case, just omit the orange juice and zest and use a little lemon juice for the white icing and a tiny drop of pink food colouring for the pink).
Prep time 20 mins, plus 1 hr chill time
Cook time 15 mins
Makes about 12
WHAT YOU NEED
For the biscuits
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
A pinch of ground cloves
1 tbsp milk
For the orange icing
1 egg white
1½ cups icing (confectioners’) sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange*
*If available, use a blood orange to make the icing—it will add colour and some extra tang.
WHAT TO DO
Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until the mixture has melted into a thick caramel. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 5 mins.
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Pour in the butter mixture and milk and stir until well combined. Cover the dough and pop it into the fridge to chill for 1 hr.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll out one piece into a 15 cm long sausage on a lightly floured surface. Cut the sausage into three pieces and flatten each into an oval shape. Place on the tray, leaving room for spreading. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake the biscuits for 8–10 minutes or until they have puffed up a little and are dry to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
For the icing, whisk the egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Sift in the icing sugar, then add the orange zest and juice, a little at a time, and whisk until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Spoon about 1 tsp of icing onto each biscuit and gently spread to cover. Store the biscuits in an airtight container for up to a week.
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