Honey Bars

These are similar in flavour and texture to gingerbread. I like the spice, however, it can be omitted. 

The biscuits are very good left plain or uniced, although the honey icing or glaze gives a nice finish to the biscuits and adds an additional layer of honey flavour.

The dough can be made into bars or rolled into small balls for a conventional biscuit shape.

Work quickly to ice the biscuits as the icing sets rapidly and becomes difficult to spread. Add a little more honey and warm again in the microwave if ithe icing has set too quickly.

They make a good alternative Christmas treat or home baked treat for my honey loving friends. If packaged in cellophane I tend to put the biscuits back to back to stop them sticking to each other.

Honey Bars

Ingredients

Biscuits 60 g butter 2/3 cup honey 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 2 cups plain flour 1 teaspoon mixed spice (optional) 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Icing 1 cup icing sugar 1 -2 tablespoons honey

Method

Heat the oven to 160C

Melt the butter and honey over low heat. Use a medium to large saucepan.

Add the bicarbonate of soda, then flour and spices if using and mix well. Stand 10 minutes or longer, the mixture needs to thicken.

Turn mixture out and knead lightly until mixture forms a smooth ball. Use a little extra flour if the dough is too sticky.

Divide dough into four. Roll each piece of dough into a sausage approximately two centimetres in diameter. Then cut each sausage into finger sized lengths approximately 5 -6 cm. Alternatively, the dough may be rolled into small balls.

Place on a greased baking sheet, allowing room for the biscuits to spread. Flatten by pressing with your fingers.

Bake until light golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. Cool on tray for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to the biscuits to cool completely.

Ice the biscuits with honey icing and leave to set. The icing has a tendency to stay sticky so store in a single layer or with a piece of kitchen parchment between the layers of biscuits.

Honey Icing

Combine icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of honey in a saucepan and melt together, stir and add a little more honey if necessary. The icing becomes a thick glaze. Alternatively make the icing in the microwave using a glass bowl and heat on high in thirty second increments.