Recipe for French gingerbread, a classic served around Christmas time, best made a few days before eating. Made with mainly honey and rye flour (no eggs), it's quick to make. Adapted and translated from Julien Cantenot's recipe in Nov/Dec 2021 issue of Fou de Pâtisserie Magazine and doubled the recipe for a larger loaf tin.
150g (5.5oz / ⅔ cupbutter, unsaltedroughly chopped (use a little to grease the tin)
250g (9oz / 2 cupsrye flourT85
10g (2 tsp)baking powder
good pinchsaltfleur de sel, Maldon or Celtic sea salt
4g (1½ tsp)gingerbread spicesee NOTES*
1tablespooncandied fruits (sliced ginger, orange)Optional for DECOR
Instructions
Grease the loaf tin with a little butter and preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ 360°F/ Gas 4. Boil the water, honey, sugar and whole spices together in a saucepan until the liquids dissolve. Once all dissolved, melt in the butter. Turn off the heat and leave the spices to infuse for 5 minutes. Remove the cloves and star anise to decorate the loaf at the end.
In a bowl, stir together the rye flour, baking powder, salt and ground spices. Gradually add the warm honey mixture and whisk or stir until the mixture is smooth. The result will be a batter that is quite liquid.
Pour the batter into the loaf tin, ¾ to the top. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until dark brown.
Leave in the tin for about 10 minutes to cool slightly before turning out on to a wire tray. Decorate with candied fruits and the leftover star anise.
Notes
Gingerbread spices: sold in France as 'melange de pain d'épices': a mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, aniseed. To make your own: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground aniseed.To serve: best eaten at least 1 to-2 days after baking and up to a week. I like to brush the top with more heated honey to give extra shine to the cake. Serve on its own, with jam or with foie gras.Storage: Pain d'épices keeps at its best for about a week in an airtight container or covered in aluminium foil outside of the fridge (as contains mainly honey which retains moisture). Can freeze for up to 2 months.Measures: Please note that all my recipes are best made using digital kitchen scales in precise metric grams. Both ounces (and cups) are given as a guide.