The 525th anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth, which brought an end to the Wars of the Roses with the defeat of Richard III by Henry Tudor, was celebrated this year on 22 August. I missed the re-enactment of the battle at the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre because I was on holiday – but here’s a modern variation on the recipe for Bosworth Jumbles. The original was reputedly dropped on the battlefield by Richard III’s cook…
Bosworth Jumbles
8oz sugar
8oz flour
6 oz butter
1 large egg
Rub all dry ingredients together and mix in the egg. Cut into walnut-sized pieces and roll them between the hands and make into the shape of an ‘S’ on a greased baking tray. Bake in a medium oven (350F, Gas Mark 4, 175C) until pale brown.
I have to admit that the one and only time I tried making these, they spread out across the baking tray to form one giant biscuit – so don’t make the mixture too wet!
If you’d like to know more about the battle itself and recent archaeological work to identify its exact location, see http://www.bosworthbattlefield.com/battle/archaeology.htm.
A research project that looked at various aspects of food in the East Midlands, linking them with museum displays and objects in the region, and making the results available to as many people as possible in different formats.