[Sca-cooks] Gyngerbrede (finally!).

[Ruth Frey]

	Okay, at long last, here's my gyngerbrede
redaction; I worked from original-source recipes
and redactions from _Pleyn Delit_, _Take a Thousand
Eggs or More_, and www.godecookery.com.
	The main problem I had with getting this
recipe to work was in finding the right proportions
of honey and bread crumbs, leading to a pleasing final
texture.  I chose to use *completely* dry bread crumbs
as my standard; they are easy to get (a local grocery
store with a bakery sells small chunks of dry bread as
"croutons", with no spices added -- perfect!), easy
to crunch up into a fine "meal," and consistent in
texture each time.
	However, it turned out that the modern
redaction I first tried was for only partially-dry
bread; at least, following their proportions with
completely dry crumbs led to gyngerbrede with the
consistency of cast-iron (to make it worse, I shaped
the dough into little balls for easy serving; I'm
still getting teased about the "cannonballs" that
resulted . . .).
	Some tinkering around revealed that a
wonderfully simple ratio of 1:2 honey:crumbs
(by volume) makes for a product that is firm
enough for easy handling when cool, but still
nicely soft and chewy.  The spice ratios are
based loosely on the ones in my family's time-
honored gingerbread cookie recipe (hey, it it
works, why not?).  As others have noted, the
actual Period recipes sometimes omit the ginger
itself.
	A note on coloring: Period recipes stress
that gyngerbred should be colored red with the
addition of red sandalwood.  I have not tried doing
this because I haven't yet gotten hold of any red
sandalwood that I'm sure is food-grade (most of my
suppliers sell it as incense, so I'm unsure if what
I'm getting has been treated with fragrance or color
"extras").  Unadulterated red sandalwood should be
perfectly safe to use in food, from everything I've
read, and should (from the fragrance) taste mildly
cinnamon-ish.  Probably a teaspoon in the recipe below
would be a good starting point for those who wish
to try it.
	Modern cooks sometimes substitute red food
coloring; I haven't added coloring directly to the
gyngerbrede myself, but I have used red-colored cake
decorating sugar as a decorative finish (red-
colored sugar would have been well within Mediveal
capabilities, though it's a "coulda" rather than
anything I have documentation for).

GYNGERBREDE

3 c. honey

2 tsp. powdered cinnamon

1 tsp. powdered ginger

1/2 tsp. ground long pepper (or white or
	black pepper)

1/4 tsp. powdered cloves

6 cups  *dry* bread crumbs, crushed/
	processed to the consistency
	of cornmeal

cinnamon-(white) sugar mixture for sprinkling

	Bring the honey and spices to a
boil in a large saucepan, then turn off the
heat and stir in bread crumbs 1 cup at a time,
mixing completely (important for best texture!).
	Spread the resulting dough out on a
baking sheet lined with foil or waxed paper,
cover with another sheet of waxed paper, and
roll out to a thickness of approx. 1/4 inch.
Sprinkle well with cinnamon and sugar (about
1 part cinnamon to 4 parts sugar works well;
the mix can be varied to taste).  Using a sharp
knife, cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch squares.  Let
cool until firm enough to handle, then break apart
squares and lay out on a tray to finish cooling.
If you need to layer the squares for cooling or
serving, sprinkle each layer again with cinnamon
and sugar before adding the next layer, to keep the
layers from sticking.  Makes approx. 80-90 squares,
keeps for at least a few days at room temp. and travels
well.

	Other serving possibilities: to be
truly Period, press the gyngerbrede into a casserole
dish or deep tray, and decorate with whole cloves and
food-safe leaves (box leaves are suggested in Period,
but I can't remember if they're considered OK in modern
usage).
	Sprinkle with straight spices, straight
sugar, or red-colored decorating sugar instead of
cinnamon-sugar.
	Roll the dough in little balls, and then
roll in spices and/or sugar.
	I prefer the flattened squares because they are
easy to produce (in fact, this whole recipe is fast!),
store, and transport, without the need to juggle a
heavy casserole or pan, or to protect delicate surface
decorations.

		-- Ruth