Sunday, April 24, 2011

Egg hunt and Lilac honey jumbles


Today, we hunted for eggs. Note our chook Rose helping to point out a few hiding spots.


We stashed in bags and baskets.



Then we had to line them all up in neat rows and survey the haul.



Just a quick count so we know exactly how many we have of each sort. Luckily for us the collecting and sorting is more fun than the eating part. The uninspired ones in gold packets are the only ones we can actually eat, but that's ok with us.



Time to check on the little chicks in the easter tree nest.



Lets finish up with a spot of baking. Lilac and white speckled honey jumbles. We can eat as many of these as we want. Happy Easter, hope the rabbit was as forthcoming at your house.


Recipe for Honey Jumbles ( in the event, that like me you are running out of ways to fill in all these last few days of holidays)

1. Set oven to 180 degrees.

2. Heat 1/3 cup honey with 45 g butter in small pan on low heat until melted and simmering. Cool for 5 mins.

3. Sift 1 cup plain flour, 1/2 tsp bicarb soda, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp mixed spice, 1/4 tsp ground cloves. Make a well in centre and add melted butter/honey mixture and 1 tbsp milk. Stir until well combined. Chill for 10-30 mins until firm enough to handle.

4. Roll out onto lightly floured surface. Divide into two and roll each into sausage shape about 2 cm thick and cut into 5mm widths.  Arrange on trays lined with baking paper and shape so that they are oval. I think this actually made them a little small but they are deliciously bite sized.

5. Bake for  8-10 mins or until they start to crack. Allow to cool before icing.

6. This icing is a little more work but oh so shiny and firm and special. Whisk one egg white until frothy peaks. Add 1 and half cups icing sugar gradually and beat until smooth. Add colouring as desired, pale pink is delicious. Unforunately the natural food colourings I use change from pink to lilac after contact with egg, otherwise I would do half pink, half white. Spread over cooled biscuits. Add hundreds and thousands as desired to keep the mini beasts happy. Allow to become firm and store in air tight container. Ours did not last long enough to make it to an air tight container so this step is optional.

7. Just so you know, this icing is so suberb that it will take a gnawing toddler at least 10 minutes to completely strip the icing off the biscuit. Surely a record.

Happy baking.

6 comments:

  1. Your Grandmas sound fab.

    It must be tough being dairy intolerant/allergic ... poor lad. I hope you had a Happy Easter. Looks like you did. Such a cute pair, and so serious about their booty!

    I'm loving the look of the honey jumbles. Easy to bake?

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  2. It looks like your little ones enjoyed their egg hunt. I love how they were all lined up in a row and counted, a great learning experience there too:) And the honey jumbles look better than the easter eggs to me and taste better too. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend.

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  3. You know BB, it is all in the hunt really isn't it?!
    I love the shots of the wee eggs sitting on the big leaves. Gorgeous! I must say the lovely part of parenthood is certainly with how much the kids joy is your 'joy'. Love your knitted eggs and nest display in the branches.
    It looks like you've all really been in the spirit and had a wonderful day. The weather has been glorious for it!

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  4. I just love that pic of your boy with his haul all neatly lined up and accounted for. If only I was that organised and meticulous.
    Thanks for the recipe too. Our bees have been kind to us this year and I am constantly dreaming up new ways to use the honey in my cooking.
    have a great week. x

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  5. what sweet pics! wish our garden were that far along...and had chocolates hidden amongst all the leaves. ;)

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  6. Mel, thanks so much for your message on my white dilema. I'm so glad you mentioned Natural White. That was the only other colour I had tried on my wall. We were so desperate to get the colour done that we opted for half strength natural and just finished it. So far I like it. will see how it looks in the morning. Appreciate your advice and I look forward to seeing your paint job too. You obviously have an old house like me and I'm being so careful not to keep it looking like the 100 years old that it is. :)

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