With kids at home and supplies running low, I thought it might be useful to share a simple recipe you can make with a few ingredients you might already have lying around at home! These jumbles are a doddle to make and very versatile. No lemon? Try orange, or a splash of vanilla. No ground almonds? Just replace with a little more flour for a more shortbready texture. Happy baking, stay home and stay safe!
Ingredients - Makes ~ 18 jumbles
150g soft butter (salted or unsalted)
150g caster sugar
1 medium egg (large in US/Canada)
Zest of 1 lemon (or orange, or 1 tsp extract of choice e.g. vanilla)
300g self-raising flour (or 290g plain flour with 1.5 tsp baking powder)
50g ground almonds
Method (watch the video here)
Preheat your oven to Fan 180 C (200C conventional) and line a large baking tray with greasproof paper or foil
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric whisk to whisk together the soft butter and sugar for a few minutes until it is lighter in colour and fluffy. If you don't have an electric mixer, give it some elbow grease with a wooden spoon
Add the egg and vigorously mix until well combined then add the zest from the lemon and give it another good stir. Sieve the flour into the bowl and add the almonds. Start to stir to combine the mix then get your (clean!) hands into the bowl and start to bring the mix together. Compress and lightly knead the mix until it comes away from the side of the bowl in a big ball
On a lightly floured surface, take golf-ball sized chunks of the mix and roll into a long sausage shape about the width of a little finger. Curl it into an S shape (or shape of your choosing - how about the family initials?) and pop on the lined baking tray, spaced well apart as they will spread in the oven. The exact length doesn't matter, as long as they're all roughly the same thickness then they will bake evenly.
Bake for 10 minutes on the middle shelf until lightly golden and leave to cool on a wire rack before devouring!