Getting myself in a medieval knot

"I'm sorry Lucy, I'm too busy to play with you; I'm doing some Medieval cooking." The cat slinks away, disappointed, as I struggle to get to grips with a recipe for jumbles or knotted biscuits. Medieval recipes are not always very scientifically recorded- it was assumed that Medieval Cooks didn’t need the sort of detail we now require in the Modern Age. In theory, I can call myself a "cook" though, having made dinner for the gentry in a 16th century household. But it's actually more than 15 years since I last baked jumbles.

The modernised recipe goes something like this-

Using a large-ish bowl, beat two eggs, mix in 100 g of sugar and 1 tablespoon of aniseed (a tablespoon? Really?). Add 75 g (or more) of plain flour (I used wholemeal bread flour. In the Middle Ages, only the nobles ate white bread, called “manchet”, which was made from refined flour). 

Knead your dough on a lightly floured board. 

Separate into eight pieces, then divide each of these into two. Roll out into a roll roughly 1 cm in diameter and about 6 inches long.

I made some of my rolls thinner than advised, so I could make a more fancy knots. However, these cooked too quickly and went hard. I was reminded of my first ever attempt at jumbles, whilst re-enacting the role of a 16th century cook at Kentwell Hall in Suffolk. My efforts were so solid (but very decorative) that some of the participants attached them to leather thongs and wore them as jewellery.

My attempts at making knots. I think the one bottom left is closest to what the biscuits should look like. The medieval recipe advised brushing the ends with rosewater which I did, but some of the ends fell off and spoiled the shape. 

The fun part is that once the knots are formed, you set a pan of water to a fast boil and drop several of the knots in. After a short while, dislodge them from the bottom of the pan and let them float up where they will swell (give them a good couple of minutes to do this), then remove them with a slotted spoon and dry on a tea towel over a cooling rack. I used kitchen towel – possibly a little risky as it tends to stick to the bottom of the biscuit.

Bake the biscuits for about 10 minutes in the oven at 180°C, then turn over and do the other side for a further 10. Remove and cool. 

Approach with care, just in case they have hardened too much – I take no responsibility for anyone breaking their teeth. 

Final picture – good enough to eat? I brought some jumbles to work for my colleagues to try and, brave souls that they are, they attempted to eat the by now almost concrete-hard biscuits.

I'm glad I had a trial run.

I suspect I will bake my jumbles for rather less time if I make them again…