Pain d'Epices au Miel - Honey Gingerbread.

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I was inspired by a recent post on the excellent Strong as Soup blog          http://asstrongassoup.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/black-sticky-gingerbread-random-recipe.html  to look for a recipe my neighbour gave me for a gingerbread made with honey. This is a very different gingerbread from the dark moist one on Phil's blog.
The method is unusual in that you put the dry ingredients into a bowl, then heat the honey and pour it over.
It's got a good spicy flavour and as Phil said in his post, gingerbread is great for taking on an Autumn walk, or with your afternoon cuppa, or even as a dessert with some custard.
The original French recipe used 'quatre epices' but I don't think there's much difference between that and our mixed spice, and I found some ground aniseed in a local deli, but you could leave it out if you don't like it.

250g runny honey
250g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1 tbspn vanilla sugar
1 tspn ground aniseed
1 tspn grated nutmeg
1 tspn cinnamon
1 tspn ginger
1 tspn mixed spice
2 eggs
10cl of warm milk

Preheat oven.160C/gas3

Put the flour, baking powder,sugars and spices in a bowl.
Heat the honey in a microwave or in a saucepan then pour the hot honey over the flour mixture.
Mix together with a wooden spoon then add the eggs a little at a time, then the warm milk and mix together.
Grease and flour a 900g loaf tin then pour the mixture in and bake for 1 to 1hr 15mins till golden.
Leave to cool in the tin and wait 24 hours before eating.




This cake keeps well, up to a week, if you wrap it in foil, so a useful standby for Christmas. Maybe a little cinnamon or ginger icing would make it look more festive? But with this cake, it's all about the flavour - spicy with a lovely honey flavour too.

Comments

Phil in the Kitchen said…
Oh you've made me blush - but I'm very happy that you were inspired by the gingerbread. I'm extremely fond of pain d'épices, although I'm odd enough to like a slice or two for breakfast alongside one of those rich set yogurts that the French do so well. Your pain d'épices looks lovely and reminds me of fine mornings in the Gers countryside. I have seen spice mixtures in France specifically for pain d'épices although I think the mix is pretty much as you give here.
30/11/13 2:51 pm
julie said…
I love pain d'épices and nothing beats a homemade one. Yours looks delicious, Eira. I enjoy mine smeared with butter. It's very nice at this time of the year :)
30/11/13 10:39 pm
The Caked Crusader said…
Looks delicious - I cannot get enough ginger at the moment!
3/12/13 10:44 am
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