Francoise had fragrant gingerbread and spiced wine for the warmbloods. Kit (who was never reluctant to sample the contents of Matthew’s cellar) and George (who was looking a bit green after the evening’s revelations) helped themselves.
SHADOW OF NIGHT, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, DEBORAH HARKNESS
There really is nothing like the feeling you get on the days leading up to Christmas. It really isn’t Christmas day that I always look forward to but it’s really the week leading up to the day that really warms you up inside. What a crazy year it has been. I’m so incredibly thankful for all the visitors who have come and left lovely comments on my blog and especially those who are incredibly supportive of my work on Instagram. I hope I can continue to improve for every one of you. Thank you so much and I wish everyone happy holidays!
The recipe I have today is really an interesting one and took me quite some time to figure it out. This comes from the second book of the, Discovery of Witches, book series called, Shadow of Night. When I first came across the scene when they were eating gingerbread, I immediately passed it thinking it wasn’t an interesting recipe to try. After some thought and research, I realized that gingerbread was quite different from what we know it as today.
Gingerbread as we know it today is usually a soft cookie spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and molasses. Gingerbread during the 16th century was more bread-like. The texture was what surprised me more. It was chewy, sticky, and very sweet. This isn’t something that I would really want to make again but it was quite fascinating to try. If you’re looking for more information, I found the Gode Cookery an amazing source of information and it’s where I took inspiration from for this recipe.
If you’ve got friends who are history buffs or are interested in the book series, I would definitely make it for them. Now looking back, I wish I would have cut it into nicer shapes rather than squares but that’s really all up to you in the end. Make whatever makes you happy. I hope you enjoy the recipe and I wish every a very Merry Christmas!
A Discovery of Witches: Elizabethan Gingerbread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups dried breadcrumbs unseasoned
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the honey and heat just until it comes to a boil. Add the spices and mix to combine. Let it bubble for another minute or two over medium heat.
- Remove it from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs. Mix to combine very well.
- Put the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan. Press it down flat with your hands or spoon until it reaches about 1/4". Allow it to set and dry for about 2-3 hours. Cut into desired shapes.
