Pain d’épices is a Burgundian classic; it is a lovely unusual ‘bread’ or ‘cake’ made with rye flour, spices and honey, without yeast, using baking powder and bicarbonate soda instead. It tastes something like gingerbread, although ginger is not one of the spices I use. In France, it is sold in loaves, sometimes, in squares, or cut from giant slabs. You can make it in mini muffin tins for individual serves or other small cake tins. French cooks sometimes serve thin slices of it under a piece of foie gras. I love mine with butter.
On our barging travels around Burgundy, we were occasionally offered a loaf to buy from the friendly éclusiers, the lock-keepers. Families have their favourite mix of spices and honey. Our friend Beatrice who operates a charming Chambre d’Hôte called at Les Charmilles in St Jean de Losne, made us her pain d’épices in mini loaf tins, like those used for making financiers. She said many French cooks vary their spices and the honey used. It is sold in loaves, but sometimes sold in squares, or cut from giant slabs.
Anne Willan, founder of the famous La Varenne Cooking School in Burgundy included her pain d’épices recipe in two of her many books on French Cuisine, ‘The Country Cooking of France’ and ‘Real Food’. Many cooks have based their recipes on hers, as I have done here. This is my favourite combination of spices and I use organic leatherwood honey. Although the list of spices is long, it takes only just a short time to make.
Makes one loaf
Ingredients:
250g honey
125ml milk
50g caster sugar
½ tbsp each lemon and orange zest
50g rye flour
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground star anise
½ tsp ground coriander seeds
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 egg yolk
30g almond meal
1 tbsp chopped candied orange
Serve with or without butter
Method:
Gently warm the honey and milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until tepid. Dissolve sugar in the mixture, then stir in the citrus zest. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a large bowl.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease and line the loaf pan.
Sieve the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Set aside. Whisk the egg yolks, then add to the honey mixture, stirring well to incorporate. Fold the sifted ingredients and almond meal into the honey mixture, then add the candied orange and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter among the loaf pan, then bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely.
I love it best with butter.
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