Don't judge a recipe by its title

Last night I actually got to make a recipe I was familiar with: honey oat biscuits (p41). This was, in fact, the recipe I ended up making on the day when, flicking through my Edmonds book for something to bake, I had the thought that started this whole blog.

That day was the first time I'd tried making these biscuits. And, just like many of you are now thinking, I looked at the title and thought, "They're probably a lot like ANZAC biscuits". If you've already scrolled down and had a look at the photos, you'll be thinking they look pretty similar too. But while they look alike and have some ingredients in common, honey oat biscuits actually taste quite different.

They are made in much the same way as most biscuits: you start by creaming the butter, sugar and honey. Then you sift in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, and add the rolled oats. This makes a fairly crumbly mixture, so you have to squeeze pretty firmly when you're rolling them into balls. Squash them down with a fork, and you're ready to go.

15 minutes later, your honey oat biscuits are ready. Though I would actually recommend a shorter baking time - I baked the first tray of biscuits for the full 15 minutes, and they came out slightly overdone, so when I did the second tray, I took them out after about 13 minutes, and they were perfect.

So what makes them different from ANZAC biscuits? Firstly the texture: you'd expect them to be either crunchy or chewy, just like ANZACs, but they're not. They are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Of course, the biggest difference is in the taste. They're sweet and cinnamony and very very moreish. The flavours are actually quite reminiscent of Dutch baking, which is probably why I like them so much.

I'd been itching to make these biscuits again since I began this challenge. They are a reminder of why I began it in the first place - because the Edmonds book is full of great recipes just waiting to be discovered; and because it's so much fun to cook something without knowing what it's going to taste like. This one just goes to show that even when you think you know what to expect, you can still be surprised at the outcome.