GingerbreadThreeWays

LadyYsabeldelaOya

Ichosetomakethreegingerbreadswithverydifferentprofiles(althoughtheyareallEnglish)onesugar
&almondbased,onehoneybased,andonewinebased.Oneisfourteenthcenturyandtwoare
Elizabethan.

InmedievalEnglandthewordgingerbreadcouldmeananypreservedginger,eventuallycomingtomean
gingerflavoredcakes.

Inthefourteenthcentury,gingerbreadwouldusuallyfallintotwocategories:confectionandcakelike.
Theconfectionlikegingerbreadsweremoreusual

Itwouldbefoundasatreatinfairsandfestivals.Inthehome,itwouldbemadetoshowoffwealth
andwouldbegiventothebestguests.Gingerbreadcouldoftenalsobemedicinal,andusedtoaidein
digestion.Itwouldalsobepressedintoimpressivemoldsorloavesofgingerbreadwouldbestamped
withdesigns.

Forthetworecipesthatcalledforbreadcrumbs,Imademyown.SeveraldaysinadvanceImadea
basicleanbreadjustflour,water,yeastandsalt.Thedaybeforemakingthegingerbread,Itorethe
breadintochunksanddriedtheintheoven.RightbeforemakingthegingerbreadIgroundthebreadinto
crumbsinthefoodprocessor.Iendedupusingoneofhalfoftheloves.

14thCenturyEnglishGingerbread

ThisversionistheearliestofthethreeandisfoundinCuryeonInglyschinsectionV:GoodeKokery.It
itmyfavoriteoffthethree,andisalsothesimplesttoprepare.

Periodrecipe:Tomakegingerbrede.Takegoodehonye&clarefieitonefere,&takefayrepaynemayn
orwastelbrede&grateit,&casteitintoeboylengehony,&stereitwelltogyderfastewithasklyse
atitbrennottoevessell.&annetakeitdounandputeringinger,longepepere&saundres,&

tempereitvpwithinhandes&thanputhemtoaflattboyste&straweereonsuger&pickerin
clowesroundeaboutebyeeggeandinemydesyfitpleceyou

ModernTranslation:Takegoodhoney&clarifyitonthefire,&takebreadorleftoverbread&additto
theboilinghoney,&stiritwellsoitdoesn'tburn,&takeitofftheheatandaddginger,longpepper&
sandalwood,&mixitwell&thenputitinaflatpan&sprinklewithsugar,&putclovesroundaboutby
theedgeandinthemiddleifitpleaseyou

ImyredactionIsubstitutedlongpepperforwhitepepperandsandalwoodforcinnamon,mostlybecause
ofaccesstoingredients.

Redaction:
2cupshoney
3cupsbreadcrumbs
5tspgroundginger
1tspgroundcinnamon
tspwhitepepper
tspcloves

Boil(andclarifyifneeded)honeyandaddginger,cinnamon,whitepepper,andcloves.(Iusedclean
honeyfromthegrocerystore,soIdidntreallyneedtoclarifyit.)Addbreadcrumbsslowlyandstir
untilmixtureiswellincorporated.Onceitiscoolenoughtohandlerolloutandcutintodesiredshapes.

ElizabethanRedGingerBread(Leachlumbar)

InADailyExerciseforLadiesandGentlewomentwodifferentversionsaredandawhite.Thisisthe
redversion.Tome,itisthemostfragrantversion.

PeriodRecipe:GrateanddrytwostaleManchets,eitherbythefire,orinanOuen,siftthemthrougha
Sieue,andputtoitCinamon,Ginger,Sugar,Liquorice,Anisseedwhenyouhauemingledbread,and
stirreit,thatitbeasthickeasaHastiepuddingthentakeitout,andcooleit,andmoulditwith
Cinnamon,Ginger,Liquorice,andAniseseede,androwleitthinne,andprintwithyourmould,anddryit
inawarmOuen.

ModernTranslation:GrateanddrytwostaleManchets,eitherbythefire,orinanoven,siftthem
throughasieve,andputtoitcinnamon,ginger,sugar,liquorice,aniseseedwhenyouhavemingled
bread,andstirit,thatitbeasthickasaHastiepuddingthentakeitout,andcoolit,andmoulditwith
Cinnamon,Ginger,Liquorice,andaniseseed,androllitthin,andprintwithyourmould,anddryitina
warmoven.

InmyredactionIchosetoleaveouttheliquorice.Ijustdontlikeit.

Redaction:
3cupsredwine
3cupsbreadcrumbs
1tbspgroundginger
1tspgroundcinnamon
tspgroundaniseseed
water

Inbowlcombinebreadcrumbsandspices.
Bringwinetoaboilkeepitthereforatleast5min,thenkeepatasimmerfor5mins.Addenoughhot
watertothewinetobringtheliquidvolumebackupto3cups.Stirinbreadandspicemixture.Letstand
longenoughtocoolrolloutandcutoutdesiredshapes.Dryinawarmovenuntilsetanddry.

ElizabethanWhiteGingerBread

ThisrecipewasalsofoundinADailyExerciseforLadiesandGentlewomen.
Tome,thiswasthemostcomplicatedofthethree,andthebiggestchallengetome.

PeriodRecipes:TakehalfeapoundofMarchpanePastmadewithAlmonds,RosewaterandSugar,
andaspoonfulofAquavita,seasonitveryhotwithGinger,moulditvpstiffe,rowleitthin,andprintit
withyourmoulds.
TomakemarchpanePaste:Cearsethefinestandwhitestsugar,toeverythirdspoonfulltheroftakea
blanchchtIordaneAlmond,stampetheminasmoothmorter,andnowandthenputintwoorthreedrops
ofRosewater.Itmustbeextreamelymuchbeatenbeforeitwilbeaperfectpast,attheleastan
houre.

Moderntranslation:PeriodRecipes:Takehalfeapoundofmarchpanemadewithalmonds,rosewater
andsugar,andaspoonfulofAquavita,seasonitveryhotwithGinger,moulditstiff,rollitthin,and
printitwithyourmolds.
Tomakemarchpane:Addthefinestandwhitestsugar,toeverythirdspoonfulthereoftakeablanched
JordanAlmond,stampetheminasmoothmortar,andnowandthenputintwoorthreedropsof
Rosewater.Itmustbeextremelymuchbeatenbeforeitwillbeaperfectpast,attheleastanhour.

InmyredactionIchosetouseamarettoinplaceofAquavitawhichasfarasIcantellissomekindof
whiskey.Ichoseamarettotoenhancethealmondflavorinthedish.

Redaction
8ozblanchedsliveredalmonds
8ozwhitesugar
2tbspginger
1tbspamaretto
1tbspwater
1tsprosewater
tspsalt

Grindthealmondsinafoodprocessorthenaddthesugar,ginger,andsalt.Whenverywellmixed,blend
intheamaretto,water,androsewater.Turnmixtureoutintoabowlandmixwellthebesttoolnow
beingverycleanhands.Onceitisapaste(althoughminewaschunky)rollitoutandcutintoshapes.

Sources

Hieatt,ConstanceB."Introduction,V:GoudKokery."CuryeonInglysch:EnglishCulinaryManuscripts
oftheFourteenthCentury(includingtheFormeofCury).London:PublishedfortheEarlyEnglishText
SocietybytheOxfordUP,1985.31,154.Print.

Murrell,John.ADailyExerciseforLadiesandGentlewomen.London:Falconwood,1617.18.Print.

"History,Travel,Arts,Science,People,Places|Smithsonian."History,Travel,Arts,Science,People,
Places|Smithsonian.24Dec.2008.Web.17Sept.2015.
<http://www.smithsonianmag.com/artsculture/abriefhistoryofgingerbread50050265/>.

Sass,LornaJ.TotheQueen'sTaste:ElizabethanFeastsandRecipesAdaptedforModernCooking.
NewYork:MetropolitanMuseumofArt,1976.97.Print.

SecretsoftheCastle.Dir.PeterGinn.Perf.Goodman,Ruth.BBC,2014.Film.