HONEY RINGS

• servings: MAKES 10 PASTRIES
• active time: PREPARATION: 30 MINUTES
• total time: COOKING: 25 MINUTES

Ingredients

PASTRY

400 g (14 02/2% cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

100 g (3% oz) fine semolina

150 g (5% oz) butter, chilled and diced

1 egg yolk

150 ml (5 fl oz) strained orange juice, or water

FILLING:

400 g (14 oz) dark treacle or molasses

100 g (3½ oz) dark chocolate, broken into chunks grated zest of ½ lemon grated zest of ½ orange

1 teaspoon mixed (pumpkin pie) spice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground aniseed

200 ml (7 fl oz) water

150 g (5½ oz) fine semolina, plus extra for dusting

Directions

HOW TO:

To make the pastry, combine the flour, semolina and butter in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs or rough sand. Mix in the egg yolk and half the juice or water to form a dough.

Keep adding liquid until the dough is no longer dry. Cover the dough and set aside to rest while you make the filling.

Combine the filling ingredients except the semolina in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Whisk in the semolina and cook over a low heat for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool into a malleable paste. If too wet, continue cooking or add more semolina.

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Dust a work surface with a little extra semolina and shape the pastry into a log. Roll out to a long rectangle, 100 cm (40 in) long and 16 cm (6¼ in) wide. Cut the rectangle at 10 cm (4 in) intervals to form strips. Form a line of filling lengthways down the middle of each pastry strip, stopping just short of the ends. Roll the pastry around the filling to enclose. Bend one end of the pastry around to meet the other, creating a ring.Pinch the ends together and place on a tray. Continue making rings with the remaining strips.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).

Use a small sharp-tipped knife to make 6 angular slits around the top of each ring. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden but not browned. Allow to cool before serving. The rings will keep in a sealed container for up to 3 weeks if kept in a dry, cool environment.