Gingerbread or pain d’epices in French is a dense honey cake flavored with various spices such as cinnamon, coriander, ginger or star anise, which requires a month of rest to reach the optimal point of consumption. There are cookies that resemble gingerbread cookies and have the same name, those with the characteristic little men (in fact, Lebkuchen literally means “gingerbread”).
Double-edged tongues say that today’s gingerbread or spices came from China, from where they spread throughout the Arab world in the Middle Ages, ending their journey in the West, which the Europeans brought with them after the Crusades. Marketed in the city of Reims, it eventually became an Alsatian specialty – there is even a gingerbread museum in the Alsatian village of Gertwiller – although the Burgundian city of Dijon, the city of mustard, also refers to this sponge cake as its traditional condiment
You can eat this thick bread or cake dry, but it tastes delicious with both sweet and savory side dishes; sweet with jams and fruits in syrup, salty as a substitute for bread in any canapé, matching a sweet and spicy tone, or for spreads such as various cheeses, pâtés and foie.
Time: 45330 minutes
Difficulty: Plan ahead so the flavors of the Pain d’Epices have time to mature before presenting it on your New Year’s table and making it a complete success.
Ingredients
For approx. 8-10 servings
- 180g sugar
- 100g butter
- 250g honey
- 180 g ground hazelnuts
- 500g plain flour (or rye if you want to give it a primitive touch)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 100 g candied orange peel
- 4 eggs
For the glaze
- 50g powdered sugar
- 50 ml brandy
instructions
1.
Crush unground spices in a mortar or grind in a grinder.
2.
Melt the butter and add sugar, honey and spices. Mix well.
3.
Add the ground hazelnuts, the chopped candied fruits and the four eggs; Mix.
4.
Add baking powder and flour and sift through a sieve. Mix well.
5.
Line a mold or baking tray with baking paper. Pour the mixture and smooth the surface.
6.
Let it rest at room temperature overnight and cover with plastic wrap.
7.
The next day, bake in the lower third of the oven preheated to 175°C at increasing heat for about 60-70 minutes, until the dough has risen and is golden brown. Always test whether the cake is done by piercing the center of the cake with a skewer. The cake should come out clean and without any traces of raw dough.
8th.
Take the mold out of the oven and remove the gingerbread by pulling on the baking paper. Let cool, preferably on a rack.
9.
To make the glaze, place the icing sugar and brandy in a large bowl, gradually adding water as needed until it forms a dense paste but runny enough to spread.
10.
Spread the icing on the gingerbread with a brush and let it dry.
eleven.
Store in a metal box for at least a month before consumption to allow the flavors to develop and mature. Merry Christmas.
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