Medieval Ginger Bread: Misnomer and Also Sticky
I believe in getting in the body of your characters and experiencing what they experience. Well, within reason: I probably should be allowed nowhere near a dead body, and I don’t want to experience a bandit chasing me with a bow and arrow. That is a little too much realism, thank you very much.
But I can make a few treats my protagonist’s kids would beg for.
Which brings me to gingerbread, or, as Two 15th c. Cookery-Books spelled it, Gyngerbrede.
If you are thinking of the cute little cookies in the shape of people or houses, reset your thoughts. We are talking about a sticky candy-like thing.
The Recipe
You boil a quart of honey and skim the froth that comes from it. Keep it over low heat and throw in one tablespoon of powered ginger, a teaspoon of pepper, and up to a tablespoon of cinnamon. Stir that all up. Should take 15 minutes or so.
Then slowly stir in a pound or so of unflavored breadcrumbs. Keep adding until you have a thick mass that’s nearly dry.
Roll that out on wax paper. Not aluminum foil. It sticks to the gyngerbrede like nobody’s business, as I discovered this Christmas.
Anyway, roll it out into an inch-thick sheet and sprinkle that puppy with cinnamon and breadcrumbs. Cut it into squares.
You can also throw in a dash of saffron or red food coloring while it is boiling if you are fancy.
The Cleanup
Did I mention this is sticky? The pot you boiled the honey in will need a good scrubbing and so will the spoon you stirred it with. Hot water will be called for.
The Conclusion
This is a luxury item. This calls for a lot of honey and spices that would have been hard to get before the advent of refrigerated trucking and international shipping. Safron is still a luxury item found only in specialty spice stores and other boutiques of the cooking variety.
I’m not wagging a finger or anything. This is just another case of kids having expensive tastes (they don’t have to do the cleaning up or shopping, so it is all sweetness and light for them.)
On the other hand, it’s a fair use for big jars of honey, and the recipe is simple.
It is also sweet as all get out. Prepare only if your sweet tooth is bigger than your head.