2 c Honey 1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Saffron 18 sm Bay leaves
1/4 ts Ground black pepper 6 ea Cloves
5 c Breadcrumbs
“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.
Yields
1 unknown