Jumbles
Submitted by bob
Jumbles are a colonial-era ring-shaped cookie scented with rosewater, caraway, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Crisp, buttery, and dusted with sugar. A historical American recipe from the 1700s.
YIELD
30 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
3 hrsJumbles date back to colonial America and even earlier in England. The name comes from the Latin gemellus meaning twin, a nod to the way the dough was shaped into rings or twisted figure-eights. This is genuinely old-school baking, and the flavor profile (rosewater, caraway seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon) tells you exactly what an 18th century cookie tin smelled like.
Rosewater is the wild card here, and it’s worth seeking out. Find it at Middle Eastern markets or the international aisle of a well-stocked grocery. Just three tablespoons gives the cookie a subtle floral note that lifts the warm spices without making the cookie taste like perfume.
Crushing the caraway seeds with the back of a spoon or in a mortar releases the volatile oils. Whole seeds work but distributed unevenly. Crushed seeds blend through the dough and add a soft anise-like background.
A hot oven matters. As the recipe warns, an oven that’s too cool lets the jumbles spread and run together. Get the oven fully preheated before the rings go in.
Pro Tips
- Chill the dough thoroughly. Soft warm dough won’t hold the ring shape during shaping or in the oven.
- Roll each portion between your palms to form a smooth rope before joining the ends. Pinch firmly so the ring doesn’t open in the bake.
- Watch closely after 6 minutes. They go from pale to over-browned quickly at this temperature.
- Sift confectioners sugar over fully cooled cookies, not warm ones, or the sugar will melt in.
Variations
- Replace the rosewater with orange blossom water or vanilla extract.
- Skip the caraway and add 1 teaspoon lemon zest for a brighter flavor.
- Drizzle with a thin lemon glaze instead of sugar dusting for a sweeter finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Beat the butter until very light and add the sugar.
Beat well, add the egg whites, and continue beating until smooth.
Add the flour and seasonings, and beat until smooth.
Refrigerate until firm.
Flour your hands and your pasteboard, and lay the dough upon it.
Take off equal portions from the lamp, and with your hands form them into round rolls, and make them into rings by joining together the two ends of each.
Place the jumbles (not so near as to touch,) in tin pans slightly buttered, and bake them in a very brisk oven little more than five or six minutes, or enough to color them a light brown.
If the oven is too cool, the jumbles will spread and run into each other.
When cold, sift sugar over them.
Baking is at 375℉ (190℃) F; time depends on the thickness of the cookie, but more like 8 to10 minutes or until lightly browned.
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