SC - Begging A Favor

[Cindy M. Renfrow]

>I have served gingerbread at demos, and most kids like it.  I did cut back a
>little on the pepper and ginger as it otherwise seems to be little highly
>seasoned for some people.  My recipe follows:
>
>19.  To make gingerbrede.  Take goode honey & clarefie it on the fere, & take
>fayre paynemayn or wastel brede & grate it, & caste it into the boylenge
>honey,
>& stere it well togyder faste with a sklyse that it bren not to the vessell. &
>thanne take it doun and put therein ginger, longe pepere & saundres, & tempere
>it up with thin haldes; & than put hem to a flatt gboyste & straw thereon
>sugar,
>& pick therein clowes rounde aboute by the egge and in the mydes, yf it plece
>you, &c.
>
>19.  To make gingerbrede.  Take good honey and clarify it on the fire, and
>take
>good white bread or good bread and grate it, and put it into the boiling honey
>and stir it together fast with a spatula so that it will not burn not to the
>vessel. And then take it down and add ginger, long pepper and sanders, and mix
>it with  thin handles ; and then put it in a flat box and sprinkle it with
>sugar. And pick cloves round about by the egg and in the middle, if it please
>you.  (Sloan, 468 from Curye on Inglysch)
>

Hello!  Yes, gingerbread is an excellent dish for kids.  (Two suggested
corrections to the above translation, if I may -- "with thin haldes", with
thine hands; and "by the egge", by the edge.)

Here is another gyngerbrede recipe from Harleian MS. 279 - Leche Vyaundez:

iiij.  Gyngerbrede.  Take a quart of hony, & sethe it, skeme it clene; take
Safroun, pouder Pepir, & [th]row [th]er-on; take gratyd Brede, make it so
chargeaunt [th]at it wol be y-lechyd; [th]en take pouder Canelle, & straw
[th]er-on y-now; [th]en make yt square, lyke as [th]ou wolt leche yt; take
when [th]ou lechyst hyt, an caste Box leves a-bouyn, y-stykyd [th]er-on, on
clowys.  And [3]if [th]ou wolt haue it Red, coloure it with Saunderys
y-now.

4.  Gingerbread.  Take a quart of honey, & seethe it, skim it clean; take
Saffron, powdered Pepper, & throw thereon; take grated Bread, make it so
stiff that it will be cut; then take powdered Cinnamon, & strew thereon
enough; then make it square, like as thou would cut it; take when thou cut
it, and caste Box leaves  above, stuck thereon, and cloves.  And if thou
will have it Red, color it with Sandalwood enough.


Here's another good crowd-pleaser that can be made ahead of time. The honey
sauce can be served with crackers:

"Pokerounce is reminiscent of warm mead on toast, and is quite delicious in
small quantities.  The honey mixture may be made in advance and preserved
either by canning or refrigeration.

Harleian MS. 279 - Leche Vyaundez

xxxvj.  Pokerounce.  Take Hony, & caste it in a potte tyl it wexe
chargeaunt y-now; take & skeme it clene.  Take Gyngere, Canel, & Galyngale,
& caste [th]er-to; take whyte Brede, & kytte to trenchours, & toste ham;
take [th]in paste whyle it is hot, & sprede it vppe-on [th]in trenchourys
with a spone, & plante it with Pynes, & serue f[orth].

36.  Pokerounce.  Take Honey, & cast it in a pot till it wax thick enough;
take & skim it clean.  Take Ginger, Cinnamon, & Galingale, & cast thereto;
take white Bread, & cut two trenchers, & toast them; take thine paste while
it is hot, & spread it upon thine trenchers with a spoon, & plant it with
Pine nuts, & serve f[orth].

1/2 cup raw honey
 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
 1/4 teaspoon galingale powder
 2 thick slices homemade bread or 4 slices white bread
 4 teaspoons pine nuts


Put honey in a 1-quart saucepan.  Slowly heat to boiling.  Skim away any
scum that rises to the surface.  Add spices and stir for 2 to 5 minutes
until flavors are well blended.  Remove from heat.

Toast bread slices and arrange them flat on a plate.  Spread toasted bread
with warm honey mixture and top with pine nuts.  Serve warm.

Makes 2 to 4 slices.  Serves 2."

(From "Take a Thousand Eggs or More" , copyright 1990, 1997, Cindy Renfrow)


Regards,

Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
Author and Publisher of "Take a Thousand Eggs or More" and "A Sip Through Time"
http://www.thousandeggs.com
cindy at thousandeggs.com