Gingerbread

By Heinrich von Holstein

Gyngerbrede. Take a quart of hony & sethe it, & skeme it clene; take Safroun, pouder Pepir, & þrow þer-on; take gratyd Brede, & make it so chargeaunt þat it wol be y-lechyd; þen take pouder Canelle, & straw þer-on y-now; þen make yt  square, lyke as þou wolt leche yt; take when þou lechyst hyt, an caste Box leves a-bouyn, y-stykyd þer-on, on clowys. And ȝif þou wolt haue it Red, coloure it with Saunderys y-now.
(Harleian MS. 279, ab 1420 A.D.)

To make gingerbrede. Take goode honye & clarefie it on þe fere, & take fayre paynemayn or wastel brede & grate it, & caste it into þe boylenge hony, & stere it well togyder faste with a sklyse þat it bren not to þe vessell. & þanne take it doun and put þerin ginger, longe pepere & saundres, & tempere it vp with þin handes; & than put hem to a flatt boyste & strawe þereon suger & pick þerin clowes rounde aboute by þe egge and in þe mydes yf it plece you &c.
(Curye on Inglysch p. 154)

 

Medieval gingerbread bears little resemblance to the modern cake or cookie by that name.  Instead, it is more of a heavily-spiced candy commonly prepared in 15th century Europe.  This redaction is kind of an average of period recipes, two of the more famous ones shown above.

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs wild honey
  • 1 lbs bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbs powdered ginger
  • 1 Tbs powdered cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of ground saffron
  • ½ tsp ground long pepper [1]
  • Whole cloves
  • (or powdered clove)

Omitted:

  • Saunders [2]
  • Box Leaves [3]

Directions

Bring honey to a boil and skim off any scum [4].  Reduce heat to just barely a simmer and add ginger, cinnamon, saffron, and pepper.  Stir well.  Slowly start stirring in breadcrumbs until you start to get a stiff consistency.  Remove from heat and pour on to a greased baking sheet.  Allow to cool.  When it is cool enough to handle and set enough to maintain form, cut into small squares or roll into balls [5].  Sprinkle with clove powder or garnish with whole cloves [6].

(PLEASE DO NOT EAT THE CLOVES.)

Notes

[1] This is not a chili pepper, but rather a relative of black pepper.  Though native to Southeast Asia, it was imported to Europe as early as the 5th century. (Wikipedia, Long Pepper)

[2] Saunders, sandalwood, is optional even in the period recipe.  Primarily a coloring agent, it is not commonly available and not particularly flavorful.

[3] Inedible garnish.  Also, mildly toxic to humans.

[4] With store-bought honey, most undesirable impurities have already been filtered out.  Also, boiling honey is a terrifying substance; BE CAREFUL.  It will burn badly if it gets on you.

[5] I have prepared both forms.  I find that balls are easier to handle and serve, as squares still tend to get stuck on surfaces, so I recommend that for more numerous portions.

[6] Piercing with whole cloves is the period practice from original recipes.  In general, I would rather deviate and use clove powder than risk having someone unfamiliar with the spice, or not paying attention, bite into this inedible garnish.

Sources

Austin, Thomas. Two Fifteenth-Century Cookery Books. Harleian MS. 279…and Harl. MS. 4016. London,
Early English Text Society, Oxford Series, No. 91.

Friedman, David and Cook, Elizabeth.  1988, 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2011.  How to Milk an Almond, Stuff an Egg, and Armor a Turnip.  Web.   http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/To_Milk_an_Almond.pdf

Hieatt, Constance B. and Sharon Butler. Curye on Inglish: English Culinary Manuscripts of the Fourteenth-Century (Including the Forme of Cury). London, 1985. For the Early English Text
Society by the Oxford University Press.

Wikipedia contributors, “Long pepper,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Long_pepper&oldid=900023861 (accessed June 15, 2019).