Gingerbread england, 15th century

Yield: 1 unknown

Measure Ingredient
2 cups Honey
¼ teaspoon Saffron
¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper
5 cups Breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
18 smalls Bay leaves
6 eaches Cloves

"Bring the honey to a boil in a pan with the saffron and pepper.

Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs so as to make a very thick paste. Simmer on an asbestos mat over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the paste has dried out. Place in a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf tin. Smooth over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Make 6 trefoils on the top by sticking groups of three bayleaves together at the stalk end with a clove pierced through each group into the surface of the ginger bread. Chill for several days in the refrigerator. Serve in small slices." From "Two Fifteenth-century Cookery Books" "Gyngerbrede: Take quart of hony, & sethe it, & skeme it clene; take Safroun, pouder Pepir, & throw ther-on; take gratyd Brede, & make it so chargeaunt that it wol be y-lechyd; then take pouder canelle, & straw ther-on y-now; then make yt square, lyke as thou wolt leche yt, take when thou hast lechyst hyt, and caste Box leves a-bouyn, y-stykyd ther-on, on clowys. And if thou wolt have it Red, coloure it with Saunderys y-now."

_Seven Centuries of English Cooking_ Compiled and updated by Maxime de la Falaise Grove Press, London, 1992 Typos by Jeff Pruett.

Submitted By JEFF PRUETT On 05-16-95

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