Ingredients
120g butter
120g sugar
1 large tablespoon runny honey
1 egg yolk
1 level teaspoon cinnamon (or substitute allspice or mixed spice if you wish)
180g self-raising flour
Heat the oven to 175C
Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl intil pale and fluffy
Beat in the honey, then the egg yolk
Add the cinnamon and flour and mix to a soft dough
Shape about a teaspoonful of dough into a ball, roll it in a little sugar and cinnamon mixed together
Put the balls onto a greased or lined baking tray
Bake for 12-15 minutes ibtil golden brown
Remove from the oven, allow to firm up for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool
Method
It's Nostalgia time here as we draw November to a close and The Eldest prepares to leave us for 5 months working in the French Alps. I am obviously deeply jealous of her and hope she has an amazing time - but it is a milestone too as the first of the Offspring starts to make their independent way in the world. Gulp.
We have had this recipe for Honey Biscuits for years - I can't remember when or where we first got it, but I was sorting through some papers and a dog-eared copy of the recipe fell out onto the side and the Eldest seized on it.. We used to make them all the time with the children and the smell and taste memory being what it is, she wanted to make a batch. Like good memories, these smells and tastes can keep you warm when you are feeling cold, or make you feel secure when you are a bit worried about a step into the unknown,
So the scent of allspice filled the kitchen (sorry, ran out of cinnamon so substituted) once again and it was like rolling back the years to a safer and happier time. Food memories are strong which is why we need to build them. Rituals and symbols are the things by which we navigate our lives and make us feel we belong. The rituals of baking, the symbols of offering sweet treats to your family are as important as any sacrament and fill a very similar role. They show we belong to each other. Thanks for the biscuits sweetheart, and good luck on your adventure!
These have a sweet spiced taste and excellent crunch which make them a real hit with children, and are easy for them to make too with a little supervision. The recipe makes about twenty depending on preferred size.